Isla Magdalena
Isla Magdalena spans 50 miles of the Pacific coast of Baja California, protecting the waters of Magdalena Bay -- the southernmost of the gray whale calving lagoons. Today was our day to intimately explore, and we took full advantage. Our morning was spent, quite literally, among the gray whales, as we found ourselves wishing for the ability to swivel our heads 360 degrees as well as for quicker camera reflexes. The Zodiacs that seemed so large when we first stepped in, were dwarfed by the close approaches of mother gray whales and their babies. Curious calves rolled over their moms' backs, attempted to spyhop and nearly bumped our rubber boats with mouths wide open, giving us good looks at baby baleen and pink tongues. Everyone returned to the ship with stories and smiles.
For the afternoon we split between dune hikers and the die-hard whale watchers. After our calm morning, experiencing the freshening breeze gave us a taste of more typical Magdalena Bay weather. The whale seekers found a few shy mothers with very young calves, bottlenose dolphins and the ballerina of the bay - a gray whale mother that repeatedly treated us to pirouetting spyhops. The dune walkers climbed the high, sculpted dunes and traversed the island. Arriving at the Pacific, they found surf and shells and the blows of more gray whales out beyond the breakers. Returning to the Sea Bird just before sunset, unmistakable shouts of glee could be heard from a few energetic dune jumpers.
Local musicians and fresh local seafood were our treats for the evening, followed by a quiet night at anchor.
Isla Magdalena spans 50 miles of the Pacific coast of Baja California, protecting the waters of Magdalena Bay -- the southernmost of the gray whale calving lagoons. Today was our day to intimately explore, and we took full advantage. Our morning was spent, quite literally, among the gray whales, as we found ourselves wishing for the ability to swivel our heads 360 degrees as well as for quicker camera reflexes. The Zodiacs that seemed so large when we first stepped in, were dwarfed by the close approaches of mother gray whales and their babies. Curious calves rolled over their moms' backs, attempted to spyhop and nearly bumped our rubber boats with mouths wide open, giving us good looks at baby baleen and pink tongues. Everyone returned to the ship with stories and smiles.
For the afternoon we split between dune hikers and the die-hard whale watchers. After our calm morning, experiencing the freshening breeze gave us a taste of more typical Magdalena Bay weather. The whale seekers found a few shy mothers with very young calves, bottlenose dolphins and the ballerina of the bay - a gray whale mother that repeatedly treated us to pirouetting spyhops. The dune walkers climbed the high, sculpted dunes and traversed the island. Arriving at the Pacific, they found surf and shells and the blows of more gray whales out beyond the breakers. Returning to the Sea Bird just before sunset, unmistakable shouts of glee could be heard from a few energetic dune jumpers.
Local musicians and fresh local seafood were our treats for the evening, followed by a quiet night at anchor.
