After a nocturnal and pleasant navigation south, National Geographic Venture crossed the Tropic of Cancer, which brought us to the Los Cabos area. Here we found Friars Rocks, where the famous arch is located, Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, and Gorda Bank, a sea mount. We spent most of the day observing the behavioral repertoire of humpback whales. We also saw black-vented shearwaters, mobula rays jumping out of the water, and a sea turtle. This is a breeding area for humpback whales, and guests and naturalists observed females, calves, and competitive groups of males trying to get the attention of the females. We observed impressive acrobatics, double breaches, and powerful exhalations…some of them very close to the ship!
2/3/2025
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National Geographic Venture
Punta Colorada, Isla San Jose
We started our day with a perfect sunrise tinting the clouds in fading pinks and oranges. We had an all-in-one day starting with snorkeling by the colorful rocky shores of Punta Colorada, a place that is only accessible when we have perfectly calm conditions as we had today. We spotted a humpback whale straight from the dining room during lunch, and right after we headed back out for our arroyo hikes and kayaking. The cove was unbelievably beautiful. Trapped in the sandstone, we found innumerable fossils of shells and even the carapace of a turtle and some whalebones. We also learned of the Baja California desert vegetation and history from our informative naturalist that led the way. We went kayaking which provided a spectacular perspective of the tall pink and yellow walls that line the coves. From Zodiacs we could enjoy the enviable views of this pristine island. We are only on day one of National Geographic Venture’s Among the Great Whales expedition and we have seen and done so much. We feel accomplished yet we’re hungry for more!
