Bahia Santa Maria and Hull Canal
Arriving on the Sea Bird yesterday, we were thinking “big.” Embarking on our voyage “Among the Great Whales,” our thoughts were of the large marine mammals that inhabit the waters surrounding Baja. But on our first expedition this morning, it was the little things that captured our interest. Shortly after breakfast, we landed at a section of one of Magdalena Bay’s barrier islands, Isla Magdalena. Large sand dunes stretched out before us. It appeared that nothing existed in the vast series of dunes between the Pacific Ocean on the other side and us. As we started our trek across the seemingly endless, barren waves of white sand, the Expedition Staff demonstrated how to look closely at the little details that tell the stories of desert life. Soon we were all identifying the flourishing plants, budding flowers, and animal tracks that showed life was thriving on the dunes. Thanks to recent rains that packed the sand, and very little wind to disturb it, various animal tracks were easily spotted. These tracks helped us visualize the actions of the birds, coyotes, and white-footed mice as they would have hopped, trotted, and scurried along the sand. We followed the tracks with our eyes, our minds easily picturing the animals chasing prey, searching for shelter, moving from dune to dune. We followed these tracks across to the Pacific side, emerging from the towers of sand onto an untouched stretch of sand known as Sand Dollar Beach. Here we spent the morning playing in the waves, strolling along the shoreline, investigating shells, admiring birds, and crawling with crabs.
Upon our return to the ship, the anchor was lifted, and with the assistance of local pilot Alejandro, we navigated the Hull Canal. We spent the afternoon cruising the waterway, keeping our binoculars close by, spotting white ibis, reddish, great and snowy egrets, great blue herons, and an osprey making off with a fish in its talons. As we approached the Boca de Soledad, an entrance to Bahia Magdalena, we had our first sightings of the gray whales. Later in the afternoon, Expedition Staff member Bete Pfister shared her whale knowledge with us; shifting our focus from the smaller animals we explored this morning in the sand, to the larger animals we hope to meet tomorrow.
Arriving on the Sea Bird yesterday, we were thinking “big.” Embarking on our voyage “Among the Great Whales,” our thoughts were of the large marine mammals that inhabit the waters surrounding Baja. But on our first expedition this morning, it was the little things that captured our interest. Shortly after breakfast, we landed at a section of one of Magdalena Bay’s barrier islands, Isla Magdalena. Large sand dunes stretched out before us. It appeared that nothing existed in the vast series of dunes between the Pacific Ocean on the other side and us. As we started our trek across the seemingly endless, barren waves of white sand, the Expedition Staff demonstrated how to look closely at the little details that tell the stories of desert life. Soon we were all identifying the flourishing plants, budding flowers, and animal tracks that showed life was thriving on the dunes. Thanks to recent rains that packed the sand, and very little wind to disturb it, various animal tracks were easily spotted. These tracks helped us visualize the actions of the birds, coyotes, and white-footed mice as they would have hopped, trotted, and scurried along the sand. We followed the tracks with our eyes, our minds easily picturing the animals chasing prey, searching for shelter, moving from dune to dune. We followed these tracks across to the Pacific side, emerging from the towers of sand onto an untouched stretch of sand known as Sand Dollar Beach. Here we spent the morning playing in the waves, strolling along the shoreline, investigating shells, admiring birds, and crawling with crabs.
Upon our return to the ship, the anchor was lifted, and with the assistance of local pilot Alejandro, we navigated the Hull Canal. We spent the afternoon cruising the waterway, keeping our binoculars close by, spotting white ibis, reddish, great and snowy egrets, great blue herons, and an osprey making off with a fish in its talons. As we approached the Boca de Soledad, an entrance to Bahia Magdalena, we had our first sightings of the gray whales. Later in the afternoon, Expedition Staff member Bete Pfister shared her whale knowledge with us; shifting our focus from the smaller animals we explored this morning in the sand, to the larger animals we hope to meet tomorrow.
