Sand Dollar Beach & Hull Canal
Morning, in its stillness, evokes a sense of peace and tranquility and today is no exception. Looking out to the east from the National Geographic Sea Bird, we see the sapphire blue sky collides with the rising of the fiery orange sun at the horizon; morning has broken.
Many of us gather on the sundeck for the first stretch class of the voyage, and prepare for our morning hike to Sand Dollar Beach. The water here at Magdalena Bay, where we are anchored, is exceptionally placid.
With the sun shining brightly, we hike westerly, headed for the Pacific Ocean. It is early enough in the day to allow us to witness the remaining drops of dew on the various salt-tolerant plant life. As explained by our naturalist, these plants get their water from the fog formed by the warm land and the cool moist ocean air. The fuchsia-colored flowers of the sand verbena and the bright yellow flower of the evening primrose present a beautiful contrast to the tawny sand dunes.
Upon reaching the Pacific, several of us go in for a refreshing dip in the ocean. The erosion on the front of the dunes by the high tide is unmistakable. Those who are not swimming are participating in a discussion with the naturalists, while comparing the brain sizes of the various marine mammal and bird skulls found on the beach. This proves to be a very exciting morning.
The afternoon is spent on board as we continue our passage to the Boca de Soledad. Several of us stand on the bow on this warm day and see several birds, dolphins, and gray whales in this narrow passage. Many guests take the opportunity to receive a wellness treatment and allow himself or herself the time to rejuvenate. The evening is complete with a Valentine’s Day dinner.
