After breakfast we hit the beach at Isla San Esteban, wound our way through the nests of yellow-footed gulls and proceeded up a sandy arroyo. We were on a lizard hunt! Groups combed through the washes and rocky hillsides, sidestepping the endemic cactus to seek out elusive reptiles. Creeping out of their night-time hiding places, the iguanas and chuckwallas basked in the sun's warm rays, eyeballing us with vague curiosity. The long hikers encountered a rattle snake, and everyone got a good look at spiney-tailed iguanas and chuckwallas. As their bodies heated up in the sun, the iguanas trundled up the cardon cacti to perch atop, survey their turf and dine on luscious white cardon flowers. A raven dive-bombed one iguana, causing it to leap to the ground and scuttle, partially stunned, under the cover of the shrubbery. Satiated with reptilian photos, guests loaded into Zodiacs for a scenic cruise of beautiful rocky slopes and sea lions.
In the early afternoon we cruised north and listened to a presentation on geology from Ralph Lee Hopkins. The water was glassy calm as we approached Isla Rasa, a spectacular hotspot of bird activity. In picture perfect conditions we loaded into Zodiacs for rounds of wildlife watching. A couple boats followed the blows of a fin whale while others circled Isla Rasa searching for avian life. A nesting osprey was seen on its nest, along with three fierce-looking chicks looking at us with beady eyes over the edge of the nest. A pair of peregrine falcons called from the cliffs and gave a spectacular show, winging around the boats in an exercise of predatory might. Pelicans stretched their pouches and cormorants watched us pass from the rocks. Though it was a little early to see hordes of breeding gulls and terns, we saw many Heermann's gulls gathering around the island and heard a few terns screeching overhead. California sea lions delighted everyone with their comic antics and a few boobies made a brief appearance. The sun set into a clear western sky and we returned to the ship in a pastel pink where it was difficult to separate sky from sea.
The evening ended with a tasty dinner followed by dive footage from our undersea specialist Paul North.
