San Jose Channel & Isla San Francisco
Our first morning in the Sea of Cortez started with spectacular light cast upon the Baja peninsula. Azure skies briefly turned pink just before the sun emerged above the horizon. The seas were flat calm, affording us the best possible conditions for spotting wildlife. Paired fin tips broke the surface all around us. The glimmer of a manta ray caught our eyes as it breached, its body rotating and flipping in the low morning light. We rushed to the edge of the bow just as a manta swam beneath the bow of the National Geographic Sea Lion. It was so calm we could easily hear, and smell, the school of skipjack tuna feeding just in front of the ship. In the distance we could see very large blows and with the lack of wind, they hung in the air for several moments as we approached from the west.
After scanning the area near Isla San Francisco we got our first look at the largest animal to have ever lived on Earth. In actuality, it ended up being three blue whales in a small area. We watched in awe as these animals surfaced and we were exhilarated as two of the three animals showed their flukes. The size of these animals is difficult to grasp when seen upon a flat sea, but as one animal logged nearby we suddenly felt very small in comparison to this behemoth.
We anchored just north of Half Moon Bay on Isla San Francisco, and the morning hike took place in a large arroyo filled with desert plants and animals. As we climbed over rocks and followed this watershed we had a great encounter with a special reptile. An Isla San Jose Western whiptail lizard was spotted amongst the boulders. Found only on Isla San Francisco and Isla San Jose, this lizard is thought to be derived from the nearby Western whiptail lizard but has been separated from its mainland relative for so long that it has become unique to these two islands. Whiptails are one of the more conspicuous small lizards in Baja California and can be seen foraging even during the middle of the hottest days when other lizards are underground. Highly reliant on their sense of smell, these lizards cover a lot of ground and actively seek out their arthropod prey. Luckily this whiptail paused long enough for us to get a good look at its slender body. By the time our hike ended, we were quite warm and ready to have our first snorkeling session.
Once the ship was repositioned to Half Moon Bay, we utilized our anchored Zodiac as a platform to start our snorkeling operation. The water was very refreshing and the visibility was quite good as we explored the large boulders and the animals living around them. A large school of king angelfish could be seen feeding with yellowtail surgeonfish. Damselfish would charge fish several times their own size, biting their fins as they valiantly tried to defend their territories against the invading grazers.
To end our action-packed day on and around Isla San Francisco, the hotel and deck departments on the NG Sea Lion set up a fantastic meal on the beach, complete with a bonfire and s’mores. Ending such a glorious day with a sky full of thousands of stars is a great way to reflect on just how lucky we are to have a place as special as Baja California.
Our first morning in the Sea of Cortez started with spectacular light cast upon the Baja peninsula. Azure skies briefly turned pink just before the sun emerged above the horizon. The seas were flat calm, affording us the best possible conditions for spotting wildlife. Paired fin tips broke the surface all around us. The glimmer of a manta ray caught our eyes as it breached, its body rotating and flipping in the low morning light. We rushed to the edge of the bow just as a manta swam beneath the bow of the National Geographic Sea Lion. It was so calm we could easily hear, and smell, the school of skipjack tuna feeding just in front of the ship. In the distance we could see very large blows and with the lack of wind, they hung in the air for several moments as we approached from the west.
After scanning the area near Isla San Francisco we got our first look at the largest animal to have ever lived on Earth. In actuality, it ended up being three blue whales in a small area. We watched in awe as these animals surfaced and we were exhilarated as two of the three animals showed their flukes. The size of these animals is difficult to grasp when seen upon a flat sea, but as one animal logged nearby we suddenly felt very small in comparison to this behemoth.
We anchored just north of Half Moon Bay on Isla San Francisco, and the morning hike took place in a large arroyo filled with desert plants and animals. As we climbed over rocks and followed this watershed we had a great encounter with a special reptile. An Isla San Jose Western whiptail lizard was spotted amongst the boulders. Found only on Isla San Francisco and Isla San Jose, this lizard is thought to be derived from the nearby Western whiptail lizard but has been separated from its mainland relative for so long that it has become unique to these two islands. Whiptails are one of the more conspicuous small lizards in Baja California and can be seen foraging even during the middle of the hottest days when other lizards are underground. Highly reliant on their sense of smell, these lizards cover a lot of ground and actively seek out their arthropod prey. Luckily this whiptail paused long enough for us to get a good look at its slender body. By the time our hike ended, we were quite warm and ready to have our first snorkeling session.
Once the ship was repositioned to Half Moon Bay, we utilized our anchored Zodiac as a platform to start our snorkeling operation. The water was very refreshing and the visibility was quite good as we explored the large boulders and the animals living around them. A large school of king angelfish could be seen feeding with yellowtail surgeonfish. Damselfish would charge fish several times their own size, biting their fins as they valiantly tried to defend their territories against the invading grazers.
To end our action-packed day on and around Isla San Francisco, the hotel and deck departments on the NG Sea Lion set up a fantastic meal on the beach, complete with a bonfire and s’mores. Ending such a glorious day with a sky full of thousands of stars is a great way to reflect on just how lucky we are to have a place as special as Baja California.
