From the National Geographic Sea Bird in Baja California

Land’s End, San Jose del Cabo & Entering the Gulf of California

A thin line of clouds sitting on the eastern horizon gave us the opportunity to practice our photographic quasi-alliteration mantra of contemplate, compose, capture, and critique. With digital cameras and binoculars poised, we captured the sunrise in pixalated posterity. The naked spine of the Baja California Peninsula stretches nearly a thousand miles. This is where we next turned our attentions. Naturally saturation in the glowing colors of dawn, we admired the stark granitic icon of Cabo San Lucas known as Land’s End.

The Sierra de la Laguna is a lifeline to the town of San Jose del Cabo. A river, a virtual subterranean umbilical cord, feeds precious water to this growing desert city. Strolling along the terminus of the river, at the estuary, we marveled at the diversity of bird life calling this thin margin home. Herons danced, osprey fished, ibis probed, ducks dove, and coots generally complained. Dragonflies and damselflies skittered about, sometimes landing and becoming ephemeral ornaments on the streamside vegetation.

Our destination is north; into the Gulf of California. We departed San Jose and in route observed a number of humpback whales. Several cow/calf pairs were swimming close to shore. A few of the babies breached, flying nearly clear of the water. It was amazing seeing these miniature versions of the humpback whale suspended in temporary flight. A surface active group of adult humpbacks came very near our ship. Explosive exhalations burst from the starboard and port sides simultaneously as we were bookended by humpbacks. What an exciting finale to our afternoon of whale watching, and a fitting welcome as we enter the Gulf of California.