Los Islotes
On our first day at sea, a gentle 5:30am wake-up call roused us for a 6am sunrise Zodiac exploration of Los Islotes. Outside our cabins the barking of sea lions could be heard drifting across the water in the dark. Los Islotes, a red rock islet frosted with bird guano, is host to nesting brown and blue-footed boobies, yellow-footed gulls, and at least one great blue heron. The islet is also home to approximately 300 California sea lions. After the Zodiac ride, the intrepid snorkelers were rewarded with dazzling views of sea lions zooming playfully through the waters around them.
While we were in the lee of Los Islotes we could see the seas had been building around us, with wind out of the north, and the day’s plans had been evolving to accommodate the changing weather. But all plans were dramatically altered when a distress call was heard by the ship’s bridge on the marine radio at 10:50am. A kayaker radioed that he had been rolled by a wave in the rough seas, that his kayak was swamped, and he was adrift far from shore. Fortunately the kayaker was well equipped, remained calm, and was able to radio us his GPS coordinates, which indicated his position approximately 6 miles northwest of our ship. Captain Kay dispatched two Zodiacs to begin the search as they could get there faster and would be needed to pull the kayaker from the seas. All guests were invited to the deck of the Sea Bird to help with the search for the swamped white kayak. The Zodiacs ran crosswise patterns, combing the area in 10 to 12 foot seas. As the kayaker drifted, he kept radioing new coordinates, while our 2nd mate, Shawn, plotted the location on the chart and reported the change in heading to Captain Kay. The bridge was lined with officers, crew and staff, all armed with binoculars, keeping a diligent watch trying to catch sight of the lost kayaker. Finally, almost two hours after the initial distress call, the kayaker radioed that he had spotted the Sea Bird and was able to help direct the ship towards him. Not too much later, much to the relief of us all, our 3rd Mate, Andrea, spotted the kayaker with his paddle in the air and the Captain was able to direct the Zodiacs to him. By the time the first Zodiac pulled him in at 1:00pm, the fellow was hypothermic and very, very grateful. The second Zodiac hauled in his kayak and headed back to the ship.
While we were relieved to have completed this rescue, the Zodiac drivers, Captain and crew still had to negotiate the complicated act of safely retrieving our Zodiac crews and plucking the boats from the rough seas (see photo). Many of us watched in awe as the drivers deftly maneuvered into position, jumped from the Zodiacs and scrambled along the rub rail, as the Zodiacs were lifted, swinging with the rolling ship, to the Lido deck high above. Kudos to our Captain and crew for a job well done!
We turned downwind and headed south to give everyone a break from the rough seas and an afternoon on terra firma. We headed to the southwestern end of the island of Espiritu Santo for a landing on the beach at Punta Dispensa. It was great to get ashore and stretch our legs. Photographers spread across the desert, finding a variety of interesting subjects including the stunning bright yellow blooms of the agave (century) plant. Many of us were delighted to get a decent look at the endemic black jackrabbit, although for some, it was just the south end headed north.
It was quite a full and exciting day. We’re looking forward to sailing north tomorrow.
On our first day at sea, a gentle 5:30am wake-up call roused us for a 6am sunrise Zodiac exploration of Los Islotes. Outside our cabins the barking of sea lions could be heard drifting across the water in the dark. Los Islotes, a red rock islet frosted with bird guano, is host to nesting brown and blue-footed boobies, yellow-footed gulls, and at least one great blue heron. The islet is also home to approximately 300 California sea lions. After the Zodiac ride, the intrepid snorkelers were rewarded with dazzling views of sea lions zooming playfully through the waters around them.
While we were in the lee of Los Islotes we could see the seas had been building around us, with wind out of the north, and the day’s plans had been evolving to accommodate the changing weather. But all plans were dramatically altered when a distress call was heard by the ship’s bridge on the marine radio at 10:50am. A kayaker radioed that he had been rolled by a wave in the rough seas, that his kayak was swamped, and he was adrift far from shore. Fortunately the kayaker was well equipped, remained calm, and was able to radio us his GPS coordinates, which indicated his position approximately 6 miles northwest of our ship. Captain Kay dispatched two Zodiacs to begin the search as they could get there faster and would be needed to pull the kayaker from the seas. All guests were invited to the deck of the Sea Bird to help with the search for the swamped white kayak. The Zodiacs ran crosswise patterns, combing the area in 10 to 12 foot seas. As the kayaker drifted, he kept radioing new coordinates, while our 2nd mate, Shawn, plotted the location on the chart and reported the change in heading to Captain Kay. The bridge was lined with officers, crew and staff, all armed with binoculars, keeping a diligent watch trying to catch sight of the lost kayaker. Finally, almost two hours after the initial distress call, the kayaker radioed that he had spotted the Sea Bird and was able to help direct the ship towards him. Not too much later, much to the relief of us all, our 3rd Mate, Andrea, spotted the kayaker with his paddle in the air and the Captain was able to direct the Zodiacs to him. By the time the first Zodiac pulled him in at 1:00pm, the fellow was hypothermic and very, very grateful. The second Zodiac hauled in his kayak and headed back to the ship.
While we were relieved to have completed this rescue, the Zodiac drivers, Captain and crew still had to negotiate the complicated act of safely retrieving our Zodiac crews and plucking the boats from the rough seas (see photo). Many of us watched in awe as the drivers deftly maneuvered into position, jumped from the Zodiacs and scrambled along the rub rail, as the Zodiacs were lifted, swinging with the rolling ship, to the Lido deck high above. Kudos to our Captain and crew for a job well done!
We turned downwind and headed south to give everyone a break from the rough seas and an afternoon on terra firma. We headed to the southwestern end of the island of Espiritu Santo for a landing on the beach at Punta Dispensa. It was great to get ashore and stretch our legs. Photographers spread across the desert, finding a variety of interesting subjects including the stunning bright yellow blooms of the agave (century) plant. Many of us were delighted to get a decent look at the endemic black jackrabbit, although for some, it was just the south end headed north.
It was quite a full and exciting day. We’re looking forward to sailing north tomorrow.
