Isla Catalina & Loreto Bay National Marine Park
Before sunrise, the eastern horizon began glowing a rich burgundy red, ripening into orange and blending upwards into a deep ink-blue sky. There, etched in crisp white, lingered the last sliver of the moon and the “morning star” of Venus. Ahead of us, the black outline of an island eventually gathered detail, color and relief as the light of the sun arrived. All of these were the greetings of another beautiful day with clear skies, calm seas and a new island waiting for us to explore.
We pulled into a bay at the southern end of Isla Catalina, a granitic island that was never connected to the Baja peninsula. After a slightly early breakfast we ventured ashore for walks along a picturesque arroyo surrounded by immense cardon cactus. One of the island’s most distinctive plants is the quasi-endemic giant barrel cactus which also dotted the hills. Many birds were flitting to the tops of the tall cardons to visit the pale, cream-colored blossoms that adorned these stately cacti. White-winged doves were calling softly in the morning air, and shrill ladderback woodpeckers chattered occasionally. We were also treated to brief views of bright red northern cardinals that are also residents of this desert island. Some people chose to join a long hike, while others ambled slowly in the desert before heading back seaward for snorkeling with colorful fish around the “Elephant Rock.”
We departed from Catalina, setting a leisurely course northwestward across the waters of Loreto Bay National Marine Park. We soon encountered two blue whales, an enormous adult with its large calf in tow. The adult female drew cheers and applause by fluking a couple of times. We managed to have a bite of lunch before being called back out on deck to see two fin whales, the second largest whale species after the mighty blue. We continued on towards the eastern side of Isla Carmen, passing a speedy gang of bottlenose dolphins rapidly careening in the opposite direction. No matter, we had two more fin whales in front of us to watch. This time it was an adult with a large calf by its side.
We took a break from the intense sunshine to join National Geographic Photographers, Sisse Brimberg and Cotton Coulson, for their presentation titled “Taking Control of Your Photography,” illustrated with their stunning photographs from around the world.
The ship continued northward up the east side of Isla Carmen. As we reached the island’s northeastern tip an immature sized humpback whale teased us with single surfacings, but rewarded us with a fine view of its flukes. As the sun sunk low over the Sierra de la Giganta mountains in the west, we passed another group of bottlenose dolphins in the company of California sea lions. The sun set, and we ended another spectacular day.
