La Boca de Soledad & Sand Dollar Beach
Today we said farewell. And, indeed, that is what we wish for the gray whales—for them to fare well, to safely travel to their summer feeding grounds and to then return to the lagoons along Baja California. With an ebbing tide, many of the whales allowed themselves to be flushed out to the boca, or mouth, of the bay. And though the whales did return as the tide re-entered the lagoon, our experience early this morning was as if the whales were, in fact, leaving. Peacefully, we watched mostly mothers and calves head in the direction of the sea. The calves’ narrow rostrums awkwardly popped up out of turbulent water trying to keep pace with their mother’s steady westward advancement. It is the strength and persistence of these mothers accompanying their young and vulnerable calves that inspires optimism about their future.
Farewell does not always mean that it is the end. In fact, it is a selfless expression of hope for a long and healthy existence for those we love or have come to love—including whales. And this is, of course, regardless of whether or not we will ever see them again. Fittingly, photographer, Ralph Lee Hopkins’s presentation, “Baja California, The Hope for an Alternative Future,” illustrated how Baja California is being commercially developed. It was difficult to hear some of his stories, but his photographs helped us become more aware of some of the unfortunate ways in which human beings may be harming many animal habitats in Baja California. So if we can figure out alternative ways to continue to facilitate people’s enjoyment of this amazing place besides putting in hotels and golf courses, we will ensure future generations this privilege of not only seeing whales and other wildlife, but the beauty of untouched land.
This afternoon, we experienced the feeling of being the only visitors on a very expansive beach, Sand Dollar Beach—the very thing we wish to preserve. Many of us decided to take a swim in the Pacific Ocean to commemorate the last day of a wonderful weeklong trip. It was also a way in which many of us were able to bond one last time with fellow travelers before saying farewell, once again.
Today we said farewell. And, indeed, that is what we wish for the gray whales—for them to fare well, to safely travel to their summer feeding grounds and to then return to the lagoons along Baja California. With an ebbing tide, many of the whales allowed themselves to be flushed out to the boca, or mouth, of the bay. And though the whales did return as the tide re-entered the lagoon, our experience early this morning was as if the whales were, in fact, leaving. Peacefully, we watched mostly mothers and calves head in the direction of the sea. The calves’ narrow rostrums awkwardly popped up out of turbulent water trying to keep pace with their mother’s steady westward advancement. It is the strength and persistence of these mothers accompanying their young and vulnerable calves that inspires optimism about their future.
Farewell does not always mean that it is the end. In fact, it is a selfless expression of hope for a long and healthy existence for those we love or have come to love—including whales. And this is, of course, regardless of whether or not we will ever see them again. Fittingly, photographer, Ralph Lee Hopkins’s presentation, “Baja California, The Hope for an Alternative Future,” illustrated how Baja California is being commercially developed. It was difficult to hear some of his stories, but his photographs helped us become more aware of some of the unfortunate ways in which human beings may be harming many animal habitats in Baja California. So if we can figure out alternative ways to continue to facilitate people’s enjoyment of this amazing place besides putting in hotels and golf courses, we will ensure future generations this privilege of not only seeing whales and other wildlife, but the beauty of untouched land.
This afternoon, we experienced the feeling of being the only visitors on a very expansive beach, Sand Dollar Beach—the very thing we wish to preserve. Many of us decided to take a swim in the Pacific Ocean to commemorate the last day of a wonderful weeklong trip. It was also a way in which many of us were able to bond one last time with fellow travelers before saying farewell, once again.
