Isla San Francisco & San Jose Channel
In the early morning we lifted anchor and headed north toward Isla San Francisco. Yesterday’s winds had subsided, and there was only a bit of residual swell. Along the way we passed a young humpback whale, a group of dolphins, and a Bryde’s whale that surfaced unexpectedly right off our bow. By midmorning we pulled into the protected harbor of Half Moon Bay at Isla San Francisco. The turquoise waters of this shallow bay are rimmed by a great, arcing, white sand beach. Here we ventured ashore for hikes into the desert, as well as beach-combing, kayaking and swimming. It was a hot sunny day onshore, and we all enjoyed basking in the warmth of the Baja sun. Back onboard we enjoyed a lunch served on the ship’s upper deck before getting underway and sailing northward in San Jose Channel. By mid afternoon we encountered a large group of hundreds of long-beaked common dolphins. There were many small calves seen swimming alongside their mothers, while other older animals leapt into the air jubilantly. Farther along, we sighted a Bryde’s whale that confounded us with its erratic movements. We decided to continue our search for other marine life. Shortly before sunset we found another great gathering of common dolphins, seabirds and even a couple of whales. As the sun was dropping low over the mountains of the Baja peninsula, we watched the silhouettes of pelicans soaring over innumerable leaping dolphins. Now and then, a Bryde’s whale would surface unexpectedly between us and the dolphins, and then submerge again as quickly. A brilliant yellow sun dipped below the jagged ridges of the mountains to our west, and eventually we watched the dolphins swimming away into distant waters mirroring the colorful evening sky (photo).
In the early morning we lifted anchor and headed north toward Isla San Francisco. Yesterday’s winds had subsided, and there was only a bit of residual swell. Along the way we passed a young humpback whale, a group of dolphins, and a Bryde’s whale that surfaced unexpectedly right off our bow. By midmorning we pulled into the protected harbor of Half Moon Bay at Isla San Francisco. The turquoise waters of this shallow bay are rimmed by a great, arcing, white sand beach. Here we ventured ashore for hikes into the desert, as well as beach-combing, kayaking and swimming. It was a hot sunny day onshore, and we all enjoyed basking in the warmth of the Baja sun. Back onboard we enjoyed a lunch served on the ship’s upper deck before getting underway and sailing northward in San Jose Channel. By mid afternoon we encountered a large group of hundreds of long-beaked common dolphins. There were many small calves seen swimming alongside their mothers, while other older animals leapt into the air jubilantly. Farther along, we sighted a Bryde’s whale that confounded us with its erratic movements. We decided to continue our search for other marine life. Shortly before sunset we found another great gathering of common dolphins, seabirds and even a couple of whales. As the sun was dropping low over the mountains of the Baja peninsula, we watched the silhouettes of pelicans soaring over innumerable leaping dolphins. Now and then, a Bryde’s whale would surface unexpectedly between us and the dolphins, and then submerge again as quickly. A brilliant yellow sun dipped below the jagged ridges of the mountains to our west, and eventually we watched the dolphins swimming away into distant waters mirroring the colorful evening sky (photo).