Santa Catalina Island & Offshore Waters
On the National Geographic Sea Lion you don’t have to wait long for good things to happen, and sometimes they happen in twos. Most of us had barely settled in to our first delicious breakfast of the expedition when word came down from the bridge that not one, but two blue whales had been spotted. With a length of as much as 90 feet, these leviathans of the deep are the largest animals on earth, more massive than even the largest of the dinosaurs. We followed these stately creatures for more than two hours, watching them dive and reappear, sometimes as much as ten minutes later. Regrettably, we finally had to turn south and leave our graceful friends, for we had a rendezvous scheduled with one of the most incredible islands in the entire Sea of Cortez – Isla Santa Catalina.
Unlike its bustling namesake off the California coast, Isla Santa Catalina is a tranquil island of austere beauty. Many of us donned snorkel gear and explored the rocky shoreline where we swam among king angelfish, banded butterflyfish, Panamic sergeant majors, and the comical-looking spine-covered balloonfish. We were even treated to an appearance of a Pacific Olive Ridley sea turtle, a sight increasingly rare these days. Back on shore, most of us had a chance to walk up a broad arroyo, green from recent rains. It is here on land that one realizes what an astonishing place Isla Santa Catalina is. One of the most isolated of all the Gulf islands, it has evolved a constellation of unique plants and animals. As we hiked up the wash, we passed huge cardon cacti and diminutive fishhook cacti, some with early flowers or late fruit. And everywhere we found the island’s weird giant barrel cactus poking out of the hillsides and looking a bit like the stone heads of Easter Island. But perhaps most dramatic of all are the island’s animal inhabitants. All ten of the reptiles and its lone native mammal are endemics found nowhere else in the world, including Isla Santa Catalina’s famous rattle-less rattlesnake. These animals are not often seen, but our good luck was still with us, and we found not one but two of these beautiful and shy creatures.
As the sun sank low in the western sky the Zodiacs shuttled us back to the ship for refreshments in the lounge, recaps of the day’s events by the naturalists, a wonderful dinner, and a relaxing evening. The big question is, will our luck hold tomorrow? I think so – after all we’re scheduled to visit not one but two islands…
On the National Geographic Sea Lion you don’t have to wait long for good things to happen, and sometimes they happen in twos. Most of us had barely settled in to our first delicious breakfast of the expedition when word came down from the bridge that not one, but two blue whales had been spotted. With a length of as much as 90 feet, these leviathans of the deep are the largest animals on earth, more massive than even the largest of the dinosaurs. We followed these stately creatures for more than two hours, watching them dive and reappear, sometimes as much as ten minutes later. Regrettably, we finally had to turn south and leave our graceful friends, for we had a rendezvous scheduled with one of the most incredible islands in the entire Sea of Cortez – Isla Santa Catalina.
Unlike its bustling namesake off the California coast, Isla Santa Catalina is a tranquil island of austere beauty. Many of us donned snorkel gear and explored the rocky shoreline where we swam among king angelfish, banded butterflyfish, Panamic sergeant majors, and the comical-looking spine-covered balloonfish. We were even treated to an appearance of a Pacific Olive Ridley sea turtle, a sight increasingly rare these days. Back on shore, most of us had a chance to walk up a broad arroyo, green from recent rains. It is here on land that one realizes what an astonishing place Isla Santa Catalina is. One of the most isolated of all the Gulf islands, it has evolved a constellation of unique plants and animals. As we hiked up the wash, we passed huge cardon cacti and diminutive fishhook cacti, some with early flowers or late fruit. And everywhere we found the island’s weird giant barrel cactus poking out of the hillsides and looking a bit like the stone heads of Easter Island. But perhaps most dramatic of all are the island’s animal inhabitants. All ten of the reptiles and its lone native mammal are endemics found nowhere else in the world, including Isla Santa Catalina’s famous rattle-less rattlesnake. These animals are not often seen, but our good luck was still with us, and we found not one but two of these beautiful and shy creatures.
As the sun sank low in the western sky the Zodiacs shuttled us back to the ship for refreshments in the lounge, recaps of the day’s events by the naturalists, a wonderful dinner, and a relaxing evening. The big question is, will our luck hold tomorrow? I think so – after all we’re scheduled to visit not one but two islands…
