Magdalena Bay
Today we began our exploration of Baja California with our first full day of activities. We awoke within the tranquil waters of Magdalena Bay on the Pacific side of this 800 mile-long peninsula. The bay’s stark beauty is often enough of a distraction that we don’t initially appreciate the vast biodiversity in and around its waters. It is the largest of Baja’s lagoons and plays a critical role in the transition from terrestrial to marine environments by acting as a nursery to an abundance of marine species. Among these are young sea turtles which may not have been born in these waters, but rely on them to get through their first few treacherous years.
On the outskirts of the bay, Magdalena Island serves as a barrier island with inviting dunes and pristine beaches for beach combing. We spent the morning sauntering through its sandy trails and enjoying the abundance of flowering desert plants. Excess rainfall from this past fall has led to a much greener desert and we are able to see desert flowers which are often more elusive.
In the afternoon we were back on our ship, the National Geographic Sea Bird, and slowly made our way north through the narrow winding channels of Red Mangroves while scanning both sides for birds. Each curve, island and sandbar teemed with feathered fauna and new species continued to appear. Interesting avian sightings included crested caracaras, marbled godwits, long-billed curlews, night herons, a loggerhead shrike and a peregrine falcon.
Despite our enjoyment of Baja’s birds, the unspoken wish of everyone on this boat is that we have the opportunity to view marine mammals in the wild. These productive waters didn’t disappoint and shouts of joy soon filled the outer decks as bottlenose dolphins joined us to bow-ride the boat’s leading pressure wave for several minutes. One guest summed up the experience nicely by saying, “That was the coolest thing that I have ever seen.”
We anchored the National Geographic Sea Bird before dinner and had a quick glimpse of a shy gray whale. These whales within Baja’s lagoons have just arrived after traveling approximately 5,000 miles and we hope to welcome more of them to their winter Mexican sanctuary in the days to come.
Today we began our exploration of Baja California with our first full day of activities. We awoke within the tranquil waters of Magdalena Bay on the Pacific side of this 800 mile-long peninsula. The bay’s stark beauty is often enough of a distraction that we don’t initially appreciate the vast biodiversity in and around its waters. It is the largest of Baja’s lagoons and plays a critical role in the transition from terrestrial to marine environments by acting as a nursery to an abundance of marine species. Among these are young sea turtles which may not have been born in these waters, but rely on them to get through their first few treacherous years.
On the outskirts of the bay, Magdalena Island serves as a barrier island with inviting dunes and pristine beaches for beach combing. We spent the morning sauntering through its sandy trails and enjoying the abundance of flowering desert plants. Excess rainfall from this past fall has led to a much greener desert and we are able to see desert flowers which are often more elusive.
In the afternoon we were back on our ship, the National Geographic Sea Bird, and slowly made our way north through the narrow winding channels of Red Mangroves while scanning both sides for birds. Each curve, island and sandbar teemed with feathered fauna and new species continued to appear. Interesting avian sightings included crested caracaras, marbled godwits, long-billed curlews, night herons, a loggerhead shrike and a peregrine falcon.
Despite our enjoyment of Baja’s birds, the unspoken wish of everyone on this boat is that we have the opportunity to view marine mammals in the wild. These productive waters didn’t disappoint and shouts of joy soon filled the outer decks as bottlenose dolphins joined us to bow-ride the boat’s leading pressure wave for several minutes. One guest summed up the experience nicely by saying, “That was the coolest thing that I have ever seen.”
We anchored the National Geographic Sea Bird before dinner and had a quick glimpse of a shy gray whale. These whales within Baja’s lagoons have just arrived after traveling approximately 5,000 miles and we hope to welcome more of them to their winter Mexican sanctuary in the days to come.
