Bonanza Bay and Los Islotes
A beautiful blue sky, a bright sun and a calm sea were the perfect frame for the first day of our voyage this morning as we sailed from La Paz to the southeastern corner of Espiritu Santo Island across the San Lorenzo Channel. As the first introduction to this beautiful part of northwestern Mexico, we observed the volcanic character of both the peninsula and portions of the island. Impressive pink, red and orange colored rock formations made of layers of ash and volcanic tuff were seen from the ship. The sharp silhouette of the entirely granite-made Cerralvo island in the distance was also sighted.
During the first part of the gorgeous morning, we conducted the mandatory abandon ship drill, attended briefings and collected snorkeling gear. Then we anchored at Bonanza Bay and hiked for an hour for a first glance at the Sonoran desert. Cardon, copal, jojoba, organ pipe cactus, galloping cactus, palo San Juan and agaves were among the most interesting plants found along a narrow arroyo. Some birds, including white-winged doves and mocking birds, were also seen. The second part of the morning was spent with a refreshing snorkel and swimming time, watching the interesting fish and invertebrate species living on the rocky reefs.
Later, we moved to the afternoon destination. Along the way, though, we encountered a couple of blue whales, one moving slowly and one cruising very fast. Both animals showed the beautiful blue-gray coloration (from which the species got the name), the impressive size, and the diminutive dorsal fin. In a very predictable way, both individuals showed themselves every ten to twelve minutes, just to breathe several times and disappear again. We left the blue whales, and the Sea Bird arrived shortly to Los Islotes, a small but interesting islet with a permanently-living colony of 400 to 600 California sea lions. There we had the opportunity to cruise on Zodiac boats and observe these fascinating animals in their natural habitat. Many came around our boats, but most of them just didn’t pay attention to us. Big males, pregnant females, playful yearlings and sub-adults were everywhere displaying their varied behavior, ranging from sunbathing to serious fights. Some time later our guests and staff snorkeled among the sea lions. This gave us the opportunity of closer encounters with these funny animals as some were very playful and swimming and diving around us. This day was regarded as the perfect beginning of our adventure.
A beautiful blue sky, a bright sun and a calm sea were the perfect frame for the first day of our voyage this morning as we sailed from La Paz to the southeastern corner of Espiritu Santo Island across the San Lorenzo Channel. As the first introduction to this beautiful part of northwestern Mexico, we observed the volcanic character of both the peninsula and portions of the island. Impressive pink, red and orange colored rock formations made of layers of ash and volcanic tuff were seen from the ship. The sharp silhouette of the entirely granite-made Cerralvo island in the distance was also sighted.
During the first part of the gorgeous morning, we conducted the mandatory abandon ship drill, attended briefings and collected snorkeling gear. Then we anchored at Bonanza Bay and hiked for an hour for a first glance at the Sonoran desert. Cardon, copal, jojoba, organ pipe cactus, galloping cactus, palo San Juan and agaves were among the most interesting plants found along a narrow arroyo. Some birds, including white-winged doves and mocking birds, were also seen. The second part of the morning was spent with a refreshing snorkel and swimming time, watching the interesting fish and invertebrate species living on the rocky reefs.
Later, we moved to the afternoon destination. Along the way, though, we encountered a couple of blue whales, one moving slowly and one cruising very fast. Both animals showed the beautiful blue-gray coloration (from which the species got the name), the impressive size, and the diminutive dorsal fin. In a very predictable way, both individuals showed themselves every ten to twelve minutes, just to breathe several times and disappear again. We left the blue whales, and the Sea Bird arrived shortly to Los Islotes, a small but interesting islet with a permanently-living colony of 400 to 600 California sea lions. There we had the opportunity to cruise on Zodiac boats and observe these fascinating animals in their natural habitat. Many came around our boats, but most of them just didn’t pay attention to us. Big males, pregnant females, playful yearlings and sub-adults were everywhere displaying their varied behavior, ranging from sunbathing to serious fights. Some time later our guests and staff snorkeled among the sea lions. This gave us the opportunity of closer encounters with these funny animals as some were very playful and swimming and diving around us. This day was regarded as the perfect beginning of our adventure.
