The Southern Gulf of California & San Jose del Cabo
By sunrise, the National Geographic Sea Bird had passed south, through the imaginary line on our maps and globes known as the Tropic of Cancer. The brilliant red sunrise made it clear why many early Spanish explorers called this body of water the Vermillion Sea.
A slight breeze and gentle seas made for outstanding whale watching conditions. The whales helped as well. Much of the morning found us in the company of a group of five humpback whales, with other individuals and groups in the distance. These so called gentle giants do not always behave peacefully with each other. This was likely a single female with four males, one male being the chief escort to the female and the other males vying for that position. There was considerable surface turbulence, evidence of the pushing and shoving among the males hoping to mate with the lone female.
After breakfast a distant, odd-looking bushy blow appeared and reappeared on the horizon. Following our hunch that this might be something special, we approached the blows and found ourselves in the company of a sperm whale. The odd appearance of the blow became clear – sperm whales’ blowholes do not point up, but rather at about a 45-degree angle. Their blows are directed sideways. We watched this whale as it went through a series of dives, presumably to feed, and periods at the surface to replenish oxygen.
The morning was far from over. Naturalist Mike Greenfelder gave a presentation of underwater footage that he shot yesterday while we snorkeled among sea lions. Mike also introduced us to some important, cutting edge research that we are supporting on board while we explore the Sea of Cortez.
Humpback whales breaching and flipper-flapping filled the remainder of our morning. Other sightings included a hammerhead shark and a great variety of sea birds.
As lunch ended, we secured to the dock in San Jose del Cabo. We took the opportunity to explore town and to do some excellent bird watching. As a group, we spotted three species endemic to the southern Baja Peninsula, as well as a good sampling of other birds.
Late afternoon found us at Land’s End, the terminus of the Baja Peninsula. The famous Arch Rock and other formations provided a perfect setting for a striking sunset which culminated in a green flash.
By sunrise, the National Geographic Sea Bird had passed south, through the imaginary line on our maps and globes known as the Tropic of Cancer. The brilliant red sunrise made it clear why many early Spanish explorers called this body of water the Vermillion Sea.
A slight breeze and gentle seas made for outstanding whale watching conditions. The whales helped as well. Much of the morning found us in the company of a group of five humpback whales, with other individuals and groups in the distance. These so called gentle giants do not always behave peacefully with each other. This was likely a single female with four males, one male being the chief escort to the female and the other males vying for that position. There was considerable surface turbulence, evidence of the pushing and shoving among the males hoping to mate with the lone female.
After breakfast a distant, odd-looking bushy blow appeared and reappeared on the horizon. Following our hunch that this might be something special, we approached the blows and found ourselves in the company of a sperm whale. The odd appearance of the blow became clear – sperm whales’ blowholes do not point up, but rather at about a 45-degree angle. Their blows are directed sideways. We watched this whale as it went through a series of dives, presumably to feed, and periods at the surface to replenish oxygen.
The morning was far from over. Naturalist Mike Greenfelder gave a presentation of underwater footage that he shot yesterday while we snorkeled among sea lions. Mike also introduced us to some important, cutting edge research that we are supporting on board while we explore the Sea of Cortez.
Humpback whales breaching and flipper-flapping filled the remainder of our morning. Other sightings included a hammerhead shark and a great variety of sea birds.
As lunch ended, we secured to the dock in San Jose del Cabo. We took the opportunity to explore town and to do some excellent bird watching. As a group, we spotted three species endemic to the southern Baja Peninsula, as well as a good sampling of other birds.
Late afternoon found us at Land’s End, the terminus of the Baja Peninsula. The famous Arch Rock and other formations provided a perfect setting for a striking sunset which culminated in a green flash.
