Bahia Magdalena
Early this morning we boarded Zodiacs for one last look at the grey whales in Boca de Soledad at the northern end of Bahía Magdalena. Prior to heading out, we busily readied ourselves for the excursion, filling our mugs with hot drinks and gathering together our camera gear and binoculars. As soon as we set foot in the zodiacs, however, we felt calm. Perhaps this tranquility was due to the quietness of the early morning. Or perhaps it was the peaceful resignation one feels at the end of a trip.
Towards misty columns of light we traveled saying very little yet taking in every detail. At the northern side of the Boca de Soledad and inside the “nursery,” grey whales lazily arched their backs looking more like sea monsters in this morning’s otherworldly light. Drawing us out of this dreamy state of mind, the sun finally rose above the horizon. The now golden water edged by deep indigo made it difficult to catch sight of young whales flailing about at the surface, also anxious to get a good start on the day.
Awaiting the next whale’s appearance, we gazed up at a flock of great egrets, a white ibis and a couple of screeching terns—the white of these birds’ feathers fantastically illuminated by the bright sun. Eventually, we found ourselves surrounded by the huffing and puffing of great whales, many with young ones in tow, rising to the surface and sinking down into oblivion. And with each fleeting moment, we realized how lucky we were to have been in the presence of such wild and awesome beings.
Mid morning, one of our naturalists, George Sirk, talked to us about the birds that John Steinbeck had written about in the Log from the Sea of Cortez. He drew many of the birds on a white board and read excerpts from the book. This complimented our journey south through the Canal de Soledad. As the National Geographic Sea Lion cruised down this very narrow channel we took note of the many birds perched in the mangroves and feeding along the sandy shoreline. Bottlenose dolphins accompanied us as well. At one point, we counted as many as nine twisting and turning and occasionally leaping out of the water as they rode the pressure wave just in from of the ship’s bow.
Late afternoon found us very near the town San Carlos, our final destination for this trip, Among the Great Whales. We spent this time wandering, again, over and across the sand dunes to Bahía Santa María. A wide, expansive and crescent-shaped beach facing the Pacific Ocean edges this bay. Here, many of us played in the surf. Others walked the beach admiring the many shells and sand dollars.
To view footage from this day, please click here.
