The El Norte wind had dropped in intensity during our night at sea. At sunrise the Sea Bird was cruising through the north end of the San Jose Channel, a pair of eyes stationed at every corner of the boat on alert, looking for marine mammals. The residual swell was still rocking our floating home from side to side as the skies began to turn a lovely deep orange in color. Just before sunrise at 6:36AM our expedition leader made an early wake-up call for those who wanted to enjoy the early morning sky. Pinks and oranges were creeping across the sky as if they were being chased by the rising sun…god rays began to arch across the water; then, the bright orb of light peeked over the mountains Isla Santa Cruz the most eastern island facing the Sea Bird as she continued her cruise in the Gulf of California. Light began to filter out over our awakening world. More birds were seen coming out into the Gulf to fish. Common Dolphins paid us a visit, riding the pressure wave created by the bow of the Sea Bird. We watched, hung over the bow watched the Dolphins watch us…we listened, via a hydrophone dropped by the Natural History staff, to the squeaks and whistles made by the visiting Dolphins. Off in the distance another large blow was spotted and the Sea Bird began her approach to yet another marine mammal. We were in the company of several Brydes whales. Erratic in movement one of these whales did give us some incredibly close looks as it came to the surface to breath directly off the Port bow. We find many marine mammals in this area because of the high productivity resulting from upwelling nutrients carried up from the depths of the Gulf of California. The nutrients allow the plant plankton to thrive which then feed the zooplankton that become the food for the whales. As our sunny morning progressed we watched as many species were observed feeding in these rich waters.
Our afternoon would be spent on Isla Santa Catalina. This small well-known island had been looming just fifteen miles north of the Sea Bird’smorning location. At approximately 11:30AM we began a steady course heading for our afternoon anchorage off the southwest tip of Santa Catalina. Once our vessel was secured Zodiacs were dropped and a snorkeling boat was anchored. The first order of business was getting our long hikers ashore followed by the two waves of short walkers.
Immediately upon arrival squeals of delight could be heard as the first of our crowd peered over the small rise of the beach and down the dry arroyo. There, before our delighted gaze were hundreds of arroyo lupines. Delicate pink flowers showing off their winter colors. These drought-escaping plants await the perfect set of conditions before sending out rapid growing offspring. This year’s rainfall had provided ideal conditions for thousands of hidden seeds! For the next three hours many of our group from the Sea Bird enjoyed a variety of walks in this unusual desert. Many of the cacti were in bloom. Rounding one corner we came face to face, quite literally, with a giant barrel cactus sporting a dark red-orange flower. This giant in the cacti family is endemic to the Baja California area, specifically the Gulf islands. It can reach twelve feet in height and be two feet in diameter!
We continued our walk through a forest of large and small cacti, endemic salvia bearing gorgeous purple flowers, Indigo bush, Palo Fiero in full bloom, the red flowers of the Adam’s tree, the fruit of the Passion flower, Jojoba bushes bearing enormous nuts, and for those of us who cast our eyes to the floor of the arroyo more belly-button flowers than could be counted! We stopped to smell, to squeeze, to eat, to gaze upon and to hear as pollinators buzzed around waiting flowers. Slowly, we began to understand the richness of this truly unique environment…and for a thoughtful moment this desert by the sea became very soothing, loosing some of it’s mystery while gaining our respect for the survival of the spectacular botanical display before us.
