Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur

Another beautiful day in Baja! Sunrise found us steaming up the outer coast of the peninsula on our way to the gray whale calving lagoon of Magdalena Bay. Isla Margarita glowed in the morning light as we delighted in a large pod of common dolphin frolicking around the National Geographic Sea Bird.

We entered the bay between the islands of Margarita and Magdalena. We spotted our first gray whale soon after. The order of the day was to steam up the narrow and shallow Canal de Magdalena to Boca de Soledad, where we will spend the next two days with the gray whales. We picked up our Mexican pilot and soon we were “threading the needle” up the long and incredibly scenic Canal. The Canal separates the northern part of Magdalena Island from the Baja coastline and is lined with mangroves and mud flats. This is a rich area for a variety of birds, as we witnessed today. Flocks of Brant's geese took to the air as we cruised up the Canal. Our intrepid birders identified an impressive list of bird species, including Pacific loons, magnificent frigate birds, a large variety of herons and egrets, red-necked phalaropes, royal terns, and long-billed curlews to name a few. In addition, everyone was thrilled to see two peregrine falcons. We even saw a couple of coyotes relaxing on the shoreline. Just back from the mangroves are a spectacular line of barchan sand dunes that run the entire length of the Canal. Tomorrow we’ll have an opportunity to explore the dunes and beach in addition to enjoying a full day with the whales.

Tonight we are anchored in the calm seas just inside Boca de Soledad. We are all looking forward to tomorrow’s gray whale adventure!