Los Islotes, Gulf of California
A chorus of barking California sea lions greeted us in the early morning as we slowly approached Los Islotes, one of thirteen breeding rookeries of this pinniped species in the Gulf of California. As we circumnavigated the small islet, we observed all ages and sex classes in every possible resting pose imaginable: from heaps of sub adult males, juveniles, females and pups resting on flat plateaus to single animals perched high atop offshore pinnacles. The largest males were posturing in the shallows in preparation for the upcoming breeding season when they will establish their territories and defend a harem of females whom they will mate with before heading out to sea to forage in the late summer and fall.
We entered the water to frolic with these graceful acrobats and were greeting by a group of rambunctious and curious juveniles! While some dashed in and out of our group of snorkelers, others were busy contemplating a Zodiac ride, utilizing their keen senses of sight (and taste!) to examine the motor, anchor and swim ladder!
After an exhilarating morning with the sea lions, we headed towards the southern tip of Isla Espiritu Santo for the afternoon’s activities at Bahia Bonanza. Primed with knowledge shared with us by naturalist Carlos Navarro about the diversity of cetaceans in the Gulf of California, we kept watch on the bow in hopes of catching another glimpse of these magnificent creatures. We cruised above the deep waters on the east coast of Isla Espiritu Santo, not knowing what would surface in front of our vessel. Before we reached our anchorage, our paths crossed with the blue whale, the largest mammal on earth and the dwarf sperm whale, one of the smallest and rarest cetaceans in our waters. What was the largest baleen whale and a very small toothed whale doing in the same place you might ask? Perhaps they were feeding, as blue whales are known to feed on krill patches that form off the edges of continental shelves and dwarf sperm whales on squid that inhabit deep submarine canyons.
The rest of the afternoon was spent kayaking, playing soccer on the beach and snorkeling . . . but our wildlife experiences were not over yet! In the darkness under the sprinkle of a light rain, a school of mobula rays magically danced in and out of our ship’s lights, feasting on clouds of planktonic shrimp – a fabulous end to a wonderful voyage.
A chorus of barking California sea lions greeted us in the early morning as we slowly approached Los Islotes, one of thirteen breeding rookeries of this pinniped species in the Gulf of California. As we circumnavigated the small islet, we observed all ages and sex classes in every possible resting pose imaginable: from heaps of sub adult males, juveniles, females and pups resting on flat plateaus to single animals perched high atop offshore pinnacles. The largest males were posturing in the shallows in preparation for the upcoming breeding season when they will establish their territories and defend a harem of females whom they will mate with before heading out to sea to forage in the late summer and fall.
We entered the water to frolic with these graceful acrobats and were greeting by a group of rambunctious and curious juveniles! While some dashed in and out of our group of snorkelers, others were busy contemplating a Zodiac ride, utilizing their keen senses of sight (and taste!) to examine the motor, anchor and swim ladder!
After an exhilarating morning with the sea lions, we headed towards the southern tip of Isla Espiritu Santo for the afternoon’s activities at Bahia Bonanza. Primed with knowledge shared with us by naturalist Carlos Navarro about the diversity of cetaceans in the Gulf of California, we kept watch on the bow in hopes of catching another glimpse of these magnificent creatures. We cruised above the deep waters on the east coast of Isla Espiritu Santo, not knowing what would surface in front of our vessel. Before we reached our anchorage, our paths crossed with the blue whale, the largest mammal on earth and the dwarf sperm whale, one of the smallest and rarest cetaceans in our waters. What was the largest baleen whale and a very small toothed whale doing in the same place you might ask? Perhaps they were feeding, as blue whales are known to feed on krill patches that form off the edges of continental shelves and dwarf sperm whales on squid that inhabit deep submarine canyons.
The rest of the afternoon was spent kayaking, playing soccer on the beach and snorkeling . . . but our wildlife experiences were not over yet! In the darkness under the sprinkle of a light rain, a school of mobula rays magically danced in and out of our ship’s lights, feasting on clouds of planktonic shrimp – a fabulous end to a wonderful voyage.
