Boca de Soledad & Hull Canal
Early morning Zodiac rides at Boca de Soledad proved extremely delightful; numerous baby gray whales slowly swam around their calm mothers, whereas the occasional pairs or trios of mature whales seemed engaged in some romantic activities. Double-crested cormorants busily flew above our heads carrying sticks or other kinds of nesting materials on their beaks while meadow larks sang over the sand dunes nearby. The glassy appearance of the surface enabled us to watch the antics of baby whales swimming around and below us. Everyone enjoyed the peaceful and quiet quality of the morning, getting the chance to admire the sheer beauty and preciousness of the intimate encounters that we had recently experienced.
By mid-morning the National Geographic Sea Bird sailed south through the Hull Canal under the expert guidance of our local pilot Alejandro Camacho. Magnificent sand dunes and dense mangrove forests lined the shores of the canal and even more gray whales were seen in the areas known as La Florida and Los Titeres. Great blue herons, snowy and reddish egrets, white ibises and brant geese were among the numerous bird species that we were able to observe as we slowly and cautiously made our way south while enjoying lunch out in the upper deck.
The open Pacific ocean honored its name this time as we abandoned the protected waters of Magdalena Bay by mid-afternoon. Long swells could be seen on the surface as we headed south towards Cabo San Lucas. California and Western gulls, as well as the occasional brown pelican and Heermann’s gull, congregated around krill swarms and a few gray whale blows were seen against the dark shores of Santa Margarita Island. Tomorrow new and exciting encounters await for us; however, I am sure that many of us are going to see baby whales' eyes in our dreams tonight.
Early morning Zodiac rides at Boca de Soledad proved extremely delightful; numerous baby gray whales slowly swam around their calm mothers, whereas the occasional pairs or trios of mature whales seemed engaged in some romantic activities. Double-crested cormorants busily flew above our heads carrying sticks or other kinds of nesting materials on their beaks while meadow larks sang over the sand dunes nearby. The glassy appearance of the surface enabled us to watch the antics of baby whales swimming around and below us. Everyone enjoyed the peaceful and quiet quality of the morning, getting the chance to admire the sheer beauty and preciousness of the intimate encounters that we had recently experienced.
By mid-morning the National Geographic Sea Bird sailed south through the Hull Canal under the expert guidance of our local pilot Alejandro Camacho. Magnificent sand dunes and dense mangrove forests lined the shores of the canal and even more gray whales were seen in the areas known as La Florida and Los Titeres. Great blue herons, snowy and reddish egrets, white ibises and brant geese were among the numerous bird species that we were able to observe as we slowly and cautiously made our way south while enjoying lunch out in the upper deck.
The open Pacific ocean honored its name this time as we abandoned the protected waters of Magdalena Bay by mid-afternoon. Long swells could be seen on the surface as we headed south towards Cabo San Lucas. California and Western gulls, as well as the occasional brown pelican and Heermann’s gull, congregated around krill swarms and a few gray whale blows were seen against the dark shores of Santa Margarita Island. Tomorrow new and exciting encounters await for us; however, I am sure that many of us are going to see baby whales' eyes in our dreams tonight.
