Los Islotes and Bonanza Bay
Sunrise found the Sea Bird sailing south towards Los Islotes, where a small colony of California sea lions thrives. The bright morning light painted with warm tones the guano-covered islets, making a spectacular photo-opportunity that many among us took. Soon enough, the barking, coughing and other noises made by the sea lions were clearly audible from the ship, as we anchored just off the southern side of the colony. Immediately after breakfast, we boarded our Zodiacs and cruised around, learning about the biology of the conspicuous sea lions and the many sea birds around; blue-footed and brown boobies, frigate birds, yellow-footed gulls and even a couple peregrine falcons contributed to the lively appearance of the place. After a little while, the number of photographs taken by all of us was possibly well above four figures (may the Lord bless digital cameras!), and we treasured the chance to witness many different aspects of the life of such marvelous creatures. However, in order to fully appreciate a sea lion’s life, many of us went snorkeling; the underwater grace, speed and maneuverability of the sea lions impressed us all and made us feel clumsy and slow. We also admired the abundance and diversity of fish, as large schools of scissor-tailed damselfishes and sergeant majors greeted us at the surface, while numerous Mexican goatfishes, blue and gold snappers or king angelfishes swam a bit deeper like in the above picture.
Later on, we reached beautiful Bonanza Bay, located on the southeastern side of Espíritu Santo Island. We brave explorers divided into several groups and went hiking, exploring or beach combing, having the opportunity to see up-close and personal evidences of the geological past of Baja California at the section of the La Paz fault located there; we learned about the adaptations that allow desert plants to thrive in a most demanding environment and some even saw the black jackrabbit, endemic to the island. As the sun slowly set behind the peninsula, we felt privileged and grateful for having had the chance to enjoy another beautiful day in the Sea of Cortez.
Sunrise found the Sea Bird sailing south towards Los Islotes, where a small colony of California sea lions thrives. The bright morning light painted with warm tones the guano-covered islets, making a spectacular photo-opportunity that many among us took. Soon enough, the barking, coughing and other noises made by the sea lions were clearly audible from the ship, as we anchored just off the southern side of the colony. Immediately after breakfast, we boarded our Zodiacs and cruised around, learning about the biology of the conspicuous sea lions and the many sea birds around; blue-footed and brown boobies, frigate birds, yellow-footed gulls and even a couple peregrine falcons contributed to the lively appearance of the place. After a little while, the number of photographs taken by all of us was possibly well above four figures (may the Lord bless digital cameras!), and we treasured the chance to witness many different aspects of the life of such marvelous creatures. However, in order to fully appreciate a sea lion’s life, many of us went snorkeling; the underwater grace, speed and maneuverability of the sea lions impressed us all and made us feel clumsy and slow. We also admired the abundance and diversity of fish, as large schools of scissor-tailed damselfishes and sergeant majors greeted us at the surface, while numerous Mexican goatfishes, blue and gold snappers or king angelfishes swam a bit deeper like in the above picture.
Later on, we reached beautiful Bonanza Bay, located on the southeastern side of Espíritu Santo Island. We brave explorers divided into several groups and went hiking, exploring or beach combing, having the opportunity to see up-close and personal evidences of the geological past of Baja California at the section of the La Paz fault located there; we learned about the adaptations that allow desert plants to thrive in a most demanding environment and some even saw the black jackrabbit, endemic to the island. As the sun slowly set behind the peninsula, we felt privileged and grateful for having had the chance to enjoy another beautiful day in the Sea of Cortez.
