Bahía Magdalena
The Pacific certainly lived up to its name last night, gently rolling us to sleep and into dreams of our many whale encounters this week. We’ve seen fins and blues and been amply entertained by humpbacks, but we still want more. Magdalena Bay holds this promise, as the southernmost of the gray whale breeding lagoons on Baja California’s Pacific coast.
Magdalena. The name of this bay and its barrier island brings a sense of solitude and beauty to mind. The femininity of the name evokes the sinuous curves of the island’s dunes, while reference to Mary Magdalene, the region’s namesake, conjures distance and remoteness. After one night and half a day at sea, many of us were eager to go ashore, for some leg-stretching and a chance to explore this austere new environment. With the ship anchored inside one of the narrowest sections of Isla Magdalena, we had a quick Zodiac ride to shore and immediately set out to traverse the island. As we hiked from the bay to the Pacific, the gentle susurration of a northwesterly breeze over sand gave way to the sound of pounding ocean surf. We hiked in groups at first, learning about Barchan dunes, endemic black-tailed jackrabbits and fog-dependent plant communities. However, upon arriving at Sand Dollar Beach, we dispersed quickly. Some chose the peace and solitude of a walk along this glorious unspoiled beach, while many of the youngsters jumped and dug in the soft sand of the dunes. A surprising number of people chose to wade out and dive into the brisk Pacific waves.
We spent the latter part of our afternoon cruising northward, through the narrow, mangrove-lined channel of Hull Canal. This intact mangrove ecosystem provides critical nursery habitats for many species of fish, as well as nesting and roosting habitat for a number of bird species. Bottlenose dolphins swam in to ride our bow wave, and we identified egrets, herons, ibises and cormorants along the way. In the lovely late afternoon light, we even caught sight of a lone coyote trotting along the shore, no doubt in search of its next meal.
The Pacific certainly lived up to its name last night, gently rolling us to sleep and into dreams of our many whale encounters this week. We’ve seen fins and blues and been amply entertained by humpbacks, but we still want more. Magdalena Bay holds this promise, as the southernmost of the gray whale breeding lagoons on Baja California’s Pacific coast.
Magdalena. The name of this bay and its barrier island brings a sense of solitude and beauty to mind. The femininity of the name evokes the sinuous curves of the island’s dunes, while reference to Mary Magdalene, the region’s namesake, conjures distance and remoteness. After one night and half a day at sea, many of us were eager to go ashore, for some leg-stretching and a chance to explore this austere new environment. With the ship anchored inside one of the narrowest sections of Isla Magdalena, we had a quick Zodiac ride to shore and immediately set out to traverse the island. As we hiked from the bay to the Pacific, the gentle susurration of a northwesterly breeze over sand gave way to the sound of pounding ocean surf. We hiked in groups at first, learning about Barchan dunes, endemic black-tailed jackrabbits and fog-dependent plant communities. However, upon arriving at Sand Dollar Beach, we dispersed quickly. Some chose the peace and solitude of a walk along this glorious unspoiled beach, while many of the youngsters jumped and dug in the soft sand of the dunes. A surprising number of people chose to wade out and dive into the brisk Pacific waves.
We spent the latter part of our afternoon cruising northward, through the narrow, mangrove-lined channel of Hull Canal. This intact mangrove ecosystem provides critical nursery habitats for many species of fish, as well as nesting and roosting habitat for a number of bird species. Bottlenose dolphins swam in to ride our bow wave, and we identified egrets, herons, ibises and cormorants along the way. In the lovely late afternoon light, we even caught sight of a lone coyote trotting along the shore, no doubt in search of its next meal.
