Cabo San Lucas & Gorda Bank
Following a calm night at sea, our morning began with a peaceful sunrise at Lands End, the southern most tip of the Baja peninsula. First enjoyed by only a few hearty early risers, a gentle announcement brought out even more to take in the colors of first light with the famous Friar Rocks and El Arco as a backdrop. As the whole of the sun finally became visible and began to warm our bodies in the cool Pacific air, another show began; hundreds of common dolphins began to appear in all directions. “We are traveling through a dolphin soup!” exclaimed one guest as we continued toward the bustling port of Cabo San Lucas. Invariably, the allure of a free ride on the pressure wave generated at the bow of the National Geographic Sea Bird proved to be irresistible as dolphins playfully swam and leapt before our very eyes at the bow.
We transited around lands end and crossed the boundary that marked our official entry into the Sea of Cortes where a variety of activities were in store throughout the morning in Cabo San Lucas. This bustling port was at one time a small village marked only by a cannery and humble dwellings when Steinbeck and Ricketts visited this location in 1940. Snorkelers were whisked away to nearby Pelican Rock for a morning of snorkeling from an anchored Zodiac in the cool waters of the Sea of Cortes. A variety of fish were observed including king angelfish, moorish idols, even an octopus and a stone scorpionfish with what appeared to be a needlefish still sticking partially out of its mouth, clearly signifying its first meal of the day. Bird watchers enjoyed the variety of species in San Jose del Cabo where over 30 species were observed. A handful simply relaxed, took in the warm Baja sunshine or strolled the streets of Cabo San Lucas in search of treasures. A morning of choices was well enjoyed by all.
We were all aboard for lunch and underway in search of marine mammals for the afternoon. A light wind generated small whitecaps atop the deep blue sea as we plotted a course in a northeast direction toward Gorda Bank, an area that frequently attracts humpback whales in the winter months. Spouts began to become visible on the horizon as we spotted not only humpback whales, but also gray whales as well. Large splashes appeared on the horizon as we witnessed charismatic breaching behavior from both humpback and gray whales! The star of the day however was a young and very acrobatic humpback whale that delighted all aboard by launching itself out of the water over and over again through the late afternoon in a seemingly effortless show as mother watched quietly and patiently nearby.
Following a calm night at sea, our morning began with a peaceful sunrise at Lands End, the southern most tip of the Baja peninsula. First enjoyed by only a few hearty early risers, a gentle announcement brought out even more to take in the colors of first light with the famous Friar Rocks and El Arco as a backdrop. As the whole of the sun finally became visible and began to warm our bodies in the cool Pacific air, another show began; hundreds of common dolphins began to appear in all directions. “We are traveling through a dolphin soup!” exclaimed one guest as we continued toward the bustling port of Cabo San Lucas. Invariably, the allure of a free ride on the pressure wave generated at the bow of the National Geographic Sea Bird proved to be irresistible as dolphins playfully swam and leapt before our very eyes at the bow.
We transited around lands end and crossed the boundary that marked our official entry into the Sea of Cortes where a variety of activities were in store throughout the morning in Cabo San Lucas. This bustling port was at one time a small village marked only by a cannery and humble dwellings when Steinbeck and Ricketts visited this location in 1940. Snorkelers were whisked away to nearby Pelican Rock for a morning of snorkeling from an anchored Zodiac in the cool waters of the Sea of Cortes. A variety of fish were observed including king angelfish, moorish idols, even an octopus and a stone scorpionfish with what appeared to be a needlefish still sticking partially out of its mouth, clearly signifying its first meal of the day. Bird watchers enjoyed the variety of species in San Jose del Cabo where over 30 species were observed. A handful simply relaxed, took in the warm Baja sunshine or strolled the streets of Cabo San Lucas in search of treasures. A morning of choices was well enjoyed by all.
We were all aboard for lunch and underway in search of marine mammals for the afternoon. A light wind generated small whitecaps atop the deep blue sea as we plotted a course in a northeast direction toward Gorda Bank, an area that frequently attracts humpback whales in the winter months. Spouts began to become visible on the horizon as we spotted not only humpback whales, but also gray whales as well. Large splashes appeared on the horizon as we witnessed charismatic breaching behavior from both humpback and gray whales! The star of the day however was a young and very acrobatic humpback whale that delighted all aboard by launching itself out of the water over and over again through the late afternoon in a seemingly effortless show as mother watched quietly and patiently nearby.
