Gorda Banks and Los Cabos
This voyage is called “Among the Great Whales,” and this morning certainly lived up to the billing. A pre-sunrise wake up call was made as an acrobatic young humpback whale continually leapt out of the water to greet the rising sun. Everyone rushed onto the deck, coffee in hand, to enjoy this spectacle. Having a breaching whale before breakfast certainly is one of the best ways to start the day.
We continued on passing a few more humpbacks, until we neared Gorda banks, an area with undersea pinnacles that is incredibly productive. Some milling bottlenose dolphins distracted us, until a huge splash was spotted in the distance. Our great whale karma continued with more breaching humpbacks! As we approached the area, we realized we had three whales participating in a majestic dance. It appeared to be one female being courted by two males with lots of surface activity. Numerous times the fifteen feet long pectoral flippers were lifted out of the water and slammed down. Was it a statement by the female to keep away or a little bit of foreplay? We will never know for sure. We followed this pursuit as the males lunged after the female and comically discussed what may be happening under water. The entire time this was happening, we were escorted by a group of bow riding bottlenose dolphins. With our underwater bow camera, we were able to see these dolphins surfing along with the wave pushed in front of the Sea Bird.
In the afternoon, we split into groups to explore different realms in the Cape region. Some went birding to a lagoon for sora rails and endemic Belding’s yellowthroats, while snorkelers enjoyed healthy corals and myriads of tropical fishes. Others of us merely enjoyed the fine and diverse shopping that Los Cabos has to offer. We passed land’s end at sunset and continued into the Pacific Ocean to complete our journey towards the breeding lagoons of the gray whale.
This voyage is called “Among the Great Whales,” and this morning certainly lived up to the billing. A pre-sunrise wake up call was made as an acrobatic young humpback whale continually leapt out of the water to greet the rising sun. Everyone rushed onto the deck, coffee in hand, to enjoy this spectacle. Having a breaching whale before breakfast certainly is one of the best ways to start the day.
We continued on passing a few more humpbacks, until we neared Gorda banks, an area with undersea pinnacles that is incredibly productive. Some milling bottlenose dolphins distracted us, until a huge splash was spotted in the distance. Our great whale karma continued with more breaching humpbacks! As we approached the area, we realized we had three whales participating in a majestic dance. It appeared to be one female being courted by two males with lots of surface activity. Numerous times the fifteen feet long pectoral flippers were lifted out of the water and slammed down. Was it a statement by the female to keep away or a little bit of foreplay? We will never know for sure. We followed this pursuit as the males lunged after the female and comically discussed what may be happening under water. The entire time this was happening, we were escorted by a group of bow riding bottlenose dolphins. With our underwater bow camera, we were able to see these dolphins surfing along with the wave pushed in front of the Sea Bird.
In the afternoon, we split into groups to explore different realms in the Cape region. Some went birding to a lagoon for sora rails and endemic Belding’s yellowthroats, while snorkelers enjoyed healthy corals and myriads of tropical fishes. Others of us merely enjoyed the fine and diverse shopping that Los Cabos has to offer. We passed land’s end at sunset and continued into the Pacific Ocean to complete our journey towards the breeding lagoons of the gray whale.
