Gulf of California, Waters off Isla Monserrate to Punta Colorado, Isla San Jose
A soft sunrise over calm water started what soon became an extraordinary final day to our voyage. After breakfast our chief mate sighted a disturbance on the distant horizon and soon we were thrilled to watch the active jumps and blows, squeaks and whistles of thousands of long-beaked common dolphins. The ship passed around them several times, and on our final farewell pass this image of sleek marine mammals mirrored in the ship’s reflection came across the viewfinder. Click...buzz...click...buzz...so many pictures of dolphins: with the Baja peninsula behind them, with colorful blue bands of water, leaping away in a froth of speed, returning to surround the ship again...I have spent hours trying to decide which image best characterizes this highlight of the day.
As if this were not enough, once we left the dolphins we encountered blue whales once again, and one appeared breathing calmly at the surface, eventually no more than thirty yards off the ship! Its full-length blue form through the transparent water was memorable. We stayed with it nearly an hour as it blew, logged at the surface and fluked. The next dorsal fins were a group of three small animals toward Isla San Jose, and those of us at the bow struggled to pick up field marks and silhouetted shapes to aid us in identification. After combining our impressions we concluded the trio were a male, a female and one young Pygmy Beaked Whale, the first such animal seen by any of us on board. We followed them for several surfacing sequences and became increasingly assured of our impression. It’s so exciting to see such a rare and little understood species right from the bow of MV Sea Bird!
After lunch some of us cooled down snorkeling in the red-stone amphitheater of Punta Colorado. Meanwhile others watched fish through the clear blue coastal waters on Zodiac tours, taking time out to investigate many coves and landforms, and to talk about the geology of the area. Once the day cooled a little we ended our journey’s explorations with a walk up the lush arroyo here, watching butterflies cruise down the dry watercourse, admiring vegetation from milkweed to agave while the naturalists shared the stories of how humans as well as animals have lived and benefited from the flora. A rock wren trilled its complex song from the colorful red canyon slopes. A male Costa’s hummingbird put on a daring courtship flight and nearby a female gathered insects for her supper. Black-throated sparrows trilled softly, the verdin sounded its notes in threes and the light began to soften and settle toward sunset again. Herbal scents began to delight us as the air moistened with evening. Sea and sky melted nearly into one as the last Zodiac left the beach to rejoin the ship.
Dolphins, Blue whale, Beaked whale, birds, butterflies, reef fish, sea turtles and swims, walks and rocks: all of this filled our last day together at sea, just another March day in the magic of Baja California.
A soft sunrise over calm water started what soon became an extraordinary final day to our voyage. After breakfast our chief mate sighted a disturbance on the distant horizon and soon we were thrilled to watch the active jumps and blows, squeaks and whistles of thousands of long-beaked common dolphins. The ship passed around them several times, and on our final farewell pass this image of sleek marine mammals mirrored in the ship’s reflection came across the viewfinder. Click...buzz...click...buzz...so many pictures of dolphins: with the Baja peninsula behind them, with colorful blue bands of water, leaping away in a froth of speed, returning to surround the ship again...I have spent hours trying to decide which image best characterizes this highlight of the day.
As if this were not enough, once we left the dolphins we encountered blue whales once again, and one appeared breathing calmly at the surface, eventually no more than thirty yards off the ship! Its full-length blue form through the transparent water was memorable. We stayed with it nearly an hour as it blew, logged at the surface and fluked. The next dorsal fins were a group of three small animals toward Isla San Jose, and those of us at the bow struggled to pick up field marks and silhouetted shapes to aid us in identification. After combining our impressions we concluded the trio were a male, a female and one young Pygmy Beaked Whale, the first such animal seen by any of us on board. We followed them for several surfacing sequences and became increasingly assured of our impression. It’s so exciting to see such a rare and little understood species right from the bow of MV Sea Bird!
After lunch some of us cooled down snorkeling in the red-stone amphitheater of Punta Colorado. Meanwhile others watched fish through the clear blue coastal waters on Zodiac tours, taking time out to investigate many coves and landforms, and to talk about the geology of the area. Once the day cooled a little we ended our journey’s explorations with a walk up the lush arroyo here, watching butterflies cruise down the dry watercourse, admiring vegetation from milkweed to agave while the naturalists shared the stories of how humans as well as animals have lived and benefited from the flora. A rock wren trilled its complex song from the colorful red canyon slopes. A male Costa’s hummingbird put on a daring courtship flight and nearby a female gathered insects for her supper. Black-throated sparrows trilled softly, the verdin sounded its notes in threes and the light began to soften and settle toward sunset again. Herbal scents began to delight us as the air moistened with evening. Sea and sky melted nearly into one as the last Zodiac left the beach to rejoin the ship.
Dolphins, Blue whale, Beaked whale, birds, butterflies, reef fish, sea turtles and swims, walks and rocks: all of this filled our last day together at sea, just another March day in the magic of Baja California.
