Cruising South, Isla Danzante
The Gulf of California is so rich with life! These past few days we’ve seen water green and sparkling with plankton, countless sea birds, dolphins, whales and sea lions. This morning, we saw a feeding frenzy: boobies and pelicans were diving into the water after fish, and a large group of common dolphins fed upon the same abundant food. We left our breakfast in the dining room to watch.
A short time later, as we made our way south in the gulf near the Baja peninsula, we encountered two humpback whales. The larger of the two whales had an unusually shaped tail fluke; it was so strangely bent that it appeared deformed, or injured. The whales were swimming to the north, so we observed them, and resumed our southbound course.
Our afternoon destination was Isla Danzante, a small gem of an island with several tiny pocket beaches in little coves, and hills with nice views. Many people went for short walks, but the emphasis was on kayaking and snorkeling in the lovely coves. Goatfishes nudged their barbels into the sand looking for food, while territorial damselfishes defended their ‘rock gardens’ by chasing other fishes that swam near. People investigated the shorelines in kayaks.
By late afternoon, we relocated to another cozy beach for a delicious dinner prepared by our galley crew. Canyon wrens sang while we ate dinner on the beach beneath rocky slopes. The sun set over the massive Sierra de la Gigante, while a bonfire burned in front us at the water’s edge. Some of us toasted marshmallows and made s’mores (yum!).
One of the women on this trip, Leslie Wood, is a very talented musician, and – lucky us – she brought her guitar along! She entertained us with many songs, including some of her original music, and guests, naturalists and crew sat on the beach enjoying her beautiful voice, fun personality, and wonderful memories being made.
The sun had just set, and Venus and the sliver crescent moon brightened in the western sky, so it seemed the perfect time for Adrian to tell the Aztec story of the beginning of the earth, sun and the moon. As we left the beach by Zodiac, bioluminescence was sparkling in the waves, as were stars in the dark sky above.
The evening ended with some dancing on the top deck, and schools of fish rushing and swarming next the ship. What a wonderful evening.
