Pacific Ocean, La Entrada & Hull Canal
At daybreak the National Geographic Sea Lion was cruising in the Pacific Ocean along Isla Santa Margarita, which runs parallel to the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula. Soon we were visited by a group of common dolphins that raced toward us, eager to ride the pressure wave created as we pushed through the water. It gives the sleek and hydrodynamic animals an easy ride.
The gap between Isla Santa Margarita and Isla Magdalena is the main entrance into Magdalena Bay. Upon entering, we spotted our first gray whales, some of which welcomed us with breaches. San Carlos, situated on the peninsula within the bay, is a major port on the west coast of México. We picked up our pilot, Alejandro, and continued to the north through the narrow, mangrove-lined Hull Canal, spotting many water birds along the way – several species of herons and egrets, white ibis, brant geese, redhead ducks, terns, gulls, pelicans, cormorants and several kinds of shorebirds, including whimbrels, long-billed curlews, marbled godwits, and willets. Some of the resident bottlenose dolphins delighted us with another chance for good views off our bow.
As the channel opened up we searched for gray whales and were rewarded with a mother and her very young baby, perhaps only a few days old, swimming close by her side. These two will remain in the bay for the next couple months, preparing for a long migration north to the Arctic Ocean.
We dropped anchor near the northern tip of Magdalena Island and welcomed the chance for a brief excursion ashore on the dunes and around the mangroves. Animal tracks (coyote, rabbits, mice, birds, crabs), myriad shells, and mangrove propagules concentrated in recent tide lines were some of the things that fascinated us, piqued our curiosity, and left us thirsting to learn more about the natural world.
Back on board, Janice Cousteau shared the video “The Desert Whales,” filmed in Magdalena Bay in 1968 and featuring her late husband Philippe and the well-known pioneering underwater film-maker Jacques.
The sun set the sky on fire at the end of our introductory day in Magdalena Bay. We look forward to more of what this historic and legendary bay has to offer.
At daybreak the National Geographic Sea Lion was cruising in the Pacific Ocean along Isla Santa Margarita, which runs parallel to the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula. Soon we were visited by a group of common dolphins that raced toward us, eager to ride the pressure wave created as we pushed through the water. It gives the sleek and hydrodynamic animals an easy ride.
The gap between Isla Santa Margarita and Isla Magdalena is the main entrance into Magdalena Bay. Upon entering, we spotted our first gray whales, some of which welcomed us with breaches. San Carlos, situated on the peninsula within the bay, is a major port on the west coast of México. We picked up our pilot, Alejandro, and continued to the north through the narrow, mangrove-lined Hull Canal, spotting many water birds along the way – several species of herons and egrets, white ibis, brant geese, redhead ducks, terns, gulls, pelicans, cormorants and several kinds of shorebirds, including whimbrels, long-billed curlews, marbled godwits, and willets. Some of the resident bottlenose dolphins delighted us with another chance for good views off our bow.
As the channel opened up we searched for gray whales and were rewarded with a mother and her very young baby, perhaps only a few days old, swimming close by her side. These two will remain in the bay for the next couple months, preparing for a long migration north to the Arctic Ocean.
We dropped anchor near the northern tip of Magdalena Island and welcomed the chance for a brief excursion ashore on the dunes and around the mangroves. Animal tracks (coyote, rabbits, mice, birds, crabs), myriad shells, and mangrove propagules concentrated in recent tide lines were some of the things that fascinated us, piqued our curiosity, and left us thirsting to learn more about the natural world.
Back on board, Janice Cousteau shared the video “The Desert Whales,” filmed in Magdalena Bay in 1968 and featuring her late husband Philippe and the well-known pioneering underwater film-maker Jacques.
The sun set the sky on fire at the end of our introductory day in Magdalena Bay. We look forward to more of what this historic and legendary bay has to offer.
