Punta Mangles & Isla Coronados, Baja California’s Sea of Cortez
By day three, many first-time guests have figured one important thing out: if the ship slows down in open water, go to the bow! But when you feel the engines throttle back at 0630 it takes more than a change in pitch to get most people out of bed. This morning, that extra inspiration came in the voice of our Expedition Leader, Michelle Graves. With a measured restraint in her voice to make the early wake-up call more soothing, she informed the ship that we had a breaching sperm whale off the bow. If we were tired before the announcement, this rare occurrence brought excitement, and many of us out of bed, in an instant.
Once upon deck we squinted in the early morning light and watched as the light glistened off the largest toothed whale in the world. Easily seen in the low-angle light, the side-ways blows of nearly two dozen sperm whales stood out amongst the deep blue sea and occasionally would refract the light into a rainbow. A smaller whale stayed near our ship and displayed its acrobatic side several times. With animals diving down longer and our course being taken further away from our destination, we parted from the whales and began our day’s exploration.
The flexibility of our itinerary has allowed us to spend time with our morning guests and to reach a location on the Baja Peninsula that no one onboard has ever been to. At a place called Punta Mangles we made our first landfall on the peninsula. In the protection of the bay we landed our Zodiacs and deployed the kayaks. With little prior knowledge and a thirst for exploration, we hiked and paddled our way to new sights. In the arroyos we encountered many birds and even a rattlesnake amongst the desert flora. The shore at Punta Mangles is ancient seafloor with many shells fossilized and encased within the matrix of sand. The soft nature of this rock created several fissures that formed small seacaves which we paddled into. It was a great way to spend a few seconds out of the hot Baja sun.
For afternoon activities we headed south to Isla Coronados to hike and swim in the azure waters of Loreto Bay. As snorkelers marveled at spawning brown urchins, hikers and bird watchers walked to the north end of the island in search of something new to see. Green-tailed towhees, loggerheaded shrikes and many more birds were seen along the creosote-lined trail. With so much natural beauty abound, it can become apparent quickly that sometimes it’s best to stop, relax and soak it all in.
By day three, many first-time guests have figured one important thing out: if the ship slows down in open water, go to the bow! But when you feel the engines throttle back at 0630 it takes more than a change in pitch to get most people out of bed. This morning, that extra inspiration came in the voice of our Expedition Leader, Michelle Graves. With a measured restraint in her voice to make the early wake-up call more soothing, she informed the ship that we had a breaching sperm whale off the bow. If we were tired before the announcement, this rare occurrence brought excitement, and many of us out of bed, in an instant.
Once upon deck we squinted in the early morning light and watched as the light glistened off the largest toothed whale in the world. Easily seen in the low-angle light, the side-ways blows of nearly two dozen sperm whales stood out amongst the deep blue sea and occasionally would refract the light into a rainbow. A smaller whale stayed near our ship and displayed its acrobatic side several times. With animals diving down longer and our course being taken further away from our destination, we parted from the whales and began our day’s exploration.
The flexibility of our itinerary has allowed us to spend time with our morning guests and to reach a location on the Baja Peninsula that no one onboard has ever been to. At a place called Punta Mangles we made our first landfall on the peninsula. In the protection of the bay we landed our Zodiacs and deployed the kayaks. With little prior knowledge and a thirst for exploration, we hiked and paddled our way to new sights. In the arroyos we encountered many birds and even a rattlesnake amongst the desert flora. The shore at Punta Mangles is ancient seafloor with many shells fossilized and encased within the matrix of sand. The soft nature of this rock created several fissures that formed small seacaves which we paddled into. It was a great way to spend a few seconds out of the hot Baja sun.
For afternoon activities we headed south to Isla Coronados to hike and swim in the azure waters of Loreto Bay. As snorkelers marveled at spawning brown urchins, hikers and bird watchers walked to the north end of the island in search of something new to see. Green-tailed towhees, loggerheaded shrikes and many more birds were seen along the creosote-lined trail. With so much natural beauty abound, it can become apparent quickly that sometimes it’s best to stop, relax and soak it all in.
