Isla Santa Catalina
This morning, after a night of smooth sailing, we approached and cruised along the shore of one of jewels of the Gulf of California – Isla Santa Catalina. After sunrise (with a blue/green flash), we rounded the corner and anchored in Bahia Elefante on the Southwest side of the island. This isolated granitic island has a high occurrence of endemic species (ones that are found nowhere else), including the rattleless rattlesnake (Crotalus catalinensis) and a turquoise side-blotched lizard (Uta squamata). A kind of sage from the mint family (Salvia platycheila) and the giant barrel cactus (Ferocactus diguetii) grow here and on only a few other islands in the gulf. We had a beautiful morning to explore this island at different paces with different naturalists.
It is not unusual to see unrelated plants clumped together in the desert, with bare patches between clumps. Seeds from varying species may be washed down an arroyo and happen to land near each other in a protected spot. Seedlings struggle to gain a foothold in the harsh, exposed conditions, taking advantage of any pockets of nutrients and moisture. Young plants may nurture, support and shade each other until a dominant plant emerges and out-competes the others to become a nurse plant itself, creating a shaded microclimate that may support future seedlings.
As we crossed the expanse of water between Isla Santa Catalina and the Baja Peninsula, sharp eyes spotted whale blows at a distance. We approached closer to identify the largest creature that has ever existed on the planet – a blue whale! It is an inexplicable feeling to see one of these enormous and endangered animals. It led us through patches of red plankton that we suspected were aggregations of krill – whale food. We decided to deploy the plankton net to inspect a surface sample. We didn’t pick up much krill (it was probably a little deeper) but we ended up with a diverse and interesting collection of organisms to put under the video microscope (see photo). It is always interesting to watch the interactions of the various species in that artificially concentrated environment. Some are predators; some are prey. Copepods, arrow worms, larval sea stars and diatoms were part of the planktonic soup that drives the marine food web. Some whales find enough food in the Gulf of California to remain in these rich waters year-round.
In the late afternoon there was a shore landing on the peninsula with a chance to snorkel, walk the beach or relax in the sun. Snorkelers came out of the water raving about their sightings of sergeant majors, Mexican hogfish, giant damselfish and crown of thorns starfish. Meanwhile the deck and hotel staff set up a dinner barbecue on shore and we feasted to our hearts’ content. A bonfire warmed us in lieu of the sun. The stars and guitars came out for our entertainment.Back on board the day was rounded out with a video on Antarctica and footage by the undersea specialist. We were cruising once again, now to the south.
This morning, after a night of smooth sailing, we approached and cruised along the shore of one of jewels of the Gulf of California – Isla Santa Catalina. After sunrise (with a blue/green flash), we rounded the corner and anchored in Bahia Elefante on the Southwest side of the island. This isolated granitic island has a high occurrence of endemic species (ones that are found nowhere else), including the rattleless rattlesnake (Crotalus catalinensis) and a turquoise side-blotched lizard (Uta squamata). A kind of sage from the mint family (Salvia platycheila) and the giant barrel cactus (Ferocactus diguetii) grow here and on only a few other islands in the gulf. We had a beautiful morning to explore this island at different paces with different naturalists.
It is not unusual to see unrelated plants clumped together in the desert, with bare patches between clumps. Seeds from varying species may be washed down an arroyo and happen to land near each other in a protected spot. Seedlings struggle to gain a foothold in the harsh, exposed conditions, taking advantage of any pockets of nutrients and moisture. Young plants may nurture, support and shade each other until a dominant plant emerges and out-competes the others to become a nurse plant itself, creating a shaded microclimate that may support future seedlings.
As we crossed the expanse of water between Isla Santa Catalina and the Baja Peninsula, sharp eyes spotted whale blows at a distance. We approached closer to identify the largest creature that has ever existed on the planet – a blue whale! It is an inexplicable feeling to see one of these enormous and endangered animals. It led us through patches of red plankton that we suspected were aggregations of krill – whale food. We decided to deploy the plankton net to inspect a surface sample. We didn’t pick up much krill (it was probably a little deeper) but we ended up with a diverse and interesting collection of organisms to put under the video microscope (see photo). It is always interesting to watch the interactions of the various species in that artificially concentrated environment. Some are predators; some are prey. Copepods, arrow worms, larval sea stars and diatoms were part of the planktonic soup that drives the marine food web. Some whales find enough food in the Gulf of California to remain in these rich waters year-round.
In the late afternoon there was a shore landing on the peninsula with a chance to snorkel, walk the beach or relax in the sun. Snorkelers came out of the water raving about their sightings of sergeant majors, Mexican hogfish, giant damselfish and crown of thorns starfish. Meanwhile the deck and hotel staff set up a dinner barbecue on shore and we feasted to our hearts’ content. A bonfire warmed us in lieu of the sun. The stars and guitars came out for our entertainment.Back on board the day was rounded out with a video on Antarctica and footage by the undersea specialist. We were cruising once again, now to the south.
