Cruising and Isla Santa Catalina
The National Geographic Sea Bird cruised north all night and we awakened in the waters just off Bahia de Loreto National Park. Early risers were treated to a magnificent theater of colors as the inky all-black night sky first revealed a horizon line of dark-blue gray, then shifted to golden yellow and red, which spread and thinned to pink and purple, and finally the sun made its appearance. The rocks of nearby Isla Carmen provided an exquisite backdrop for morning stretchers… a crisp rusty-red front layer with a violet-pink layer of mountains behind. It was hard to keep our focus inside with such beauty all around us!
We spent the morning cruising the waters in the area in search of marine wildlife. The combination of sun and sea air and the excitement of the search produced many smiling, contented faces. We talked among ourselves, getting to know each other, and began to ply the naturalists with questions. And then, some blows were seen in the distance. As we got closer we were able to identify… killer whales! Wow, lucky find! Killer whales pods are matriarchal – this one was mostly females with possibly some sub-adult males, seven or more, swimming in a few groupings. They were playful with each other – and also with us – coming alongside the boat, across the bow, going underneath from port to starboard, starboard to port, and back again, reminding us that they are also dolphins.
Thanks to Chief Mate Shawn Nettles for excellent maneuvering from the bridge. The excitement on the bow was palpable, with people moving from one side to the other, exclamations, cheers, and lots of click, click, click-ing of cameras. Some people also saw a hammerhead shark. And later during recap, Undersea Specialist Carlos Navarro showed a photo with a shark alongside the whales. He speculated about the dolphins “playing” with the shark. Since no blood was seen, it didn’t seem they were attacking to eat, but perhaps rather just toying with it.
Our afternoon was spent anchored off Isla Santa Catalina. Snorkelers braved the refreshing 60F waters to commune with the amazing underwater world, while hikers explored the desert arroyo, and Isla Santa Catalina’s vibrant plant-life of endemic giant barrel cactus, cholla, and huge cardon cacti several hundred years old.
What a beautiful first day of our expedition.
