From our anchorage at Isla Rasa, National Geographic Sea Bird began her transit north in the wee hours of the morning. Sailing between Isla Angel de la Guarda and the Baja Peninsula, the farthest point north of our expedition, the air was a bit cooler and wind stirred the waters around us.
Our destination was a sheltered bay called Este Ton, a beautiful spot for a morning of kayaking, small boat tours, and desert walks. The multicolored rocks were a lovely backdrop for the desert flora, and a great contrast to the rich hues of the sea and cloudless sky. We wandered about onshore, creating images, and gaining new knowledge from our guides. For photographers, there were plenty of plants in bloom, plus the challenge of trying to capture images of hummingbirds as they buzzed around collecting spider webs to use in building their nests.
Onboard the ship we were back to flat calm “Beaufort 0,” and we spent a good part of the afternoon exploring the “Canal de Ballenas” in search of marine mammals in calm seas. An elusive blue whale was spotted in the distance. During the search, Carlos gave a presentation on the history of Baja California and Gretchen gave us a pre-cap on the unique flora of the region—the boojum trees.
Late afternoon brought us to our anchorage at Bahia de Los Angeles. We shuttled ashore where we found a hodgepodge of local vehicles waiting to take us for a curious afternoon outing among the boojums. These spindly plants grow very tall, shaped something like an upside down carrot, and are found only in a very narrow range here in Baja California and a small area on mainland Mexico. They have a certain quirky appeal. An easy walk in the desert revealed some of the crazy diversity of unusual shapes they attain.
Sunset with boojums, flowering cactus, and a wide variety of desert flora, gave photographers an array of subjects, all captured while dodging the attacks of aggressive jumping cholla cactus. We returned to our vehicles for a soda or cerveza, then we were off to the ship with memory cards full and our heads filled with great memories.
