Boca de Soledad & the Hull Canal
The wind was blowing strong this morning as we departed for our sunrise whale watch. We headed to the south towards the fishing town of Lopez Mateos where blows had been spotted in the distance. During our tenure in Magdalena Bay, we have become familiar with several cow/calf pairs. This morning the calves were particularly playful, riding over the backs of their mothers. Mid-morning, the anchor was lifted and we began our southbound journey through the Hull Canal. As we traveled through the mangrove strewn channel, we observed double-crested cormorants, brown pelicans, royal terns, and great blue herons. We were joined by a group of bottlenose dolphins which came to surf on the pressure wave created at our bow. They swam effortlessly beneath the water, bursting to the surface for a quick breath. Squeaks, of what surely must be delight, could be heard both from the dolphins and their human onlookers who were leaning over the railing of the ship. At La Entrada, we turned south into the Pacific Ocean, saying goodbye to Isla Magdalena and its soft sand dunes and to Magdalena Bay, the southern most calving lagoon for the gray whales. We had not said goodbye to the gray whales yet. The distinctive heart-shaped blow of gray whales were again spotted. The adult gray whales traveling just beneath the water foretold their surfacing. As the sun shone through the water, green patches appeared, a product of the phytoplankton-rich waters above the mottled gray skin of the whales. Frolicking with the gray whales were several energetic common dolphins. As the sun set, we stood poised, binoculars in hand, waiting for the green flash. Just as the last sliver of the sun dipped beneath the horizon, a spark of green appeared. Later in the evening, we wandered out to the bow to observe the star-filled night sky and were drawn by curiosity to the railing. Below us were bow-riding dolphins, outlined by bioluminescence, leaving streaks of glowing water behind them as they surged like torpedoes through the water.
The wind was blowing strong this morning as we departed for our sunrise whale watch. We headed to the south towards the fishing town of Lopez Mateos where blows had been spotted in the distance. During our tenure in Magdalena Bay, we have become familiar with several cow/calf pairs. This morning the calves were particularly playful, riding over the backs of their mothers. Mid-morning, the anchor was lifted and we began our southbound journey through the Hull Canal. As we traveled through the mangrove strewn channel, we observed double-crested cormorants, brown pelicans, royal terns, and great blue herons. We were joined by a group of bottlenose dolphins which came to surf on the pressure wave created at our bow. They swam effortlessly beneath the water, bursting to the surface for a quick breath. Squeaks, of what surely must be delight, could be heard both from the dolphins and their human onlookers who were leaning over the railing of the ship. At La Entrada, we turned south into the Pacific Ocean, saying goodbye to Isla Magdalena and its soft sand dunes and to Magdalena Bay, the southern most calving lagoon for the gray whales. We had not said goodbye to the gray whales yet. The distinctive heart-shaped blow of gray whales were again spotted. The adult gray whales traveling just beneath the water foretold their surfacing. As the sun shone through the water, green patches appeared, a product of the phytoplankton-rich waters above the mottled gray skin of the whales. Frolicking with the gray whales were several energetic common dolphins. As the sun set, we stood poised, binoculars in hand, waiting for the green flash. Just as the last sliver of the sun dipped beneath the horizon, a spark of green appeared. Later in the evening, we wandered out to the bow to observe the star-filled night sky and were drawn by curiosity to the railing. Below us were bow-riding dolphins, outlined by bioluminescence, leaving streaks of glowing water behind them as they surged like torpedoes through the water.
