Isla Danzante, Baja California
Nine pelicans glided with their wings within a millimeter of the surface of smooth blue water. We were surrounded by jagged raw cliffs of volcanic beauty, Isla Danzante in the east and the fault scarp of the Sierra Giganta to the west cradled us in the heart of Baja California. The red light of dawn danced through this backdrop in the morning; the sun baked it during the day, and cool air tiptoed through the cliffs into the evening. Despite the sheer cliffs of Isla Danzante’s narrow ridge, there is a trail that winds its way to the crest. More than half of our guests were rewarded by the view you see in the photograph above. The foreground with the arch is on Isla Danzante, and the ridge in the distance is the southwest end of Isla del Carmen. All the rocks that we saw were formed after twelve million years of violent volcanic activity. It is hard to imagine that up until 12 million years ago, these skies were often filled with hot falling ash, and the hillsides sometimes were covered by glowing avalanches of debris. We hiked in and looked upon that geologic history. Other guests explored a trail that wound between Sonoran desert plants. Perhaps the most memorable were spiny columns of senita, galloping, and organ pipe cactus that poked skyward between palo blanco trees intermixed with the fragrant torote colorado.
After lunch the crew pulled out the toys. Some guests kayaked along the island’s shoreline and found freedom in the sound of water slapping against the hull. Snorkeling was another option we dove into. King and Cortez angelfish, giant damsels and sergeant majors paraded back and forth. A school of halfbeaks floated listlessly near the surface. Porcupine fish stared blankly at us, while Cortez rainbow wrasses busily swam around with agendas only they could appreciate. Near the end of the day, three bottlenose dolphins surfaced near a retuning Zodiac. Oh, to be a dolphin for a day, to race along out of sight then suddenly with a slight flipper movement, appear and thrill all that see them.
Nine pelicans glided with their wings within a millimeter of the surface of smooth blue water. We were surrounded by jagged raw cliffs of volcanic beauty, Isla Danzante in the east and the fault scarp of the Sierra Giganta to the west cradled us in the heart of Baja California. The red light of dawn danced through this backdrop in the morning; the sun baked it during the day, and cool air tiptoed through the cliffs into the evening. Despite the sheer cliffs of Isla Danzante’s narrow ridge, there is a trail that winds its way to the crest. More than half of our guests were rewarded by the view you see in the photograph above. The foreground with the arch is on Isla Danzante, and the ridge in the distance is the southwest end of Isla del Carmen. All the rocks that we saw were formed after twelve million years of violent volcanic activity. It is hard to imagine that up until 12 million years ago, these skies were often filled with hot falling ash, and the hillsides sometimes were covered by glowing avalanches of debris. We hiked in and looked upon that geologic history. Other guests explored a trail that wound between Sonoran desert plants. Perhaps the most memorable were spiny columns of senita, galloping, and organ pipe cactus that poked skyward between palo blanco trees intermixed with the fragrant torote colorado.
After lunch the crew pulled out the toys. Some guests kayaked along the island’s shoreline and found freedom in the sound of water slapping against the hull. Snorkeling was another option we dove into. King and Cortez angelfish, giant damsels and sergeant majors paraded back and forth. A school of halfbeaks floated listlessly near the surface. Porcupine fish stared blankly at us, while Cortez rainbow wrasses busily swam around with agendas only they could appreciate. Near the end of the day, three bottlenose dolphins surfaced near a retuning Zodiac. Oh, to be a dolphin for a day, to race along out of sight then suddenly with a slight flipper movement, appear and thrill all that see them.
