Los Islotes & Isla Espiritu Santo
Ominous clouds covered the dawn sky but quickly dissipated for a marvelous and sunny morning at Los Islotes within Espiritu Santo National Park. These rocky islets attract California sea lions and seabirds throughout the year. Just after breakfast, we boarded our trusty Zodiacs to skirt the shoreline for spectacular views of these fascinating creatures. Sea lions of all ages lounged sleepily on the rugged volcanic rocks. Young bulls jousted in practice for future battles that will take place during the breeding season in late spring and early summer. The youngest animals, those born last June or July, could not contain their curiosity with the rubber boats and their strange occupants. Groups playfully followed us, sometimes leaping clear of the surface like porpoises.
In addition to the sea lions, there were plenty of boobies, gulls and other birds. Several pairs of blue-footed boobies engaged in elaborate courtship behavior. Their baby-blue feet could be shown off to best advantage in a high-stepping march or in exaggerated braking as they flew in for a landing. In another display, called sky-pointing, the beak and tail are swung into the air at the same time that the wings are rotated forward and over the back. Brown boobies, endemic yellow-footed gulls, turkey vultures and frigatebirds circled overhead as thermals developed from the warming rocks.
The second activity of the morning was to snorkel in the clear water with the sea lions. They were eager to investigate the clumsy humans within their realm. It was great fun to watch their effortless maneuvering. With a single flap of their wing-like front flippers they could streak ahead, twist back, flap again and do circles around the snorkelers. Several individuals peered up at us with saucer-like eyes from between two Zodiacs that were side-by-side as in the photo.
The ship relocated a short distance to Isla Partida for the afternoon. One teal-colored bay after another is incised into the western shore of this and the adjacent island, Isla Espiritu Santo. We stopped at two of these to kayak or relax on a lovely white-sand beach and to hike up a lovely desert canyon flanked by towering reddish cliffs. A nearly full moon rose in the east. Hikers on the longest walks scrambled over and around rocks the size of washing machines as they climbed up a rugged arroyo, or dry creek drainage. Those on a more leisurely outing investigated the desert plants in the more level terrain above the beach.
All were back aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird before sunset for a relaxing evening and delicious dinner during our final night together in Baja California.
