Cabo San Lucas & Gorda Banks
In Cabo San Lucas, a crowded city, it is possible to see and enjoy a big number of birds and marine invertebrates. Just inside the bay, we snorkeled at Pelican Rock, where a great number of temperate and tropical fish were seen: sergeant majors, balloon fish, wrasses, goatfish. Multi-colored sponges covered parts of the only coral reef in Baja California, and sea-urchins slowly roamed the rocks and fan corals swayed with the currents.
Another group went off to the old town of San Jose del Cabo, the original Spanish center of population in the southern part of the peninsula. Here, one can find better shopping, due to the big number of art galleries. Others went walking along the “Estero,” the only real river in the entire peninsula. Besides the very abundant local plants, a great number of birds were seen, especially the waders: stilts, rails, ducks, herons and egrets. Also a variety of larger birds such as ospreys, turkey vultures and kestrels.
During the afternoon, we sailed off into the Gulf of California (or Sea of Cortes) and were especially attentive for the presence of humpbacks whales, which are common in the area of Gorda Banks. Yes, we found quite a few pairs of these beautiful mammals, and followed them for quite a while, enjoying their antics as well as their underwater song. Shortly thereafter, we encountered a very large group of common dolphins, some of which insisted on bow-riding the Sea Bird!
In Cabo San Lucas, a crowded city, it is possible to see and enjoy a big number of birds and marine invertebrates. Just inside the bay, we snorkeled at Pelican Rock, where a great number of temperate and tropical fish were seen: sergeant majors, balloon fish, wrasses, goatfish. Multi-colored sponges covered parts of the only coral reef in Baja California, and sea-urchins slowly roamed the rocks and fan corals swayed with the currents.
Another group went off to the old town of San Jose del Cabo, the original Spanish center of population in the southern part of the peninsula. Here, one can find better shopping, due to the big number of art galleries. Others went walking along the “Estero,” the only real river in the entire peninsula. Besides the very abundant local plants, a great number of birds were seen, especially the waders: stilts, rails, ducks, herons and egrets. Also a variety of larger birds such as ospreys, turkey vultures and kestrels.
During the afternoon, we sailed off into the Gulf of California (or Sea of Cortes) and were especially attentive for the presence of humpbacks whales, which are common in the area of Gorda Banks. Yes, we found quite a few pairs of these beautiful mammals, and followed them for quite a while, enjoying their antics as well as their underwater song. Shortly thereafter, we encountered a very large group of common dolphins, some of which insisted on bow-riding the Sea Bird!
