Cape Region
Today we entered the tropics after sailing south all night long. A fiery sunset greeted us near Cabo Pulmo, and after breakfast we saw the first of many humpback whales. Humpbacks breed in the Cape region, and throughout the morning we were constantly surrounded by them. Today seemed to be the day for random whale body parts to go flying into the air. Tails, pectoral fins, and entire bodies repeatedly rose above the water and slammed back down. Why? Hard to say, there are many ideas. It is certainly fun to ponder what sort of communication they are trying with all that activity. Another form of communication we detected was the song of the humpback. Using our hydrophone we picked up the male humpbacks singing away. Probably used in the mating behaviors, this haunting sound was an added bonus to the day.
After lunch, we visited the town of San Jose del Cabo. Shoppers were delighted by crafts, ice cream, and ice cold cervezas. Bird watching at the estuary provided a wide palette of birds. Bright red Vermillion Flycatchers, orange Hooded Orioles, yellow Belding’s Yellowthroats, green Orange-crowned Warblers, and the blue of Blue-winged Teal fulfilled our rainbow of birds. Many Osprey fished in the waters as coots manically laughed in the reeds.
As the sun set, we rounded Land’s End at Cabo San Lucas, and entered the Pacific on our journey northwards to the lagoon of the gray whales.
Today we entered the tropics after sailing south all night long. A fiery sunset greeted us near Cabo Pulmo, and after breakfast we saw the first of many humpback whales. Humpbacks breed in the Cape region, and throughout the morning we were constantly surrounded by them. Today seemed to be the day for random whale body parts to go flying into the air. Tails, pectoral fins, and entire bodies repeatedly rose above the water and slammed back down. Why? Hard to say, there are many ideas. It is certainly fun to ponder what sort of communication they are trying with all that activity. Another form of communication we detected was the song of the humpback. Using our hydrophone we picked up the male humpbacks singing away. Probably used in the mating behaviors, this haunting sound was an added bonus to the day.
After lunch, we visited the town of San Jose del Cabo. Shoppers were delighted by crafts, ice cream, and ice cold cervezas. Bird watching at the estuary provided a wide palette of birds. Bright red Vermillion Flycatchers, orange Hooded Orioles, yellow Belding’s Yellowthroats, green Orange-crowned Warblers, and the blue of Blue-winged Teal fulfilled our rainbow of birds. Many Osprey fished in the waters as coots manically laughed in the reeds.
As the sun set, we rounded Land’s End at Cabo San Lucas, and entered the Pacific on our journey northwards to the lagoon of the gray whales.
