Los Islotes and Espiritu Santo Islands
Wow! That was our awakening this morning. One word to describe an ocean full of Long-beaked dolphins off our bow at dawn. Let’s be succinct. To say the ocean bubbled with dolphins or “we were surrounded” would take the allure, the breathlessness away from the experience. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and over 400 dolphins had us in tow. Our gazes were hypnotized. Where does one focus when the surface of the ocean is burst open by the multitudes? With a warm coffee in hand one just had to be there.
Nearby, Los Islotes, a group of small islets, was our destination after breakfast. Roosting sea lions, Blue-footed and Brown Boobies, soaring frigatebirds, Sally light-foot crabs - an exotica of Baja life awaited us. High up on the cliff face we beheld a most extraordinary sight, a Great blue Heron had made its nest in a Choya cactus! Surely a first. We complimented our Zodiac excursions with snorkeling. In the former, we got terrific looks, sounds and smells of the sea lion rookery. In the later, it’s an opportunity to snorkel in one of the finest areas in the gulf. We were delightfully overwhelmed.
In the afternoon, we had choices; to snorkel again off the sandy beach of Espiritu Santo, kayak in the turquoise waters, go on an inland hike or just go for a monster walk along the distant beach, or do any combination. It was an afternoon of delight for all. It seemed as if the bottom had fallen out of the schedule. Perfect. Just perfect. Then to spoil us even more, a beach barbecue was ‘put on’ by the crew. A feast, a mesquite campfire, a Mexican legend and the rings of Saturn in the telescope. The day ended as it started, filled with memories to be…
Wow! That was our awakening this morning. One word to describe an ocean full of Long-beaked dolphins off our bow at dawn. Let’s be succinct. To say the ocean bubbled with dolphins or “we were surrounded” would take the allure, the breathlessness away from the experience. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and over 400 dolphins had us in tow. Our gazes were hypnotized. Where does one focus when the surface of the ocean is burst open by the multitudes? With a warm coffee in hand one just had to be there.
Nearby, Los Islotes, a group of small islets, was our destination after breakfast. Roosting sea lions, Blue-footed and Brown Boobies, soaring frigatebirds, Sally light-foot crabs - an exotica of Baja life awaited us. High up on the cliff face we beheld a most extraordinary sight, a Great blue Heron had made its nest in a Choya cactus! Surely a first. We complimented our Zodiac excursions with snorkeling. In the former, we got terrific looks, sounds and smells of the sea lion rookery. In the later, it’s an opportunity to snorkel in one of the finest areas in the gulf. We were delightfully overwhelmed.
In the afternoon, we had choices; to snorkel again off the sandy beach of Espiritu Santo, kayak in the turquoise waters, go on an inland hike or just go for a monster walk along the distant beach, or do any combination. It was an afternoon of delight for all. It seemed as if the bottom had fallen out of the schedule. Perfect. Just perfect. Then to spoil us even more, a beach barbecue was ‘put on’ by the crew. A feast, a mesquite campfire, a Mexican legend and the rings of Saturn in the telescope. The day ended as it started, filled with memories to be…
