Isla San Marcos & Santa Rosalia
Let’s see….. this trip is called - ah, right - Among the Great Whales. How about seven species of marine mammals before lunch? I believe that qualifies!
And what an amazing morning we enjoyed!! The flat calm and very productive seas near the sleepy town of Santa Rosalia support a remarkable number of large and small and very exciting marine mammals. Our first encounter today was a new species for the trip, a fin whale. These huge, fast-moving whales are second in size only to the blue whale (which we also saw briefly today) and the Gulf of California hosts about 575 of these whales all year round. After some great looks at this large baleen whale with its characteristic white right lower jaw, we started to break away and move toward our morning anchorage and planned activities. A pod of at least 30 glossy black short-finned pilot whales soon greeted the Sea Bird and spent an hour or so swimming near, under and around the ship. These large members of the dolphin family were a thrilling sight with the unusual shape of their dorsal fins, bulbous heads and a number of small calves.
Scanning the horizon, Gretchen and Carlos simultaneously observed a number of blows and backs far out to sea. Hopefully, the ship headed eastward and we were rewarded with a magnificent sight of the flukes of the sperm whale thrown high against the sky! There were several groups of these unique deep-diving animals in this area known for an abundance of one of their favorite foods, the Humboldt squid.
A large male sperm whale was among this group of females and young, and the sexual dimorphism was remarkable. Groups of female sperm whales remain in semi- tropical waters all year while the males roam the higher latitudes. The males and females spend only the briefest time together, perhaps a week a year for mating. Captain Kalbach masterfully maneuvered our vessel near the whales as they rested calmly at the surface re-oxygenating their crenulated bodies and occasionally diving straight down into the mysterious deep, leaving the mark of their distinctive tail flukes for us to ponder.
After a refreshing snorkel off Isla San Marcos, and a stroll through the quaint former copper mining town of Santa Rosalia, we are off to bed, and dreaming of whales.
Let’s see….. this trip is called - ah, right - Among the Great Whales. How about seven species of marine mammals before lunch? I believe that qualifies!
And what an amazing morning we enjoyed!! The flat calm and very productive seas near the sleepy town of Santa Rosalia support a remarkable number of large and small and very exciting marine mammals. Our first encounter today was a new species for the trip, a fin whale. These huge, fast-moving whales are second in size only to the blue whale (which we also saw briefly today) and the Gulf of California hosts about 575 of these whales all year round. After some great looks at this large baleen whale with its characteristic white right lower jaw, we started to break away and move toward our morning anchorage and planned activities. A pod of at least 30 glossy black short-finned pilot whales soon greeted the Sea Bird and spent an hour or so swimming near, under and around the ship. These large members of the dolphin family were a thrilling sight with the unusual shape of their dorsal fins, bulbous heads and a number of small calves.
Scanning the horizon, Gretchen and Carlos simultaneously observed a number of blows and backs far out to sea. Hopefully, the ship headed eastward and we were rewarded with a magnificent sight of the flukes of the sperm whale thrown high against the sky! There were several groups of these unique deep-diving animals in this area known for an abundance of one of their favorite foods, the Humboldt squid.
A large male sperm whale was among this group of females and young, and the sexual dimorphism was remarkable. Groups of female sperm whales remain in semi- tropical waters all year while the males roam the higher latitudes. The males and females spend only the briefest time together, perhaps a week a year for mating. Captain Kalbach masterfully maneuvered our vessel near the whales as they rested calmly at the surface re-oxygenating their crenulated bodies and occasionally diving straight down into the mysterious deep, leaving the mark of their distinctive tail flukes for us to ponder.
After a refreshing snorkel off Isla San Marcos, and a stroll through the quaint former copper mining town of Santa Rosalia, we are off to bed, and dreaming of whales.
