The morning began with a fiery sunrise followed by a roll into the water to encounter the myriad of California sea lions waiting to play with our guests. With loud brays and quick movements in the water, these marine mammals had us experiencing a roll of emotions as they swirled around. The afternoon brought us to Isla San Francisco where we snorkeled, beach-combed, searched the intertidal landscape and climbed high upon the hill. Finishing our explorations with a sunset barbeque for all to enjoy.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 20 Feb 2020
Los Islotes and Isla San Francisco, 2/20/2020, National Geographic Venture
- Aboard the National Geographic Venture
- Baja California
Paul North, Undersea Specialist
Paul North is the founder of the educational nonprofit Meet the Ocean and host of its online podcast. As a polar diver with Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic, he tours the remote underwater landscapes of Antarctica and other sub-zero destinati...
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Baja California: Among the Great Whales
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We awoke navigating on the Cerralvo Canal, between Cerralvo Island and the peninsula, searching for wildlife. We were not disappointed, as two different pods of common dolphins came to visit and bow ride with us for a long time. After lunch, we anchored at Pichilingue Port and disembarked the vessel to visit the capital city of Baja California Sur, La Paz, where we had the chance to interact with the locals in some of the most popular places, like La Fuente, a traditional ice cream parlor, and the Jardin Velasco in downtown. Then guests enjoyed a fiesta, dinner, and returned on board National Geographic Venture .
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Magdalena Bay
Today we woke with the shining stars and took Zodiacs ashore to meet our coaches for a trip to Chale, a small town on the shores of Magdalena Bay. The goal was to find some wintering gray whales, magnificent leviathans which frequent this coast to give birth before the long migration back to their Arctic feeding grounds. These whales did not disappoint! Spyhopping, breaching, and even a bit of tail flukes. As a result, there were lots of smiles and laughter all around! We returned to the town for lunch and then headed back out on the local boats for a second round. As we returned to the ship, the sun set over La Paz, with glassy waters of gold in the harbor, and pink clouds above. The constellations of Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades shone over our Zodiacs on our way back to dinner aboard National Geographic Venture .