Gull Rock & Isla Ildefonso
Morning sunlight bathed the rugged terrain that flanked a steep-walled arroyo, the destination for our morning walks. The National Geographic Sea Bird lay quietly at anchor near a guano-encrusted rock, appropriately named Gull Rock. This site is on the Baja Peninsula, and the diversity of plant and birdlife is greater here than on the islands. Ash-throated flycatchers and a flashy red cardinal sought shelter in palo blanco trees. The raucous chatter of a cactus wren and the descending, more melodic song of a canyon wren caught our attention. Some hikers spotted the endemic Xantus’s hummingbird, unmistakable with its cinnamon belly. Bright green leaves clothed the shrubs and trees, and delicate flowers decorated the desert landscape now and then. Passion flower blossoms seemed almost too tropical for a desert environment, but they were thriving with attendant honey bees zeroing in on the nectar and butterflies flitting nearby. As we rounded a bend in the canyon, we were surprised to find our bartender and one of the stewards beside a table set up with spicy tomato juice and Bloody Marys.
We returned to the ship for a deck lunch with dolphins leaping alongside. A short while later, two fin whales appeared. This species is the second largest of all whales, and they could not have been more cooperative.
The ship motored north and in mid-afternoon anchored adjacent to Isla Ildefonso where brown pelicans, yellow-footed gulls, cormorants and boobies roost throughout the year. We climbed into the trusty Zodiacs for closer looks at this interesting island and its inhabitants. The boats nosed into caves and tiny coves where Sally Lightfoot crabs scuttled across the rocks at the water’s edge. It was quite a treat to find a flock of surfbirds that perched in the intertidal region. The setting was quite striking for photographers and non-photo buffs alike. Hundreds of boobies plummeted from above to capture small schooling fish. Pairs of yellow-footed gulls were in various stages of breeding: mating, incubating or squabbling aggressively over territorial boundaries. Guests in several boats watched fin whales at water level, quite a different view than from the bow of the ship. The sun painted the sky a peachy orange over the silhouette of the peninsula, as the last Zodiac returned. What a perfect ending to another day in Baja California and the Sea of Cortez!
