Bahia San Gabriel & Puerto Ballena

The big, bright full moon pulled us out of our beds this morning and into an amazing day. We entered the desert of Isla Espiritu Santo from Bahia San Gabriel. Desert black jackrabbits ran between the protection of green shrubs, probing shore birds lined the beaches looking for a morning’s meal and magnificent frigatebirds perched on a line of mangroves, some of the males inflating their red gular pouches and clattering their bills, readying for the breeding season.

After turning over several rocks, one of our young explorers found a scorpion resting during the light of day, waiting for nightfall to feed.

During lunch we sailed the National Geographic Sea Lion to Puerto Ballena. Snorkelers explored the shore, where coral heads were rich with marine life both large and small. Sea cucumbers lounged on the sand between corals, Cortez rainbow wrasse flashed their bright colors, and a few shy balloon fish bobbed and finned along, keeping one eye on the strange, large-finned beasts that peered down on them.

For dinner we had perfect conditions for a beach barbeque. We sat around a fire and enjoyed our evening’s meal while listening to tales of ancient Aztec gods and goddesses with the powers to shape our world. It was only fitting that the moon with its exiled rabbit rose full for us as we finished our day.

Lisa Sette, Naturalist; Scorpion Photo: Christopher Souvey, Guest & Balloon Fish Photo: Joey Manger, Guest