El Barríl, Hull Canal & Boca de Soledad
Rosy-fingered dawn found us resting quietly at anchor near the mangroves of El Barríl. Here, on the east side of Isla Magdalena, we took advantage of the spring tide to explore this richly productive ecosystem from the water. Some chose to explore by Zodiac, for photographic opportunities and the ability to cover more terrain. The list of bird sightings was long, with light winds and a falling tide. White ibis, snowy egret, whimbrel, yellow-crowned night heron, willet, little blue heron… our binoculars and cameras were put to good use this morning. Others chose the silence, solitude and exercise of an exploration by kayak. We found perfectly calm conditions, and an unbelievably cooperative current. Paddling upstream against a weakly falling tide, we laughed at our inability to steer straight. Drifting effortlessly back downstream as the current strengthened, we sat in silent awe of the remoteness of our surroundings.
Nosing in close to the mangroves, we learned the difference between the three species that occur here, near the northern limit of their range. Black mangroves are the exuders, simply “sweating” out their excess salt on the surface of their elongate leaves. Red mangroves are the excluders, using reverse osmosis to limit their intake of salty sea water. White mangroves are the extruders, concentrating the salt they’ve taken in and eliminating it through two pores at the base of each leaf. All unrelated and perfectly adapted to this inhospitable, salty environment.
Underway in the early afternoon, we headed north into the upper reaches of Bahía Magdalena. Local pilot Alejandro Camacho steered us expertly through the extremely narrow and shallow Hull Canal, at one of the lowest tides of the year! From the deck of our ship, we watched local fishermen wade onto the mud flats to collect chocolate clams, while a crafty coyote investigated their blue crab traps. We saw our first gray whale just to the south of Devil’s Bend, and then had exhilaratingly close looks at a gray whale cow with her calf near the small town of Lopez Mateos.
As the wind picked up and temperatures cooled in the early evening, we went below for drinks and appetizers, and a chance to learn just a little more about this unique ecosystem. After seeing and learning so much about the importance of mangroves above water, Undersea Specialist Justin Hofman helped us understand their importance below the water. Underwater video footage of the juvenile fish and invertebrates that use the mangrove roots as nursery habitat gave us a fascinating glimpse into this important and productive marine environment.
Rosy-fingered dawn found us resting quietly at anchor near the mangroves of El Barríl. Here, on the east side of Isla Magdalena, we took advantage of the spring tide to explore this richly productive ecosystem from the water. Some chose to explore by Zodiac, for photographic opportunities and the ability to cover more terrain. The list of bird sightings was long, with light winds and a falling tide. White ibis, snowy egret, whimbrel, yellow-crowned night heron, willet, little blue heron… our binoculars and cameras were put to good use this morning. Others chose the silence, solitude and exercise of an exploration by kayak. We found perfectly calm conditions, and an unbelievably cooperative current. Paddling upstream against a weakly falling tide, we laughed at our inability to steer straight. Drifting effortlessly back downstream as the current strengthened, we sat in silent awe of the remoteness of our surroundings.
Nosing in close to the mangroves, we learned the difference between the three species that occur here, near the northern limit of their range. Black mangroves are the exuders, simply “sweating” out their excess salt on the surface of their elongate leaves. Red mangroves are the excluders, using reverse osmosis to limit their intake of salty sea water. White mangroves are the extruders, concentrating the salt they’ve taken in and eliminating it through two pores at the base of each leaf. All unrelated and perfectly adapted to this inhospitable, salty environment.
Underway in the early afternoon, we headed north into the upper reaches of Bahía Magdalena. Local pilot Alejandro Camacho steered us expertly through the extremely narrow and shallow Hull Canal, at one of the lowest tides of the year! From the deck of our ship, we watched local fishermen wade onto the mud flats to collect chocolate clams, while a crafty coyote investigated their blue crab traps. We saw our first gray whale just to the south of Devil’s Bend, and then had exhilaratingly close looks at a gray whale cow with her calf near the small town of Lopez Mateos.
As the wind picked up and temperatures cooled in the early evening, we went below for drinks and appetizers, and a chance to learn just a little more about this unique ecosystem. After seeing and learning so much about the importance of mangroves above water, Undersea Specialist Justin Hofman helped us understand their importance below the water. Underwater video footage of the juvenile fish and invertebrates that use the mangrove roots as nursery habitat gave us a fascinating glimpse into this important and productive marine environment.
