Cape Region
The National Geographic Sea Lion cruised south during the night and crossed the Tropic of Cancer as it approached the Cape Region of the peninsula. The southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula is just shy of 23 degrees north latitude. With the spring equinox in the not-so-distant future, the sun angle is becoming more intense and the high tropics are living up to their name, as it was very warm and sunny today.
As soon as it was light enough to see, humpback whale spouts appeared all around us, like geysers on the horizon. We enjoyed their antics throughout the morning – breaches, lunges, and fluke-up dives. These animals can be identified and studied by the black and white patterns on the undersides of their flukes. There was one in particular that stood out today. It was quite mangled and showed rake marks from the teeth of a killer whale. The scars and bites remain to tell the story of escape from a top marine predator. Some of the humpbacks were in competitive groups, where males fight with each other, vying for access to a female.
Between whale sightings, bottlenose dolphins rode our bow, Mobula rays flipped in the air, and some sea lions lazed near the surface. When we tried to break away to head into port, a very young calf delighted us with some breaches.
The quiet new marina east of San Jose del Cabo is in stark contrast to the bustling port at Cabo San Lucas. Buses took guests into the old town for shopping and browsing around the plaza and mission area. A big hit was the tequila tasting store!
There was also an opportunity for a walk down a paved trail along a waterway that attracts a great variety of birds. Cameras, binoculars and a spotting scope caught the details of the avian fauna – ospreys, coots, moorhens, American kestrels, teal, cormorants, herons and egrets among them.
When everyone was back on board, the National Geographic Sea Lion cruised toward Friars Rocks and “Land’s End,” where the famous sea-sculpted arch stands, carved from the exposed granitic spine of the peninsula. This is the dividing line between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. Margaritas were served on the bow and all eyes looked westward toward a brilliant setting sun and a green and violet “flash” to match. Magnificent frigatebirds and brown pelicans swirled above the rugged rocks prior to roosting for the night, creating a stunning scene as we crept around the corner and began the next leg of our adventure to the north.
The National Geographic Sea Lion cruised south during the night and crossed the Tropic of Cancer as it approached the Cape Region of the peninsula. The southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula is just shy of 23 degrees north latitude. With the spring equinox in the not-so-distant future, the sun angle is becoming more intense and the high tropics are living up to their name, as it was very warm and sunny today.
As soon as it was light enough to see, humpback whale spouts appeared all around us, like geysers on the horizon. We enjoyed their antics throughout the morning – breaches, lunges, and fluke-up dives. These animals can be identified and studied by the black and white patterns on the undersides of their flukes. There was one in particular that stood out today. It was quite mangled and showed rake marks from the teeth of a killer whale. The scars and bites remain to tell the story of escape from a top marine predator. Some of the humpbacks were in competitive groups, where males fight with each other, vying for access to a female.
Between whale sightings, bottlenose dolphins rode our bow, Mobula rays flipped in the air, and some sea lions lazed near the surface. When we tried to break away to head into port, a very young calf delighted us with some breaches.
The quiet new marina east of San Jose del Cabo is in stark contrast to the bustling port at Cabo San Lucas. Buses took guests into the old town for shopping and browsing around the plaza and mission area. A big hit was the tequila tasting store!
There was also an opportunity for a walk down a paved trail along a waterway that attracts a great variety of birds. Cameras, binoculars and a spotting scope caught the details of the avian fauna – ospreys, coots, moorhens, American kestrels, teal, cormorants, herons and egrets among them.
When everyone was back on board, the National Geographic Sea Lion cruised toward Friars Rocks and “Land’s End,” where the famous sea-sculpted arch stands, carved from the exposed granitic spine of the peninsula. This is the dividing line between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. Margaritas were served on the bow and all eyes looked westward toward a brilliant setting sun and a green and violet “flash” to match. Magnificent frigatebirds and brown pelicans swirled above the rugged rocks prior to roosting for the night, creating a stunning scene as we crept around the corner and began the next leg of our adventure to the north.
