Bahía Magdalena and Hull Canal
What a fantastic day of exploration! Our morning destination was Isla Magdalena, a barrier island made of wind-blown sand. As we hiked across the magnificent crescent-shaped dunes we were surrounded by endless vistas of immense natural beauty. We could hear the roar of the Pacific Ocean as we hiked across a narrow region of the island, and when we arrived at the other side, we were rewarded by a stunning, spectacular landscape that stretched for several miles to the north and south. Signs of life among the dunes were everywhere. It was such fun to look for tracks of coyote, hermit crabs, lizards, and tiny mice among the lovely blooming sand verbena, sea purselane, and loco weed. When it was time to leave the beach, we wanted to stay. “Why can’t we just eat our lunch here on the beach?” we asked.
We quickly realized that we had more wonders of nature to experience. Our adventure continued throughout the day as we cruised north in Hull Canal, surrounded by the rich mangrove lagoons that are critical habitat to the thousands of shorebirds that migrate along the Pacific Flyway to spend their winter feeding along the sandy beaches in Baja California. The beautiful weather was an extra bonus as we cruised the narrow waterway and were treated to some of the best birding ever; flocks of whimbrels, long-billed curlews, and marbled godwits flowed past in unison in pursuit of prey exposed on the beaches during low tide. As we proceeded north past the Devil’s Elbow, we entered La Florida, a gray whale nursery, and it was here we all saw the female gray whales with their calves. To our delight, we were so surprised to see a calf practicing breaching several times near the ship. Not bad for a calf, we all thought. Suddenly, a trio of adults emerged right next to the ship in some courtship frolicking. More whales could be seen in the distance at the entrance to Boca de Soledad and as we settled into the comfort of our cabins for the night, we wondered what tomorrow will bring…
What a fantastic day of exploration! Our morning destination was Isla Magdalena, a barrier island made of wind-blown sand. As we hiked across the magnificent crescent-shaped dunes we were surrounded by endless vistas of immense natural beauty. We could hear the roar of the Pacific Ocean as we hiked across a narrow region of the island, and when we arrived at the other side, we were rewarded by a stunning, spectacular landscape that stretched for several miles to the north and south. Signs of life among the dunes were everywhere. It was such fun to look for tracks of coyote, hermit crabs, lizards, and tiny mice among the lovely blooming sand verbena, sea purselane, and loco weed. When it was time to leave the beach, we wanted to stay. “Why can’t we just eat our lunch here on the beach?” we asked.
We quickly realized that we had more wonders of nature to experience. Our adventure continued throughout the day as we cruised north in Hull Canal, surrounded by the rich mangrove lagoons that are critical habitat to the thousands of shorebirds that migrate along the Pacific Flyway to spend their winter feeding along the sandy beaches in Baja California. The beautiful weather was an extra bonus as we cruised the narrow waterway and were treated to some of the best birding ever; flocks of whimbrels, long-billed curlews, and marbled godwits flowed past in unison in pursuit of prey exposed on the beaches during low tide. As we proceeded north past the Devil’s Elbow, we entered La Florida, a gray whale nursery, and it was here we all saw the female gray whales with their calves. To our delight, we were so surprised to see a calf practicing breaching several times near the ship. Not bad for a calf, we all thought. Suddenly, a trio of adults emerged right next to the ship in some courtship frolicking. More whales could be seen in the distance at the entrance to Boca de Soledad and as we settled into the comfort of our cabins for the night, we wondered what tomorrow will bring…
