Isla Partida and Los Islotes
Our journey through the wonderous Sea of Cortez continued as we sailed south to Isla Partida which lies just north of the larger island of Espiritu Santo. After another hearty breakfast, we were fueled for our morning’s activities at Ensenada Grande. We launched kayaks from a lovely, sandy beach and enjoyed a slow paddle admiring the fantastic geology along the shoreline. There was also the chance to peer into the water to see various fish species including the striped sergeant majors and even the bright orange tail of the king angel fish. It was like snorkeling without getting wet!
Some of us decided to stick to dry land and went for hikes into the beautiful arroyo. A few people joined naturalist Larry “long-legs” Hobbs for an invigorating hike up to a spectacular viewpoint. Others went with our local Mexican naturalist William Lopez-Forment for a medium walk. Those that wanted a shorter leg stretch walked with passionate naturalist Karen Copeland. They both discussed all the incredible adaptations many of the plant species have to survive in the fascinating desert habitat. During the walks you could hear the song of the canyon wren and even be buzzed by the Costa’s hummingbird.
In the afternoon we anchored off the tiny island of Los Islotes. This area has a small colony of California sea lions that use the island as a resting and breeding site. This was our chance to snorkel with these inquisitive and agile creatures! Some of us donned our wetsuits and braved the waters for the chance to come face to face with these amazing marine mammals. The sea lions were intrigued by these strange creatures that had colorful wet suits and fins. They gently tugged our flippers and buzzed around the snorkel boat. Our undersea specialist Mike Greenfielder dove to the bottom to film the sea lions in addition to the wonderful fish and invertebrate species that inhabit the waters surrounding Los Islotes. He took this beautiful photo of a sea lion silhouetted against a large ball of schooling fish.
Zodiac cruises were available for those that wanted to experience all the island’s wonders without getting into the water. We saw several sea lion pups resting on their mother’s back and heard the roaring call of the juvenile males. There were blue footed boobies “sky pointing,” their courting behavior of pointing their beaks sky high while calling to their potential mate. The male courting boobies also performs a little dance of raising one webbed blue foot at a time, all to impress the ever observant female.
All and all it was a wonderful day on the Sea Bird. Some say there is magic in experiencing new places. The Sea of Cortez is filled with many magic wonders that we experienced both in the amazing desert and in the vibrant sea.
Our journey through the wonderous Sea of Cortez continued as we sailed south to Isla Partida which lies just north of the larger island of Espiritu Santo. After another hearty breakfast, we were fueled for our morning’s activities at Ensenada Grande. We launched kayaks from a lovely, sandy beach and enjoyed a slow paddle admiring the fantastic geology along the shoreline. There was also the chance to peer into the water to see various fish species including the striped sergeant majors and even the bright orange tail of the king angel fish. It was like snorkeling without getting wet!
Some of us decided to stick to dry land and went for hikes into the beautiful arroyo. A few people joined naturalist Larry “long-legs” Hobbs for an invigorating hike up to a spectacular viewpoint. Others went with our local Mexican naturalist William Lopez-Forment for a medium walk. Those that wanted a shorter leg stretch walked with passionate naturalist Karen Copeland. They both discussed all the incredible adaptations many of the plant species have to survive in the fascinating desert habitat. During the walks you could hear the song of the canyon wren and even be buzzed by the Costa’s hummingbird.
In the afternoon we anchored off the tiny island of Los Islotes. This area has a small colony of California sea lions that use the island as a resting and breeding site. This was our chance to snorkel with these inquisitive and agile creatures! Some of us donned our wetsuits and braved the waters for the chance to come face to face with these amazing marine mammals. The sea lions were intrigued by these strange creatures that had colorful wet suits and fins. They gently tugged our flippers and buzzed around the snorkel boat. Our undersea specialist Mike Greenfielder dove to the bottom to film the sea lions in addition to the wonderful fish and invertebrate species that inhabit the waters surrounding Los Islotes. He took this beautiful photo of a sea lion silhouetted against a large ball of schooling fish.
Zodiac cruises were available for those that wanted to experience all the island’s wonders without getting into the water. We saw several sea lion pups resting on their mother’s back and heard the roaring call of the juvenile males. There were blue footed boobies “sky pointing,” their courting behavior of pointing their beaks sky high while calling to their potential mate. The male courting boobies also performs a little dance of raising one webbed blue foot at a time, all to impress the ever observant female.
All and all it was a wonderful day on the Sea Bird. Some say there is magic in experiencing new places. The Sea of Cortez is filled with many magic wonders that we experienced both in the amazing desert and in the vibrant sea.
