Isla San Jose, Baja California Sur
The morning started with our second green flash sunrise in two days. We anchored offshore near a magnificent sandstone cliff of Isla San Jose. After breakfast we had the opportunity to hike in the arroyo at Punta Colorado, located on the east side of Isla San Jose. The hike gave us the opportunity to find even more wildflowers than we saw yesterday. The rains of the past few months have bought the desert alive. There were a large variety of wildflowers in bloom that will be all dried by next month. The late morning saw about ¾ of the guests out in kayaks enjoying the sunshine and calm seas.
The cliff that we see from the ship is an example of the diverse geologic nature of Baja California. It is a snapshot in time. It is sandstone of different colors, sizes and textures. The geologic story of Baja begins with the emplacement of granite beneath present day Mexico. Later, an explosive period of volcanism built up thousands of feet of ash. About five million years ago, plate movement changed and a piece of the mainland tore off, creating the Gulf of California – one of the world’s youngest seas.
Part of the group spent the afternoon snorkeling in the rocky shallows under the cliff in today’s picture. A multitude of species and thousands of fish were moving in and out of the rocky cavities. The underwater sightings included King Angelfish, Giant and Scissortail Damselfish, Panamic Sergeant Majors, Blue and Yellow Snappers, and Rainbow Wrasses in addition to lots of seafans and corals.
Evening found everyone on the beach enjoying the beautiful eastern pastel skies of blues, pinks, and reds. A delicious barbecue was set up on shore by the galley and hotel staffs. As the Zodiacs ferried the guests to dinner, they were met with a selection of beverages as they disembarked. Later we enjoyed a bonfire and had the opportunity to look at the rings and moons of Saturn through the spotting scope and used an image-stabilizing binocular to bring the almost full moon into ultra-clear focus.
The morning started with our second green flash sunrise in two days. We anchored offshore near a magnificent sandstone cliff of Isla San Jose. After breakfast we had the opportunity to hike in the arroyo at Punta Colorado, located on the east side of Isla San Jose. The hike gave us the opportunity to find even more wildflowers than we saw yesterday. The rains of the past few months have bought the desert alive. There were a large variety of wildflowers in bloom that will be all dried by next month. The late morning saw about ¾ of the guests out in kayaks enjoying the sunshine and calm seas.
The cliff that we see from the ship is an example of the diverse geologic nature of Baja California. It is a snapshot in time. It is sandstone of different colors, sizes and textures. The geologic story of Baja begins with the emplacement of granite beneath present day Mexico. Later, an explosive period of volcanism built up thousands of feet of ash. About five million years ago, plate movement changed and a piece of the mainland tore off, creating the Gulf of California – one of the world’s youngest seas.
Part of the group spent the afternoon snorkeling in the rocky shallows under the cliff in today’s picture. A multitude of species and thousands of fish were moving in and out of the rocky cavities. The underwater sightings included King Angelfish, Giant and Scissortail Damselfish, Panamic Sergeant Majors, Blue and Yellow Snappers, and Rainbow Wrasses in addition to lots of seafans and corals.
Evening found everyone on the beach enjoying the beautiful eastern pastel skies of blues, pinks, and reds. A delicious barbecue was set up on shore by the galley and hotel staffs. As the Zodiacs ferried the guests to dinner, they were met with a selection of beverages as they disembarked. Later we enjoyed a bonfire and had the opportunity to look at the rings and moons of Saturn through the spotting scope and used an image-stabilizing binocular to bring the almost full moon into ultra-clear focus.
