Bonanza Bay & Punta Dispensa, Espiritu Santo Island
The climatic conditions in the Gulf of California are known to be “unpredictable,” but strong winds were forecasted two days ago for the region. Last night, indeed, we had an announced bumpy ride aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird while making our way from San Jose del Cabo and Gorda Banks to the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortes. Long swells with white convoluted caps were produced at the surface of the water as the unlashed power of the wind swept the entire gulf from the north.
At morning today, with our ship still fighting against this fabulous, but unavoidable, natural force, we anchored at Bonanza Bay, in the southernmost end of Espiritu Santo-Partida Sur island complex. All Naturalists and guests disembarked and walked, for the first time in our expedition, on one of the gulf islands. The variety of Sonoran Desert plants found there was exquisite, ranging from the small salt bush and mistletoe, to the desert agave (or century plant) and gigantic cardon cactus. Jon Rebman, our lecturer from the San Diego Natural History Museum, gave to some of us a very interesting and easy-to-understand introduction of these plants’ taxonomy, distribution and ethnobotany. Others walked in search of native or endemic animals, like birds and the black jackrabbit, which was seen a couple of times. The most skilled hikers on uneven terrain walked on rock formations composed of possibly 100-million-year-old granite to cliffs made of volcanic tuff of some 40-million-years of age. The limit between the two types of rocks is exposed on the foothills.
In the afternoon we moved to another location, Punta Dispensa, on the same island. This time the wind dropped off and allowed us to snorkel and kayak. Those who kayaked observed the endemic yellow footed gull and the resident blue-footed booby perched on rocks of various volcanic formations. The snorkelers found interesting and unexpected coral aggregations! The fish species seen were amazing too, like the king angel fish, rainbow wrasse and Cortes damsel fish.
In the late afternoon all from the National Geographic Sea Bird enjoyed a superb dinner on shore with a bonfire, a sublime multicolored sunset, amazing bright stars from the Milky Way and a story on the Aztec Creationist myths.
The climatic conditions in the Gulf of California are known to be “unpredictable,” but strong winds were forecasted two days ago for the region. Last night, indeed, we had an announced bumpy ride aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird while making our way from San Jose del Cabo and Gorda Banks to the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortes. Long swells with white convoluted caps were produced at the surface of the water as the unlashed power of the wind swept the entire gulf from the north.
At morning today, with our ship still fighting against this fabulous, but unavoidable, natural force, we anchored at Bonanza Bay, in the southernmost end of Espiritu Santo-Partida Sur island complex. All Naturalists and guests disembarked and walked, for the first time in our expedition, on one of the gulf islands. The variety of Sonoran Desert plants found there was exquisite, ranging from the small salt bush and mistletoe, to the desert agave (or century plant) and gigantic cardon cactus. Jon Rebman, our lecturer from the San Diego Natural History Museum, gave to some of us a very interesting and easy-to-understand introduction of these plants’ taxonomy, distribution and ethnobotany. Others walked in search of native or endemic animals, like birds and the black jackrabbit, which was seen a couple of times. The most skilled hikers on uneven terrain walked on rock formations composed of possibly 100-million-year-old granite to cliffs made of volcanic tuff of some 40-million-years of age. The limit between the two types of rocks is exposed on the foothills.
In the afternoon we moved to another location, Punta Dispensa, on the same island. This time the wind dropped off and allowed us to snorkel and kayak. Those who kayaked observed the endemic yellow footed gull and the resident blue-footed booby perched on rocks of various volcanic formations. The snorkelers found interesting and unexpected coral aggregations! The fish species seen were amazing too, like the king angel fish, rainbow wrasse and Cortes damsel fish.
In the late afternoon all from the National Geographic Sea Bird enjoyed a superb dinner on shore with a bonfire, a sublime multicolored sunset, amazing bright stars from the Milky Way and a story on the Aztec Creationist myths.
