Isla San Jose & Canal de Ballenas
The sun rose at 0627 this morning and we started our day at a beautiful, secluded paradise named Punta Colorada. Punta Colorada is located on the southeastern side of Isla San Jose, and is a marvelous anchorage with a rocky ledge shoreline – one we rarely get to because of its vulnerability to seas and swells. Today was an exception; the wind was light and variable, seas calm, and swells just a push. Welcome to this beautiful sandstone amphitheater.
Guests, staff and crew of the National Geographic Sea Bird wasted no time in getting a jump on our adventures that lay ahead. Barely finishing our last bite of breakfast and sip of coffee, we were loading our first boats. It was high tide on the rocky shoreline. You could hear the methodic rhythm of the cobblestones rolling back and forth, only to be broken by the sound of our Zodiacs coming to a halt at the beach.
We offered different hikes today, all venturing inland, twisting and turning through the long arroyo. Both sides of the arroyo are guided by layers of sandstone, windswept and sculpted through decades and decades of erosion. Layers of red and orange stacked to the sky, the perfect canvas for any artist. Cameras ready. Shells and artifacts protrude along the ceiling of this backdrop. You have to wonder how long they have been there and which storm might knock them free, if ever. Whale and turtle fossils embedded in the sandstone at the water’s edge can also be seen.
Along the trail we can see pellets from the bush bunnies that are endemic to Isla San Jose. Tracks from the black beetle, lizards, and our fellow adventurers line the dusty path. Circling the sky we see turkey vultures, patiently waiting for their next meal. It shouldn’t be long in this hot desert sun. Black-throated sparrows fly from branch to branch. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds gather around the blossoms of the palo blanco tree, all desiring a drink of nectar, a commodity in the desert. Cardon, Pitaya Dulce cactus, and iron wood trees silently fill in the spaces. The visual terrain is unstoppable here.
After spending the first half of the morning on terra firme we decided to spend the second half seeing what the underworld had to offer. We were greeted by brilliant visibility. There was an abundance of reef fish: Moorish idols, surgeonfish, blue and gold snapper, angelfish and a black snook. This underwater wonderland had it all. The coral was vibrant and alive. It looked almost like an animated film as the fan coral moved with the current below. Every color of the rainbow existed undersea.
Back onboard, happily weary from the morning’s outing, we gather in the lounge for a preview of the voyage’s video chronicle. Gladly sitting, we enjoy this reminder of the week’s adventures. We are reminded of how much flora and fauna we’ve seen, as well as the new friends we’ve made. As the crew put the finishing touches on the anticipated lunch, we weigh anchor and head south in search of more marine mammals. We are not through yet. Binoculars ready.
The stillness of the water was only to be broken by something black and sleek with a bulbous nose and well, a wizard’s cap for a dorsal fin. Welcome” Globicephala.” A pod of about a dozen pilot whales joined us today in the late afternoon. The pod was a great surprise. They swam lazily back, forth and under our ship. They came so close you could repeatedly hear them breathe. At times all you could hear was their breath and the rapid fire of the perfect shot. They gave us many opportunities. This experience was only topped by the pod of common dolphins that encircled the ship just before sunset. Today has certainly been a busy one.
In closing, the last day of our voyage could not have been a more perfect experience. From sunup to sundown everyone wore a smile on their face. The Gulf of California continues to be one of the most magical and inspiring places on earth.
