Los Islotes & Espiritu Santo
Scorpio sidled up to the quarter moon while the rest of the stars in the sky scattered across the dark void. Morning on the sea had not yet arrived and the silence brought comfort like a cozy blanket in a familiar bed. The only sound was the rhythmic whoosh of the bow cutting through the water. Daylight slowly slithered in from the east, first as a dark maroon band on the horizon and then like pigments separated by chromatography, the color crept across the sky leaving pale pink and baby blue bands behind. The moon still maintained its brilliance but Scorpio slowly faded away as if to hide from the day.
One should always greet the sun with ceremony, whether it be with the graceful movements of the sun salutation or in some personal way. Here on the Sea Bird we adhere to tradition and each morning sit waiting, binoculars trained on the brightest spot on the horizon. A green flash! Sol arrived and our day began.
Gold light glimmered on the reddish ash layers of Los Islotes. Small in area, these tiny islets, the northernmost component of the Espiritu Santo Island complex are packed with life. California sea lions draped themselves over rocky prominences or snuggled into depressions that seemed made to order for their body shapes. The huge bulls roared and strutted claiming their territories and harems. Last year’s pups cavorted in the water, their high pitched cries sounding like a child encouraging the neighbor to come out and play. Male blue-footed boobies whistled and flashed their blue feet in a prancing dance trying to impress prospective mates. Brown boobies napped on rocky ledges and a pair of peregrine falcons waited for an eared grebe to err, to wander away from the protective boulders between which they slipped. How easy it is to become one with this plethora of life. Zodiacs, feel spacious as a craft but they and we are so miniscule when placed against this scene. When flippered and masked we join the sea lions in the water we become no more than specks of life merging with all the others.
How is it that we can be so easily accepted as part of the life of the sea? Hundreds of common dolphins swirled in pursuit of schooling fish. Their activity absorbed our vessel, engulfing us within the milling mass as if we were of no more importance that the pelicans darting here and there in search of a terrified fish driven to the surface of the water. Frigatebirds swooped from the sky, long hooked beaks reaching out to trap the same prey or to swipe a bite from a companion seeking the identical source of nourishment. When the food was gone, we became a toy, a source of a wake to surf in or a bow wave to hitch a ride upon.
Most people hold within their minds an image of the ideal beach, a place with an endless white sandy shore and only their chosen companions to share. The southern end of our island complex offered up just such a locale to end our day. So much to choose from; solitary strolls, kayaking with a partner or walks of exploration to satisfy the thirst for knowledge of this land. Bonanza Bay offered it all.
As we partook of our evening meal and the sun sank behind the crest of the island, behind us, in the arroyos and between the desert vegetation, scorpions emerged from their secret hiding places, stretching their pinchers forward and uncoiling their armored tails. While we sleep, they will hunt until the constellation that represents their kind greets us again in the morning.
Scorpio sidled up to the quarter moon while the rest of the stars in the sky scattered across the dark void. Morning on the sea had not yet arrived and the silence brought comfort like a cozy blanket in a familiar bed. The only sound was the rhythmic whoosh of the bow cutting through the water. Daylight slowly slithered in from the east, first as a dark maroon band on the horizon and then like pigments separated by chromatography, the color crept across the sky leaving pale pink and baby blue bands behind. The moon still maintained its brilliance but Scorpio slowly faded away as if to hide from the day.
One should always greet the sun with ceremony, whether it be with the graceful movements of the sun salutation or in some personal way. Here on the Sea Bird we adhere to tradition and each morning sit waiting, binoculars trained on the brightest spot on the horizon. A green flash! Sol arrived and our day began.
Gold light glimmered on the reddish ash layers of Los Islotes. Small in area, these tiny islets, the northernmost component of the Espiritu Santo Island complex are packed with life. California sea lions draped themselves over rocky prominences or snuggled into depressions that seemed made to order for their body shapes. The huge bulls roared and strutted claiming their territories and harems. Last year’s pups cavorted in the water, their high pitched cries sounding like a child encouraging the neighbor to come out and play. Male blue-footed boobies whistled and flashed their blue feet in a prancing dance trying to impress prospective mates. Brown boobies napped on rocky ledges and a pair of peregrine falcons waited for an eared grebe to err, to wander away from the protective boulders between which they slipped. How easy it is to become one with this plethora of life. Zodiacs, feel spacious as a craft but they and we are so miniscule when placed against this scene. When flippered and masked we join the sea lions in the water we become no more than specks of life merging with all the others.
How is it that we can be so easily accepted as part of the life of the sea? Hundreds of common dolphins swirled in pursuit of schooling fish. Their activity absorbed our vessel, engulfing us within the milling mass as if we were of no more importance that the pelicans darting here and there in search of a terrified fish driven to the surface of the water. Frigatebirds swooped from the sky, long hooked beaks reaching out to trap the same prey or to swipe a bite from a companion seeking the identical source of nourishment. When the food was gone, we became a toy, a source of a wake to surf in or a bow wave to hitch a ride upon.
Most people hold within their minds an image of the ideal beach, a place with an endless white sandy shore and only their chosen companions to share. The southern end of our island complex offered up just such a locale to end our day. So much to choose from; solitary strolls, kayaking with a partner or walks of exploration to satisfy the thirst for knowledge of this land. Bonanza Bay offered it all.
As we partook of our evening meal and the sun sank behind the crest of the island, behind us, in the arroyos and between the desert vegetation, scorpions emerged from their secret hiding places, stretching their pinchers forward and uncoiling their armored tails. While we sleep, they will hunt until the constellation that represents their kind greets us again in the morning.
