Sea of Cortez, Baja California Sur
We spent the first night of our voyage aboard the Sea Bird steaming north out of La Paz. Our goal – the south end of Isla Carmen, an area known for the plankton blooms that stain the azure waters with long, swirling swaths of crimson that gave rise to the nickname “The Vermillion Sea.” These plankton blooms attract one of the most incredible creatures ever to inhabit our planet – the blue whale.
We started our morning watching a dramatic moonset over the Sierra de la Giganta – the Mountain Range of the Giantess – as we searched for marine life. Just as the last edge of the full moon was disappearing behind the jagged peaks, we spotted a fin whale. What luck! We spent some time observing this animal dive and surface before moving on to investigate a large grouping of seabirds and hundreds of common dolphins that we saw in the distance. We enjoyed the playful company of the dolphins as they rode our bow wake and we learned about the magnificent frigate birds, the endemic Heermann’s gulls, the brown boobies, brown pelicans and other species as we watched them whirl and chase each other over our heads.
Then, it happened! A tall columnar blow on the horizon and the long, silvery sheen of a blue-gray back as it glided through the water. It was a blue whale – the largest animal ever to live on earth! We quickly engaged the engines and maneuvered the vessel toward where we thought it might appear next. 15 minutes later, the whale resurfaced 50 yards off our port bow and not only that, but it treated us to a great view of its powerful tail stock as it did its terminal dive. Blue whales only show their flukes approximately 15 percent of the time when diving, so this was a real treat! What made it even more special was that it repeated the show for us a few more times, giving everyone a great look. Who could ask for a better start to our expedition?
We spent the first night of our voyage aboard the Sea Bird steaming north out of La Paz. Our goal – the south end of Isla Carmen, an area known for the plankton blooms that stain the azure waters with long, swirling swaths of crimson that gave rise to the nickname “The Vermillion Sea.” These plankton blooms attract one of the most incredible creatures ever to inhabit our planet – the blue whale.
We started our morning watching a dramatic moonset over the Sierra de la Giganta – the Mountain Range of the Giantess – as we searched for marine life. Just as the last edge of the full moon was disappearing behind the jagged peaks, we spotted a fin whale. What luck! We spent some time observing this animal dive and surface before moving on to investigate a large grouping of seabirds and hundreds of common dolphins that we saw in the distance. We enjoyed the playful company of the dolphins as they rode our bow wake and we learned about the magnificent frigate birds, the endemic Heermann’s gulls, the brown boobies, brown pelicans and other species as we watched them whirl and chase each other over our heads.
Then, it happened! A tall columnar blow on the horizon and the long, silvery sheen of a blue-gray back as it glided through the water. It was a blue whale – the largest animal ever to live on earth! We quickly engaged the engines and maneuvered the vessel toward where we thought it might appear next. 15 minutes later, the whale resurfaced 50 yards off our port bow and not only that, but it treated us to a great view of its powerful tail stock as it did its terminal dive. Blue whales only show their flukes approximately 15 percent of the time when diving, so this was a real treat! What made it even more special was that it repeated the show for us a few more times, giving everyone a great look. Who could ask for a better start to our expedition?
