Islas San Jose & San Francisco
It’s our first day aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion, and we awoke to a glorious Sea of Cortez sunrise off our starboard bow as we cruised slowly through the San Jose Channel. After a delicious buffet breakfast, and a few minutes familiarizing ourselves with some of the ship’s procedures, we were ready to board the Zodiacs for a morning hike in beautiful Arroyo Encantada on Isla San Jose. This island, one of the largest in the Sea of Cortez, has a great diversity of plant and animal life, and many of us had our first close look at the stately cardon cactus, the fragrant elephant tree, the two pitahaya cacti whose fruits were so important in the diet of native peoples, and even wild tobacco which native shamans smoked as part of their curing practices. Animals were a bit more scarce, but we encountered several lizards and some of us were startled by a great horned owl. We also saw evidence of burros, cattle, and goats – indicators that Isla San Jose is one of the two or three islands in the Sea of Cortez that is utilized by modern peoples, reminding us that the balance between preservation and modern human needs is a delicate one indeed.
With lunch and a few more nautical miles under our belts, we arrived at Isla
San Francisco and dropped anchor in a spectacular half-mile-long white sand beach known as Half Moon Bay. Here some of us broke out snorkel masks and took in the rocky reef at the end of the bay while others squirmed into the cockpits of our kayaks and paddled around the bay. Snorkelers were rewarded with fine views of Panamic Sergeant Majors, Giant Damselfish, the Cortez Rainbow Wrasse, and branching stony coral. Some even had a peek at a Green Moray Eel lurking in a crevice in the rocks. Kayakers meanwhile cruised the bay, and almost everyone managed to paddle quietly just a few feet from a group of Brown Pelicans half asleep on the shore.
Although the old adage says that all good things must end, not so for us, at least not today. A hot shower back on board the National Geographic Sea Lion, refreshments in the lounge, a fine dinner, good company, a ship riding quietly at anchor, an inky black sky with a crescent moon, a good night’s sleep, and we’ll be ready for whatever adventures tomorrow brings.
It’s our first day aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion, and we awoke to a glorious Sea of Cortez sunrise off our starboard bow as we cruised slowly through the San Jose Channel. After a delicious buffet breakfast, and a few minutes familiarizing ourselves with some of the ship’s procedures, we were ready to board the Zodiacs for a morning hike in beautiful Arroyo Encantada on Isla San Jose. This island, one of the largest in the Sea of Cortez, has a great diversity of plant and animal life, and many of us had our first close look at the stately cardon cactus, the fragrant elephant tree, the two pitahaya cacti whose fruits were so important in the diet of native peoples, and even wild tobacco which native shamans smoked as part of their curing practices. Animals were a bit more scarce, but we encountered several lizards and some of us were startled by a great horned owl. We also saw evidence of burros, cattle, and goats – indicators that Isla San Jose is one of the two or three islands in the Sea of Cortez that is utilized by modern peoples, reminding us that the balance between preservation and modern human needs is a delicate one indeed.
With lunch and a few more nautical miles under our belts, we arrived at Isla
San Francisco and dropped anchor in a spectacular half-mile-long white sand beach known as Half Moon Bay. Here some of us broke out snorkel masks and took in the rocky reef at the end of the bay while others squirmed into the cockpits of our kayaks and paddled around the bay. Snorkelers were rewarded with fine views of Panamic Sergeant Majors, Giant Damselfish, the Cortez Rainbow Wrasse, and branching stony coral. Some even had a peek at a Green Moray Eel lurking in a crevice in the rocks. Kayakers meanwhile cruised the bay, and almost everyone managed to paddle quietly just a few feet from a group of Brown Pelicans half asleep on the shore.
Although the old adage says that all good things must end, not so for us, at least not today. A hot shower back on board the National Geographic Sea Lion, refreshments in the lounge, a fine dinner, good company, a ship riding quietly at anchor, an inky black sky with a crescent moon, a good night’s sleep, and we’ll be ready for whatever adventures tomorrow brings.
