Isla San Jose
Dawn sunlight bathed the layered cliffs of the Sierra de la Giganta, magnificent volcanic mountains that rise abruptly from the sea. A brisk wind buffeted the ship, but soon this was forgotten, as the seas grew calmer. We searched for marine mammals and were not disappointed. Blue whales spouted in the distance, and as we drew closer we saw the mottled, blue-gray sides of these immense creatures. The abandon-ship drill was postponed to allow plenty of time to watch the sleek streamlined bodies rise and fall, rise and fall, as they replenished their oxygen supply, then dove to greater depths in pursuit of krill. In a few spots the water was stained red with dense concentrations of these tiny crustaceans. It seems almost ironic that such small organisms could sustain one of the largest animals to ever live on our planet. After our drills we returned to the decks to experience a spectacular school of long-beaked common dolphins that leaped and splashed around the ship. A number of very small babies were within the group, swimming close alongside their mothers.
Our afternoon centered around Punta Colorada at Isla San Jose. The Zodiacs landed on a lovely sandy beach embraced by sculptured cliffs of fossil-bearing sedimentary rocks. The colorful kayaks shown in the photo awaited those who wished to explore the scenic coastline. There was also time to wander inland amidst dense desert vegetation. A variety of cacti interlaced with trees and shrubs accented by colorful wildflowers. Reed-like and vining milkweeds, white-barked palo blancos, and torchwood trees lined the sandy arroyo that was carved by racing water of flash floods over eons of time. Side-blotched, zebra-tailed, and whiptail lizards dashed across granitic cobbles and boulders interspersed within the sedimentary rocks. One group of hikers encountered a handsome speckled rattlesnake. Verdins and black-throated sparrows twittered as we walked, and Costa’s hummingbirds flashed iridescent throats from their perches.
When we returned to the ship an announcement came over the intercom about a hammerhead shark just off the bow. The water was perfectly calm, and the shark swam gracefully just at the surface with its dorsal fin and upper tail breaking the surface.
The moon rose and dusk settled in as we headed inside for recap and dinner. Before long, the ship pulled anchor and headed south towards the tip of the peninsula for another day of adventures.
Dawn sunlight bathed the layered cliffs of the Sierra de la Giganta, magnificent volcanic mountains that rise abruptly from the sea. A brisk wind buffeted the ship, but soon this was forgotten, as the seas grew calmer. We searched for marine mammals and were not disappointed. Blue whales spouted in the distance, and as we drew closer we saw the mottled, blue-gray sides of these immense creatures. The abandon-ship drill was postponed to allow plenty of time to watch the sleek streamlined bodies rise and fall, rise and fall, as they replenished their oxygen supply, then dove to greater depths in pursuit of krill. In a few spots the water was stained red with dense concentrations of these tiny crustaceans. It seems almost ironic that such small organisms could sustain one of the largest animals to ever live on our planet. After our drills we returned to the decks to experience a spectacular school of long-beaked common dolphins that leaped and splashed around the ship. A number of very small babies were within the group, swimming close alongside their mothers.
Our afternoon centered around Punta Colorada at Isla San Jose. The Zodiacs landed on a lovely sandy beach embraced by sculptured cliffs of fossil-bearing sedimentary rocks. The colorful kayaks shown in the photo awaited those who wished to explore the scenic coastline. There was also time to wander inland amidst dense desert vegetation. A variety of cacti interlaced with trees and shrubs accented by colorful wildflowers. Reed-like and vining milkweeds, white-barked palo blancos, and torchwood trees lined the sandy arroyo that was carved by racing water of flash floods over eons of time. Side-blotched, zebra-tailed, and whiptail lizards dashed across granitic cobbles and boulders interspersed within the sedimentary rocks. One group of hikers encountered a handsome speckled rattlesnake. Verdins and black-throated sparrows twittered as we walked, and Costa’s hummingbirds flashed iridescent throats from their perches.
When we returned to the ship an announcement came over the intercom about a hammerhead shark just off the bow. The water was perfectly calm, and the shark swam gracefully just at the surface with its dorsal fin and upper tail breaking the surface.
The moon rose and dusk settled in as we headed inside for recap and dinner. Before long, the ship pulled anchor and headed south towards the tip of the peninsula for another day of adventures.
