Boca de Soledad, Magdalena Bay
Sunrise came at 0644 this morning, but many of us onboard the Sea Bird were already up and waiting to once more board the Zodiacs. This morning was our final opportunity to spend time with the grey whales we had become acquainted with yesterday, and we were not about to pass up this chance! It hardly seemed likely that only just yesterday we experienced our first close encounters with the giant, gentle moms and curious calves. Behaviors only just introduced to us 24 hours ago seemed much more familiar this morning. Young babies rolled off their mothers’ backs, turning over, splashing, and playing while others logged at the surface, allowing us close looks. As the time neared to return to the Sea Bird, one young whale gave some of us a fantastic farewell as it breached less than thirty feet from the Zodiacs!
With our local pilot Alejandro Camacho on board, we weighed anchor, and made way to depart the Boca de Soledad. A farewell party of sorts was had on deck as we transited the narrow, shallow channel known as Hull Canal. Enjoying an al fresco lunch on deck, and ice-cream sundaes for dessert, the afternoon was spent bird watching and relaxing in the sun. Following a siesta, we gathered in the lounge for a presentation on whale vocalizations by Harvard Natural History Museum representative Aniruddh Patel. As the afternoon passed, and the Sea Bird sailed on towards La Entrada, or the mouth of Magdalena Bay, we prepared for tomorrow’s activities in Cabo San Lucas, gearing up with snorkel equipment. Just before the entrance to the Pacific Ocean, we passed buoy #4, a navigational marker doubling as a siesta spot for a few sea lions. It seemed as if everyone was wrapped in the peaceful contentment of an afternoon spent cruising.
Sunrise came at 0644 this morning, but many of us onboard the Sea Bird were already up and waiting to once more board the Zodiacs. This morning was our final opportunity to spend time with the grey whales we had become acquainted with yesterday, and we were not about to pass up this chance! It hardly seemed likely that only just yesterday we experienced our first close encounters with the giant, gentle moms and curious calves. Behaviors only just introduced to us 24 hours ago seemed much more familiar this morning. Young babies rolled off their mothers’ backs, turning over, splashing, and playing while others logged at the surface, allowing us close looks. As the time neared to return to the Sea Bird, one young whale gave some of us a fantastic farewell as it breached less than thirty feet from the Zodiacs!
With our local pilot Alejandro Camacho on board, we weighed anchor, and made way to depart the Boca de Soledad. A farewell party of sorts was had on deck as we transited the narrow, shallow channel known as Hull Canal. Enjoying an al fresco lunch on deck, and ice-cream sundaes for dessert, the afternoon was spent bird watching and relaxing in the sun. Following a siesta, we gathered in the lounge for a presentation on whale vocalizations by Harvard Natural History Museum representative Aniruddh Patel. As the afternoon passed, and the Sea Bird sailed on towards La Entrada, or the mouth of Magdalena Bay, we prepared for tomorrow’s activities in Cabo San Lucas, gearing up with snorkel equipment. Just before the entrance to the Pacific Ocean, we passed buoy #4, a navigational marker doubling as a siesta spot for a few sea lions. It seemed as if everyone was wrapped in the peaceful contentment of an afternoon spent cruising.
