Today was the kind of day that makes an expedition voyage in Baja California such a breathtaking experience. We arrived this morning to Isla Santa Catalina on a calm approach with following seas. An easy morning schedule sent us ashore after breakfast to enjoy an exploration of an arroyo that is one of the most beautiful in all of Baja California, filled with enormous cardon cactus and giant barrel cactus. It seemed like the island was abloom with life, with brilliantly flowering palo verde bushes a vibrant blend of bright green and yellow, with the constant buzz with appreciative bees. We didn’t need to walk far to find the endemic rattleless rattlesnake coiled up, warming itself in the early morning sun under bushes and sometimes camouflaged in plain sight amid the pale rocks or ruddy sand of the arroyo.
Clouds and sunlight created lovely dappled light across the island, adding depth and dimension to the already gorgeous scenery. Some of us went for a long walk, far up the arroyo and climbing onto a ridge overlooking the eastern coast of the island, while others chose shorter outings with different emphasis. After the walks, snorkelers set out late in the morning when the sun was high, and light was penetrating the lovely underwater setting.
For the afternoon we were intending to head to the shores of Isla Carmen for Zodiac and kayaking options, but as we transited the rich waters of the Loreto Bay National Park, bottlenose and common dolphins were sighted, along with a humpback whale. To jump to the end of the story, we spent the next three hours in “dolphin and whale soup,” but the details are as rich as the seas. When an expedition ship encounters a group of thousands of dolphins, it is not only the wildlife, but also the experience and grace of the officers and expedition team that helped make the experience astounding. While we enjoyed a massive group of common dolphins, the bridge and naturalists kept track as we continued to close the distance between us and an active humpback whale. Flukes were raised high against the distant backdrop of the Sierra de la Gigante mountain range, the backbone of the Baja Peninsula. But then, another humpback was spotted, breaching over and over again to the east.
We diverted to see if we could get closer and found ourselves with amazing views of this animal breaching dramatically high out of the water, making enormous crashes as it fell back into the sea. It was a stunning sight to see, and with so many repetitions, a perfect scene to photograph as well. The afternoon progressed into evening and we spent hours watching thousands of long-beaked common dolphins and at least six different humpback whales. In the meantime, Erasmo, our hotel manager and his team made us a sweet treat of ceviche, guacamole, and margaritas of the aft sun deck.
Ahhhhh, what a delight it is to sail through these waters and to appreciate the fantastic abundance of life in the region we are sailing through.
