Magdalena Bay
The National Geographic Sea Bird cruised steadily north throughout the night towards La Entrada, the entrance to Magdalena Bay. Our first morning on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula was noticeably cool in spite of the clear sky and bright sunshine.
Just before breakfast, several splashes appeared in the distance. The captain carefully maneuvered the ship and positioned us for excellent viewing of several killer whales. Their shiny black and white bodies glistened in the morning sunlight as they traveled along at a fast and steady clip of about nine knots. Killer whales are found throughout the world’s oceans, but it is nevertheless lucky to encounter them here in the waters surrounding Baja California.
We continued on and, in late morning, passed between Isla Magdalena and Isla Santa Margarita and left the open Pacific behind. Mountains, sand dunes and mangroves of the barrier islands shelter the quiet waters of the bay from the full force of the ocean and provide a sanctuary for wildlife. Once inside the bay, a gray whale spouted ahead and we watched it surface several times before it raised its flukes high for a longer dive. Throughout the remainder of the day, the ship gently motored north through this interesting environment, so different from the arid desert landscapes that dominated the first portion of our voyage.
An area known as Boca de Soledad, the “mouth of solitude,” provides a shallow opening to the sea and is accessed via the Hull Canal, a natural channel. Along this narrow route, egrets, great blue herons, cormorants and white ibis foraged in the shallows and perched on the mangrove trees. Brant, a species of small goose, flew in loose flocks across our bow. Bottlenose dolphins frequent these waters as well, and they visited the bow wave for a free ride.
In late afternoon, following a presentation on gray whales, the Zodiacs shuttled us ashore for a chance to climb the sand dunes for sunset over the Pacific. The low-angled light cast long shadows and accentuated the ripples shaped by the wind, while coyote tracks and shells decorated the patterned sand. When the sun disappeared, all returned in time to enjoy a calm night at our comfortable anchorage beneath a dazzling array stars.
