San Jose Channel and Isla San Francisco
After a quiet night at anchor, we left Isla Santa Catalina just before sunrise this morning. The north wind of the past few days abated, and we watched a glorious green flash as the sun peeked over the Gulf. Sunny skies, a following breeze and calming seas made for delightful cruising this morning, especially when we were joined by several small groups of long-beaked common dolphins. They leapt ahead of us, rode our bow wave and surfed in our wake, all to our oohs and aahs from the deck. We also sighted hundreds of phalaropes, swimming their circle dance ahead of us. There was plenty of time to relax on the sun deck, and many expressed gratitude for our full dose of glorious Baja California sunshine, as winter weather blasted many of our hometowns.
After lunch, the Sea Lion anchored at Isla San Francisco, and the crew made preparations for our afternoon activities. Some guests chose to begin their afternoon with a visit to the rich tidepools on the north side of the island, where they saw amazing invertebrate life. Flatworms, ribbon worms, peanut worms and fire worms may seem slimy to some, but were endlessly fascinating to the naturalists who handled them. Others chose to begin the afternoon with a placid paddle around the bay. The water was clear turquoise and blissfully calm. Swimming, snorkeling and beach combing were activities that rounded out the day. Just before sunset, our hotel staff presented us with a delightful barbecue dinner on the beach. As the golden light faded to darkness, we moved closer to the warmth of a bonfire and marveled at the countless stars overhead. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect end to such a perfect day.
After a quiet night at anchor, we left Isla Santa Catalina just before sunrise this morning. The north wind of the past few days abated, and we watched a glorious green flash as the sun peeked over the Gulf. Sunny skies, a following breeze and calming seas made for delightful cruising this morning, especially when we were joined by several small groups of long-beaked common dolphins. They leapt ahead of us, rode our bow wave and surfed in our wake, all to our oohs and aahs from the deck. We also sighted hundreds of phalaropes, swimming their circle dance ahead of us. There was plenty of time to relax on the sun deck, and many expressed gratitude for our full dose of glorious Baja California sunshine, as winter weather blasted many of our hometowns.
After lunch, the Sea Lion anchored at Isla San Francisco, and the crew made preparations for our afternoon activities. Some guests chose to begin their afternoon with a visit to the rich tidepools on the north side of the island, where they saw amazing invertebrate life. Flatworms, ribbon worms, peanut worms and fire worms may seem slimy to some, but were endlessly fascinating to the naturalists who handled them. Others chose to begin the afternoon with a placid paddle around the bay. The water was clear turquoise and blissfully calm. Swimming, snorkeling and beach combing were activities that rounded out the day. Just before sunset, our hotel staff presented us with a delightful barbecue dinner on the beach. As the golden light faded to darkness, we moved closer to the warmth of a bonfire and marveled at the countless stars overhead. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect end to such a perfect day.
