San Jose del Cabo & the Cape Region
You know that a day is going to be special when amazing things happen right away. Today was the perfect example, as a group of humpback whales were spotted long before sunrise. Their tall blows, dark bodies and picturesque flukes made for a great start.
Shortly after sunrise the National Geographic Sea Bird sailed past the granitic rock formations at land’s end and officially entered the Sea of Cortez. We all admired the legendary arch, which is also the symbol of the busy Cabo San Lucas town. No longer the sleepy fishing village of not-so-long ago, Cabo San Lucas is now a fast-growing tourist center with all-inclusive resorts, spas and golf courses. Not wanting to be around longer than necessary, we sailed northeast towards the older, more authentic town of San Jose del Cabo.
Founded by Jesuit missionaries in 1732, San Jose del Cabo is still a nice quiet town and we went ashore to explore it. Many of us enjoyed bird-watching along the San Jose river, a small and permanent fresh water current that flows from the La Laguna range and the very reason why the mission was established here. Brant geese, cinnamon teals, ospreys, American coots, neotropical cormorants, vermillion flycatchers and the endemic Belding’s yellowthroat were some of the many birds that were seen.
After leaving the marina we sailed towards the Gorda Bank area, a well known breeding and calving region for humpback whales. Migrating south from their summer feeding areas off Vancouver Island and British Columbia, humpback whales congregate in these waters during the winter to mate and give birth to their calves.
Throughout the rest of the afternoon we saw numerous whales engaged in different activities, some breaching high above the surface, whereas others repeatedly raised their flukes or showed their long pectoral fins. We all had the chance to admire their antics and as the day slowly came to an end, realized what a wonderful day we had here, in Baja California.
