Boca de Soledad and Hull Canal
The Sea Bird awoke today to fog and an unusual east wind in the Boca de Soledad area of Magdalena Bay. Our plans for early morning whale watching were not spoiled, however, as the sun quickly burned off the mist and we were out on the water in our Zodiacs by 7:30 a.m. It was a magical morning with the Gray whales as several “friendlies” approached and allowed us to take away ecstatic memories and wonderful photographs. The day already seemed complete, but the fun was just beginning! We weighed anchor and set out for San Carlos located further south in the bay.
We enjoyed our transit through the narrow (and shallow!) Hull Canal with a wonderful lunch on deck. We passed by many shorebirds partaking of the great variety and bounty of invertebrates and small fish along the water’s edge. Just after our meal, a group of bottlenose dolphins rode our bow wake to the delight of all. Later, three feral burros appeared on the shore and a pair of coyotes was spotted stalking the beaches.
We arrived at El Barril, the site of our afternoon explorations, at about 2:00 p.m. We dropped anchor, unloaded our kayaks and prepared to venture out into the many channels winding through the mangroves and sand bars. Kayakers nosed into the quiet shallows, marveling at the dense stands of black, white and red mangrove and at the ingenious ways they’ve devised to survive in such a challenging environment. Among the tangle of branches, prop roots and pneumatophores (special straw-like roots that bring oxygen to the otherwise submerged “feet” of the mangroves), kayakers identified orange-crowned and mangrove warblers, lesser yellow-legs, black-crowned night herons and little blue herons. All who chose to go cruising by Zodiac were treated to a great show of shorebird diversity including whimbrels, neotropic and double-crested cormorants, yellow-crowned night herons, snowy and reddish egrets, long-billed curlews, willets, marbled godwits and brilliant white ibis with their impossibly red faces. The ibis were more than willing to pose for our photographic pleasure, but eventually took wing and bid us goodbye.
Although it’s hard to believe, we will be bidding one another goodbye as our expedition comes to an end tomorrow. But for tonight, we will share our memories of wildlife, adventure, sun and camaraderie during Captain’s Farewell Dinner and start to dream of the next time we get to visit this remarkable land of beauty.
The Sea Bird awoke today to fog and an unusual east wind in the Boca de Soledad area of Magdalena Bay. Our plans for early morning whale watching were not spoiled, however, as the sun quickly burned off the mist and we were out on the water in our Zodiacs by 7:30 a.m. It was a magical morning with the Gray whales as several “friendlies” approached and allowed us to take away ecstatic memories and wonderful photographs. The day already seemed complete, but the fun was just beginning! We weighed anchor and set out for San Carlos located further south in the bay.
We enjoyed our transit through the narrow (and shallow!) Hull Canal with a wonderful lunch on deck. We passed by many shorebirds partaking of the great variety and bounty of invertebrates and small fish along the water’s edge. Just after our meal, a group of bottlenose dolphins rode our bow wake to the delight of all. Later, three feral burros appeared on the shore and a pair of coyotes was spotted stalking the beaches.
We arrived at El Barril, the site of our afternoon explorations, at about 2:00 p.m. We dropped anchor, unloaded our kayaks and prepared to venture out into the many channels winding through the mangroves and sand bars. Kayakers nosed into the quiet shallows, marveling at the dense stands of black, white and red mangrove and at the ingenious ways they’ve devised to survive in such a challenging environment. Among the tangle of branches, prop roots and pneumatophores (special straw-like roots that bring oxygen to the otherwise submerged “feet” of the mangroves), kayakers identified orange-crowned and mangrove warblers, lesser yellow-legs, black-crowned night herons and little blue herons. All who chose to go cruising by Zodiac were treated to a great show of shorebird diversity including whimbrels, neotropic and double-crested cormorants, yellow-crowned night herons, snowy and reddish egrets, long-billed curlews, willets, marbled godwits and brilliant white ibis with their impossibly red faces. The ibis were more than willing to pose for our photographic pleasure, but eventually took wing and bid us goodbye.
Although it’s hard to believe, we will be bidding one another goodbye as our expedition comes to an end tomorrow. But for tonight, we will share our memories of wildlife, adventure, sun and camaraderie during Captain’s Farewell Dinner and start to dream of the next time we get to visit this remarkable land of beauty.
