Whale Sharks and Los Islotes
Just after breakfast, we dropped the Zodiacs in Bahia de La Paz. A single-engine plane buzzed overhead, radioing information back to the ship. We waited anxiously on the aft 200 deck, a little unsure of our morning’s activity. The MV Sea Bird embraced the spirit of exploratory travel as it prepared its fleet of Zodiacs for its first-ever pursuit of the largest fish in the world, the whale shark.
Though whale sharks visit these waters regularly during the summer months, they typically have left the region by now; however, last year, locals spotted small numbers of these magnificent fish who remained in the area in December and January. As the Sea Bird reached Baja California, we made some inquiries and found that the sharks were again wintering here. We contacted a local dive company and hired a spotter plane to pinpoint their location. Soon, we were out in the Zodiacs, cruising amongst three of these exquisite, docile creatures. They glided through the water, swimming at the surface to grant us ample opportunity to take photos and marvel at their beauty. Whale sharks can measure up to 40 or 55 feet long; we presumed our three today to be juveniles, with the smallest at approx. 15 feet, and the largest at 25 feet. Their size alone is the only possible intimidating feature of these sharks; their square heads are softened by small, gentle eyes, and a huge gummy smile. White spots decorate their light brown skin in such unique and striking patterns that one could mistake them for aboriginal designs. As we looked down on them from our small boats, our Undersea Specialist, Carlos Navarro, dove in and recorded his water-level perspective to share with us during the evening’s recap. Through his eyes, we saw the sharks feeding, engulfing gallons of plankton-filled water, and extruding the excess through their gills.
In the afternoon, we headed to Los Islotes, a small islet to the north of Isla Espirtu Santo and Isla Partida. The white-covered rocks disclose the presence of a number of the island’s avian inhabitants: blue-footed boobies, brown boobies, magnificent frigatebirds and turkey vultures. We took Zodiac cruises in order to get closer to these birds, and a number of sea lions who also call Los Islotes home. After our cruises, many of us donned wetsuits, snorkels and flippers to join the playful sea lions in the water. They swam right up to us, somersaulted about, and darted past. They wrestled with the anchor line and nibbled on our flippers, keeping us entertained the entire time. Reluctantly, we left them, returning to the ship, abuzz with the excitement of today’s activities.
Just after breakfast, we dropped the Zodiacs in Bahia de La Paz. A single-engine plane buzzed overhead, radioing information back to the ship. We waited anxiously on the aft 200 deck, a little unsure of our morning’s activity. The MV Sea Bird embraced the spirit of exploratory travel as it prepared its fleet of Zodiacs for its first-ever pursuit of the largest fish in the world, the whale shark.
Though whale sharks visit these waters regularly during the summer months, they typically have left the region by now; however, last year, locals spotted small numbers of these magnificent fish who remained in the area in December and January. As the Sea Bird reached Baja California, we made some inquiries and found that the sharks were again wintering here. We contacted a local dive company and hired a spotter plane to pinpoint their location. Soon, we were out in the Zodiacs, cruising amongst three of these exquisite, docile creatures. They glided through the water, swimming at the surface to grant us ample opportunity to take photos and marvel at their beauty. Whale sharks can measure up to 40 or 55 feet long; we presumed our three today to be juveniles, with the smallest at approx. 15 feet, and the largest at 25 feet. Their size alone is the only possible intimidating feature of these sharks; their square heads are softened by small, gentle eyes, and a huge gummy smile. White spots decorate their light brown skin in such unique and striking patterns that one could mistake them for aboriginal designs. As we looked down on them from our small boats, our Undersea Specialist, Carlos Navarro, dove in and recorded his water-level perspective to share with us during the evening’s recap. Through his eyes, we saw the sharks feeding, engulfing gallons of plankton-filled water, and extruding the excess through their gills.
In the afternoon, we headed to Los Islotes, a small islet to the north of Isla Espirtu Santo and Isla Partida. The white-covered rocks disclose the presence of a number of the island’s avian inhabitants: blue-footed boobies, brown boobies, magnificent frigatebirds and turkey vultures. We took Zodiac cruises in order to get closer to these birds, and a number of sea lions who also call Los Islotes home. After our cruises, many of us donned wetsuits, snorkels and flippers to join the playful sea lions in the water. They swam right up to us, somersaulted about, and darted past. They wrestled with the anchor line and nibbled on our flippers, keeping us entertained the entire time. Reluctantly, we left them, returning to the ship, abuzz with the excitement of today’s activities.
