Cabo San Lucas, Baja California
For some of us, it can be a struggle to get up early enough in the morning for sunrise. However, the effort will always be rewarded. The fleeting golden glow of sunrise bathing the rocks of Land’s End was the reward for our early risers this morning. It was a sight well worth getting up a little bit earlier for.
We looked forward to our morning excursion options; snorkeling the rocky shoreline at Los Chileanos beach, exploring the quiet plaza of San Jose del Cabo, birding along its estuary, or an independent study of the “wild life” of Cabo San Lucas.
With an assortment of teals, gadwalls, stilts, shovelers and soras to view, the birding participants came back ecstatic. While these may seem like odd names to the uninitiated birder, they translate to an enjoyable morning of colorful and diverse feathered sightings.
While the first reaction of the snorkelers was one of breathless wonder (this water is cold!) they were soon warmed into excitement with the discovery of a shy little octopus, trying to make itself very, very small. We decided to look for a “fish of the day”—a target species for the snorkelers to find. Our choice, the ornamented Moorish idol, was elusive at first, but with a little more paddling and patience it was found. A feathered swimmer crashed the snorkel party. Propelled with strong strokes of its webbed feet, a double-crested cormorant joined snorkelers and probed among the rocks and crevices looking for a tasty fish morsel with its long hooked beak. No wetsuit, mask or snorkel needed for this bird!
While we navigated towards Gorda Banks, naturalist William Lopez-Forment arranged a colorful display of chili peppers in the lounge. Included were poblanos, jalapeno, manzano, ancho and the modern day ancestor of all chilies, the pea sized chiltepin. We had the opportunity to do a little chili tasting as well in the form of Moonstruck dark chocolate with chile variado.
Blows were scattered across the horizon ahead of us. As these animals came to the surface for a breath, they gave us a little more information as to their identity. An assortment of whale parts poked teasingly out of the water. We saw a brief glimpse of the distinctive dorsal fin of a humpback whale. Next, the tip of a fluke and then the grand fingerprint itself, a slow-motion look at the underside flukes as the whale arched its back, lifted its flukes to the sky and slipped underwater and out of sight.
The experiences of the day were diverse and rewarding. With the satisfying warmth of the sun on our faces, we looked north towards the Gulf of California, contemplating our adventures for tomorrow as we left the Pacific behind us. Will it be a struggle for the sleepyheads to get up for sunrise tomorrow? Maybe, but it will undoubtedly be an effort rewarded.
For some of us, it can be a struggle to get up early enough in the morning for sunrise. However, the effort will always be rewarded. The fleeting golden glow of sunrise bathing the rocks of Land’s End was the reward for our early risers this morning. It was a sight well worth getting up a little bit earlier for.
We looked forward to our morning excursion options; snorkeling the rocky shoreline at Los Chileanos beach, exploring the quiet plaza of San Jose del Cabo, birding along its estuary, or an independent study of the “wild life” of Cabo San Lucas.
With an assortment of teals, gadwalls, stilts, shovelers and soras to view, the birding participants came back ecstatic. While these may seem like odd names to the uninitiated birder, they translate to an enjoyable morning of colorful and diverse feathered sightings.
While the first reaction of the snorkelers was one of breathless wonder (this water is cold!) they were soon warmed into excitement with the discovery of a shy little octopus, trying to make itself very, very small. We decided to look for a “fish of the day”—a target species for the snorkelers to find. Our choice, the ornamented Moorish idol, was elusive at first, but with a little more paddling and patience it was found. A feathered swimmer crashed the snorkel party. Propelled with strong strokes of its webbed feet, a double-crested cormorant joined snorkelers and probed among the rocks and crevices looking for a tasty fish morsel with its long hooked beak. No wetsuit, mask or snorkel needed for this bird!
While we navigated towards Gorda Banks, naturalist William Lopez-Forment arranged a colorful display of chili peppers in the lounge. Included were poblanos, jalapeno, manzano, ancho and the modern day ancestor of all chilies, the pea sized chiltepin. We had the opportunity to do a little chili tasting as well in the form of Moonstruck dark chocolate with chile variado.
Blows were scattered across the horizon ahead of us. As these animals came to the surface for a breath, they gave us a little more information as to their identity. An assortment of whale parts poked teasingly out of the water. We saw a brief glimpse of the distinctive dorsal fin of a humpback whale. Next, the tip of a fluke and then the grand fingerprint itself, a slow-motion look at the underside flukes as the whale arched its back, lifted its flukes to the sky and slipped underwater and out of sight.
The experiences of the day were diverse and rewarding. With the satisfying warmth of the sun on our faces, we looked north towards the Gulf of California, contemplating our adventures for tomorrow as we left the Pacific behind us. Will it be a struggle for the sleepyheads to get up for sunrise tomorrow? Maybe, but it will undoubtedly be an effort rewarded.
