Boca de Soledad
Well, how about that for a Monday morning? Friendly whales on a glorious calm blue sky day out in the far western reaches of the Baja California peninsula. Just after breakfast we boarded our Zodiacs and cruised out into the lifting fog to have a look around Boca de Soledad (or the mouth of solitude) to see how many of the California gray whales are still in this lagoon. The whales have nearly finished their time here in Mexico, and many have already headed north to the feeding grounds thousands of miles from here. But there are still six mother whales here – patiently spending their days and nights swimming in the currents and nursing and growing the next generation of gray whales until they are large enough to make the long migration to the rich waters of the arctic summer.
Our local pangeros, fishermen who have spent their lives observing the gray whales that inhabit the lagoon in winter, think that the high tide of the next new moon in just over a week will be the finale of this season. Once again the moon will circle the planet, pulling on the oceans and signaling these mother whales that it’s time to leave. One morning the whales will head out of the Boca and turn right and begin that long passage that leaves us mystified and wondering; why do they come so far?
Beachcombing on the northern tip of Isla Magdalena is another delightful adventure of this special day. Shadows outline the parabolic shapes of the barchan dunes while thousands of brightly colored shells line the beach. Groups of brown pelicans, gulls and a small flock of migrating shorebirds forage for food along the ocean’s edge. Tracks crisscross the sand, and tell us stories of coyote’s search for food and fun.
Well, how about that for a Monday morning? Friendly whales on a glorious calm blue sky day out in the far western reaches of the Baja California peninsula. Just after breakfast we boarded our Zodiacs and cruised out into the lifting fog to have a look around Boca de Soledad (or the mouth of solitude) to see how many of the California gray whales are still in this lagoon. The whales have nearly finished their time here in Mexico, and many have already headed north to the feeding grounds thousands of miles from here. But there are still six mother whales here – patiently spending their days and nights swimming in the currents and nursing and growing the next generation of gray whales until they are large enough to make the long migration to the rich waters of the arctic summer.
Our local pangeros, fishermen who have spent their lives observing the gray whales that inhabit the lagoon in winter, think that the high tide of the next new moon in just over a week will be the finale of this season. Once again the moon will circle the planet, pulling on the oceans and signaling these mother whales that it’s time to leave. One morning the whales will head out of the Boca and turn right and begin that long passage that leaves us mystified and wondering; why do they come so far?
Beachcombing on the northern tip of Isla Magdalena is another delightful adventure of this special day. Shadows outline the parabolic shapes of the barchan dunes while thousands of brightly colored shells line the beach. Groups of brown pelicans, gulls and a small flock of migrating shorebirds forage for food along the ocean’s edge. Tracks crisscross the sand, and tell us stories of coyote’s search for food and fun.
