Isla Danzante & Loreto Bay National Park
Throughout the night the National Geographic Sea Bird had plied her way south, and we awoke at dawn beside Isla del Carmen with the abrupt escarpment of the peninsula looming to the west in the golden-red sunlight.
We landed on Isla Danzante, a small, rocky island within Loreto Bay National Park. Kayakers paddled along the deeply indented shore, where waves had eroded and undercut the volcanic rocks just above the tideline. Snorkelers discovered a variety of invertebrates including flower urchins and sun stars. Although the island is relatively tiny, there are trails that wind up to spectacular viewpoints overlooking the ship, embraced by intricate contours of the islands and adjacent peninsula. Many hikers spotted a school of king angelfish that circled far below in the teal-blue water.
After a busy morning ashore, we prepared for a relaxing afternoon of cruising, but that plan did not last long. Long-beaked common dolphins churned the water over a vast area as cameras clicked in rapid succession. The hydrophone picked up their chirps and whistles to enhance our experience with these sleek and active creatures. We finally pulled away to continue our journey. Later in the day, a humpback whale spouted near the ship. It fluked repeatedly and displayed a distinctive pattern that looked like parallel scratches from tooth marks on its tail. In the distance a tall, narrow spout contrasted with the dark hillsides of the mountains. This was a fin whale, the second largest of the baleen whales. We approached for excellent views of this immense creature.
We will never know how many images were captured on this photo expedition, but just for fun, we watched a group slide show of the best shots. Each participant contributed three to five favorites. Although all of us had traveled together for nearly two weeks, each individual took in the experience in a personal way, as seen by the amazing variety within the program. Macro-photography, wide-angle images, and portraits, along with dramatic scenics combined for a fitting summary of our adventures. It was hard to believe that the last full day of the voyage had arrived. Although we would all depart to distant regions, we would take with us lasting, shared memories of our Remarkable Journey in the Sea of Cortez.
