Bahia Magdalena, Baja California Sur, México
Situated on the Pacific side of the southern state of Baja California Sur, Bahia Magdalena is limited on its western side by Isla Magdalena (Magdalena Island), a 60-mile-long narrow island, constituted principally by enormous sand dunes, and two large mountain groups in the middle. The eastern side of the island has many large and sometimes impassable mangroves, as seen here. These are constituted principally by red, white, and black mangroves.
Today we started our Baja sojourn at the lower end of the bay, near Puerto San Carlos. A heavy fog enveloped us all the way from our night anchorage to the “last buoy”, where we waited for our pilot, blowing the foghorn intermittently. He arrived on time, and we started our way up north in the bay, till it narrowed and is called The Hull Canal. Later we were able to see our way north, as we passed many bottle-nosed dolphins, a great number of different seabirds (magnificent frigate birds, pelicans, cormorants, terns, Heerman’s gulls and great blue herons, to name a few), and the lovely sand dunes of the island.
By midday we had reached the northern end of the bay, near the small town of Adolfo Lopez-Mateos. Where we anchored, and shortly thereafter were walking on the dunes, that here, are a light brown color. We walked to the northern mouth of the bay, where on the long wide beach we found a treasure chest of different shells, millions of them making wide tapestries of so many different varieties. At our return from the island we had a geology lecture on the origin of Baja California. Then our Mexican Fiesta started on the ship, with a group of Mexican guitarists singing a great trove of Mexican songs, an incredible Mexican dinner with fresh flour tortillas and refried beans, lobster for tacos, and the most marvelous 50-pound “Fuerte” fish, enough for everybody on board! The sangria flowed, “Tres Leches” cake (Three Milk) was served, and more music was sung.
Situated on the Pacific side of the southern state of Baja California Sur, Bahia Magdalena is limited on its western side by Isla Magdalena (Magdalena Island), a 60-mile-long narrow island, constituted principally by enormous sand dunes, and two large mountain groups in the middle. The eastern side of the island has many large and sometimes impassable mangroves, as seen here. These are constituted principally by red, white, and black mangroves.
Today we started our Baja sojourn at the lower end of the bay, near Puerto San Carlos. A heavy fog enveloped us all the way from our night anchorage to the “last buoy”, where we waited for our pilot, blowing the foghorn intermittently. He arrived on time, and we started our way up north in the bay, till it narrowed and is called The Hull Canal. Later we were able to see our way north, as we passed many bottle-nosed dolphins, a great number of different seabirds (magnificent frigate birds, pelicans, cormorants, terns, Heerman’s gulls and great blue herons, to name a few), and the lovely sand dunes of the island.
By midday we had reached the northern end of the bay, near the small town of Adolfo Lopez-Mateos. Where we anchored, and shortly thereafter were walking on the dunes, that here, are a light brown color. We walked to the northern mouth of the bay, where on the long wide beach we found a treasure chest of different shells, millions of them making wide tapestries of so many different varieties. At our return from the island we had a geology lecture on the origin of Baja California. Then our Mexican Fiesta started on the ship, with a group of Mexican guitarists singing a great trove of Mexican songs, an incredible Mexican dinner with fresh flour tortillas and refried beans, lobster for tacos, and the most marvelous 50-pound “Fuerte” fish, enough for everybody on board! The sangria flowed, “Tres Leches” cake (Three Milk) was served, and more music was sung.
