San Jose Channel, Puerto Gato
Today was filled with the myriad forms of life found here in Baja California. From the largest toothed whale to microscopic plankton - with seabirds, cacti and dolphins sandwiched in between. Motoring northward on the east side of Isla San Jose, we were perfectly positioned to watch the sun rise over the Gulf of California. We cruised the waters between the islands of San Jose, San Diego and Santa Cruz, searching for marine mammals and enjoying the dramatic backdrop of the Sierra de la Giganta. We saw the unusually shaped blow of a sperm whale from a distance and went for a closer look, but it managed to dive shortly before we arrived. While waiting for this whale to resurface, we were surrounded by a large group of common dolphins. Perhaps a thousand energetic little cetaceans leaped high out of the water around us, and then dove deep in search of food. The sperm whale returned after a dive of 50 minutes, and this time we had a good look.
After lunch we went ashore at Puerto Gato, on the Baja Peninsula, for some hiking and kayaking. The hikers found various cacti and other wonderful desert plants, while the kayakers watched brown boobies diving for fish and enjoyed the peace of glassy calm water.
After dinner, we examined a sample of seawater collected with a plankton net after sunset, and found nearly pure Noctiluca. This single-celled dinoflagellate, whose name means “night light”, emits a beautiful blue light when disturbed, and appears to exude some noxious substance that either kills other plankters or repels them.
Today was filled with the myriad forms of life found here in Baja California. From the largest toothed whale to microscopic plankton - with seabirds, cacti and dolphins sandwiched in between. Motoring northward on the east side of Isla San Jose, we were perfectly positioned to watch the sun rise over the Gulf of California. We cruised the waters between the islands of San Jose, San Diego and Santa Cruz, searching for marine mammals and enjoying the dramatic backdrop of the Sierra de la Giganta. We saw the unusually shaped blow of a sperm whale from a distance and went for a closer look, but it managed to dive shortly before we arrived. While waiting for this whale to resurface, we were surrounded by a large group of common dolphins. Perhaps a thousand energetic little cetaceans leaped high out of the water around us, and then dove deep in search of food. The sperm whale returned after a dive of 50 minutes, and this time we had a good look.
After lunch we went ashore at Puerto Gato, on the Baja Peninsula, for some hiking and kayaking. The hikers found various cacti and other wonderful desert plants, while the kayakers watched brown boobies diving for fish and enjoyed the peace of glassy calm water.
After dinner, we examined a sample of seawater collected with a plankton net after sunset, and found nearly pure Noctiluca. This single-celled dinoflagellate, whose name means “night light”, emits a beautiful blue light when disturbed, and appears to exude some noxious substance that either kills other plankters or repels them.
