San Jose Channel, Punta San Marcial
This morning's sunrise illuminated the stunning rose and olive layers of the Sierra de la Giganta, as we each stepped sleepily out on deck. By 8:30am we'd spotted the first cetacean of the trip, and then spent the next half hour wondering where it had gone. Just as our guests were beginning to doubt the spotting abilities of the naturalists, the whale surfaced again. One look at this animal's characteristic left-hand blow and the bulbous melon on its head, and the reason for its long disappearance became obvious. We'd found a sperm whale. These large toothed whales are champion deep divers, and can stay submerged for 40 - 90 minutes, making them difficult to spot. However, once they ascend, the need to reoxygenate their tissues keeps them at the surface for 10 - 20 minutes. Our whale came near enough to the ship that we got great looks at its unusually shaped head.
Later in the morning, we encountered several groups of common dolphins and a breaching thresher shark. Our afternoon was spent hiking up an arroyo at Punta San Marcial, taking the kayaks out for another spin, and a few folks even went snorkeling. As the sun slipped below the horizon, we finished off the day with a barbecue on the beach. Stargazing and a bonfire and electric blue bioluminescence reminded us all of the magic to be found here in Baja California.
This morning's sunrise illuminated the stunning rose and olive layers of the Sierra de la Giganta, as we each stepped sleepily out on deck. By 8:30am we'd spotted the first cetacean of the trip, and then spent the next half hour wondering where it had gone. Just as our guests were beginning to doubt the spotting abilities of the naturalists, the whale surfaced again. One look at this animal's characteristic left-hand blow and the bulbous melon on its head, and the reason for its long disappearance became obvious. We'd found a sperm whale. These large toothed whales are champion deep divers, and can stay submerged for 40 - 90 minutes, making them difficult to spot. However, once they ascend, the need to reoxygenate their tissues keeps them at the surface for 10 - 20 minutes. Our whale came near enough to the ship that we got great looks at its unusually shaped head.
Later in the morning, we encountered several groups of common dolphins and a breaching thresher shark. Our afternoon was spent hiking up an arroyo at Punta San Marcial, taking the kayaks out for another spin, and a few folks even went snorkeling. As the sun slipped below the horizon, we finished off the day with a barbecue on the beach. Stargazing and a bonfire and electric blue bioluminescence reminded us all of the magic to be found here in Baja California.
