Today was an exciting day for National Geographic Venture and its passengers. Bahia Almejas is new territory for our ship and for those aboard. We made passage in the height of sunrise, beside beautiful desert mountains and a fishing village quaint as any you’d find on a post card. Approaching our anchorage, we saw National Geographic Sea Bird nearby, which brought back many memories for many crew members. Once settled, we took to exploring a land we knew would not disappoint.
On the Zodiacs we ventured to the south end of the bay. Hundreds of cormorants and pelicans lined the beaches here, accompanied also by herons and ibis. To the extreme delight of many, we saw a young bald eagle, the southernmost territory anyone of us had seen this graceful bird inhabiting. We circled a feeding frenzy, putting our cameras to good use, while many of the birds circled us from above. In the distance we could see dozens of magnificent frigatebirds rising from the mangroves. While the low tide prevented us from getting close by, we were able to see many of them from a distance and watch them soar overhead.
The rocky mountainous coastline offered pleasant scenery on the ride along the bay, and after a quick stop by National Geographic Sea Bird to say hello, we headed back to the ship for lunch. Some guests made full use of the beach that morning to explore and enjoy the scenic Bahia Almejas in the most leisurely way possible.
After lunch we pulled anchor and began north. During our passage we had the pleasure of naturalist Mike Greenfelder’s rich presentation on the Amazon River and the voyages Lindblad offers through this vast, diverse ecosystem. We spent the next hour updating the maps from our trip. We have gone far in these two weeks and seen so many amazing things—it was a great experience to remember all that has happened. We ended the daylight with a trip to Sand Dollar Beach, in the company of a lustrous red sunset. Like always, the dunes cast their shadows and colors which provide interesting photographic opportunities.
Once aboard, we had our final cocktail hour with complimentary champagne as all gathered for captain’s farewell dinner. That night’s program included the curated slideshow of photographs taken over the course of the week, making for a choice way to cap a successful voyage. It’s been an amazing journey to be sure, and those part of it are sure to go on feeling fortune and gratitude afforded by our wonderful time here in Baja California.
