After a long night of cruising, we finally entered the protected waters of Magdalena Bay around 10:45 in the morning. Directly in front of the fishing town of Puerto San Carlos, our pilot Sergio, joined the vessel and helped us navigate through the narrow Hull Canal. Amongst the mangroves we saw numerous birds and even a wandering coyote. A couple gray whales were observed from deck as we headed north to our anchorage. Fortunately, we made great time and were able to disembark and run around the breathtaking sand dunes for an hour before returning to the National Geographic Sea Bird for dinner.
1/9/2025
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National Geographic Venture
Magdalena Bay and Sand Dollar Beach
After a nocturnal navigation along the Pacific side of the Baja California Peninsula from the Los Cabos area, National Geographic Venture reached Magdalena Bay, our final destination of the expedition. While navigating this morning, our guests and staff observed the profile of Margarita Island, which flanks the southern section of Almejas Bay. Along the way, we found several humpback whales breeching and travelling to their breeding grounds. We also observed long-beaked common dolphins and sea birds taking part in a feeding frenzy. By noon, the ship entered Magdalena Bay, and we felt the quietness of this coastal lagoon. Later, our guests had the opportunity of walking on the dunes of Magdalena Island, reaching the Pacific side, and had the privilege of watching their elusive inhabitants, including sea and shore birds, a suite of wadders, and a couple of coyotes! Our Global Explorers, led by Naturalist Mauro Butron, had the chance to discover the mangroves, sand dunes, and other wonders of this impressive environment.
