The amazing thing about exploring Baja California is that every day you have the chance to see whales and dolphins. This morning, we encountered bottlenose dolphins after another brilliant sunrise painted the placid waters of the Sea of Cortez. Then during breakfast, a super pod of long-beaked common dolphins appeared right on cue. Jackpot!
For more than two hours, the National Geographic Sea Lion cruised slowing with perhaps more the 500 of these small marine mammals. Common dolphins come together not only to feed on schooling fish, but also to socialize, keeping the gene pool healthy. Leaping, tail slapping, and surfing the ship’s wake, these magnificent creatures kept us entertained, with camera shutters clicking wildly, burst modes humming. Exhausted from the action and with memory cards full, we pulled away and charted a course for Isla Santa Catalina, our afternoon destination.
The prefect conditions continued as we anchored close to the rocky shore of Isla Santa Catalina, an island composed of granitic basement rock that was once attached to mainland Mexico before rifting created the Gulf during the last six million years. Snorkelers took to the calm water below Elephant Rock, an arch that from the perfect angle looks like an elephant with its trunk in the water. A great variety of tropical fish were encountered during this most delightful swim, including the endemic Cortez damsel fish.
Meanwhile, long hikers went ashore to climb to the top of the island for a commanding view of the Sea of Cortez. Along the sandy wash the endemic rattleless rattlesnake was encountered to everyone’s surprise. The rest of the group came ashore in time for a colorful sunset, with the sun dipping behind the Baja Peninsula in the far distance. A number of us lingered onshore until twilight, making time exposures of the night sky while painting the towering cardón cacti with flash lights.
The photographers returned to the ship after dark and we all enjoyed a lavish dinner on the sun deck below the stars.
