Isla San Jose, Punta Colorada
Old water and new water mixed in our explorations this morning. Landing at Punta Colorada we followed a dry arroyo uphill. Eroded colorful cliffs embedded with fossilized seashells lined our path as we wove through patches of sun and shade. The sculpted cliffs above us were decorated with rosettes of agave, initiating flower stalks that ultimately would reach for the stars in a night sky and bare their blossoms to nectar feeding bats. A breeze wafted through occasionally and offered a respite from the growing morning heat.
Resident lizards reveled in the warmth and scurried ahead of our footsteps. At one point in geologic time, perhaps 5 to 10 million years ago, the wall and its maze of cracks and crevices that today served as a refuge for lizards, was a sea floor. The uplifted sea beds have subsequently been subjected to the weathering effects of time, wind and flash floods. A few more recent rain showers fueled blossoms of Chuparosa, Palo Blanco and the delicate Jasmin de la Sierra.
As we returned to our beach landing, following the now dry path of water, you could imagine a gathering roiling watery mass crashing into walls, banking from one side to the other. The mayhem carving and exposing the shells of creatures that once lived in the ocean, now revealed by raindrops caught in a luge.
Heading north in the afternoon, a blow was sighted. Our very first whale, and we started at the top of the list. The pale mottled skin was unmistakable, it was a blue whale. Dives timed from 13 to 10 minutes each and we slowly inched our way closer. The whale was apparently undisturbed by our presence and careful maneuvering. It would be easy to say we are easily distracted, but it was quite the distraction that made us ultimately move on from our blue whale; a leaping Risso’s dolphin! Its pale grey body appeared as a white flash as it flung itself skyward and crashed, splashing back into the sea. How very exciting to have such a diverse marine mammal experience at nearly the same moment, the same place and on our very first full day in the Sea of Cortez.
And now, a Haiku from one of our young explorers:
Blue Whale (by Bill Liebelt, age 11)
One whale comes up
Surfacing it blows its nose
It flukes then goes down
