Plan A was scrapped before we awoke. 40 knot gusts sent us towards Isla Tiburon, the largest island in the Gulf of California and in all of Mexico. As we sailed towards the leeward side, we saw hundreds of sea birds in a feeding frenzy; Brown and blue-footed boobies, Heermann’s gulls, and brown pelicans. We were able to find a good lee on the southern end at Bahia Perros.
There we had a variety of walks. A group of long walkers sat very quietly on the ground as Carlos blew his “wounded rabbit” call hoping to attract a coyote. While the coyote never did reveal itself, we were happy to have a peregrine falcon swoop overhead. A few were lucky enough to have fleeting glimpses of a jackrabbit. The plants on Isla Tiburon are the same as those found on mainland Mexico, yet different from what we have seen on the Baja California Peninsula. The peeling bark of the Acacia is similar to the that of the torote (false elephant tree), yet this is an entirely different plant. Instead of the palo adan, we see the closely related ocotillo. In this area, we see both of the towering cactus species -- saguaro and cardon cactus. One saguaro we found was covered with white, the telltale signs of a bird roost. We found the remains of a porgy fish, surely the results of an osprey. All the walkers had a good time. The kids onboard played in the tide pools. Guests were able to see many sun-bleached bones along the shoreline. Just before we left the shore, an intrepid swimmer found that the shallow, sandy waters were littered with live sand dollars, maroon in color.
When we returned to the ship, Stewart gave us a very interesting talk on the “Desert and Life Zones” complete with live illustrations and lots of interesting facts.
We sailed from the lee of Isla Tiburon and made our way south towards Isla San Pedro Martir. We sought shelter from the wind and seas on the south side of the island. There we enjoyed listening to the sounds of barking and the acrobatic jumps of sea lions. We had wonderful views of a plethora of sea birds – pelicans, tropicbirds, blue-footed and brown boobies – all viewed with the backdrop of this guano incrusted island.
This evening we all enjoyed sharing photos at the group slide show preceding the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party. There, Captain Kalbach began his farewell comments with, “We all love cetaceans...”
Thank you all for a wonderful voyage.
There we had a variety of walks. A group of long walkers sat very quietly on the ground as Carlos blew his “wounded rabbit” call hoping to attract a coyote. While the coyote never did reveal itself, we were happy to have a peregrine falcon swoop overhead. A few were lucky enough to have fleeting glimpses of a jackrabbit. The plants on Isla Tiburon are the same as those found on mainland Mexico, yet different from what we have seen on the Baja California Peninsula. The peeling bark of the Acacia is similar to the that of the torote (false elephant tree), yet this is an entirely different plant. Instead of the palo adan, we see the closely related ocotillo. In this area, we see both of the towering cactus species -- saguaro and cardon cactus. One saguaro we found was covered with white, the telltale signs of a bird roost. We found the remains of a porgy fish, surely the results of an osprey. All the walkers had a good time. The kids onboard played in the tide pools. Guests were able to see many sun-bleached bones along the shoreline. Just before we left the shore, an intrepid swimmer found that the shallow, sandy waters were littered with live sand dollars, maroon in color.
When we returned to the ship, Stewart gave us a very interesting talk on the “Desert and Life Zones” complete with live illustrations and lots of interesting facts.
We sailed from the lee of Isla Tiburon and made our way south towards Isla San Pedro Martir. We sought shelter from the wind and seas on the south side of the island. There we enjoyed listening to the sounds of barking and the acrobatic jumps of sea lions. We had wonderful views of a plethora of sea birds – pelicans, tropicbirds, blue-footed and brown boobies – all viewed with the backdrop of this guano incrusted island.
This evening we all enjoyed sharing photos at the group slide show preceding the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party. There, Captain Kalbach began his farewell comments with, “We all love cetaceans...”
Thank you all for a wonderful voyage.
