Los Islotes and Espiritu Santo
Once again, we were wakened by our Expedition Leader Jim’s gentle voice over the PA system: “It’s a beautiful day in Baja California.” Prophetic as always, our day was indeed filled with much beauty and laughter.
Morning coffees were sipped while gazing at Los Islotes, a tiny pair of volcanic islands off the North end of Isla Partida. Fingers pointed and chuckles abounded at the antics of the resident California Sea Lions basking and playing in the surf. Quickly we donned wetsuits and boarded Zodiacs to take tours of the islands and snorkel with the pinnipeds. California Sea Lions are renowned for their acrobatics and playful interactions, and they certainly lived up to their reputation. As the first group of snorkelers arrived on site, an inquisitive juvenile jumped onto the pontoon and proceeded to pose, sniff and bask until we all slipped into the water.
The next event of the day was an energetic talk on bats from William Lopez-Forment. Fascinating slides illustrated behavior and morphology, as well as the feeding preferences of Mexico’s vampire bats. We were surprised to hear that an estimated 250,000 Mexican cattle die each year after contracting rabies from vampire bat bites.
After lunch, we set out to explore Bahia Bonanza, a large bay at the South end of Espiritu Santo blessed with a seemingly endless soft sand beach. Kayaking, swimming, and hiking, each of us made the most of our final afternoon in the Sea of Cortez. As the sun set and the moon rose, we gathered in the lounge for an underwater tour by undersea specialist William Mercadante, and a farewell song from naturalist Chris Lindberg. Smiles abounded as we recalled the week’s adventures, and wished each other well on our varied journeys homeward. Hasta la proxima.
Once again, we were wakened by our Expedition Leader Jim’s gentle voice over the PA system: “It’s a beautiful day in Baja California.” Prophetic as always, our day was indeed filled with much beauty and laughter.
Morning coffees were sipped while gazing at Los Islotes, a tiny pair of volcanic islands off the North end of Isla Partida. Fingers pointed and chuckles abounded at the antics of the resident California Sea Lions basking and playing in the surf. Quickly we donned wetsuits and boarded Zodiacs to take tours of the islands and snorkel with the pinnipeds. California Sea Lions are renowned for their acrobatics and playful interactions, and they certainly lived up to their reputation. As the first group of snorkelers arrived on site, an inquisitive juvenile jumped onto the pontoon and proceeded to pose, sniff and bask until we all slipped into the water.
The next event of the day was an energetic talk on bats from William Lopez-Forment. Fascinating slides illustrated behavior and morphology, as well as the feeding preferences of Mexico’s vampire bats. We were surprised to hear that an estimated 250,000 Mexican cattle die each year after contracting rabies from vampire bat bites.
After lunch, we set out to explore Bahia Bonanza, a large bay at the South end of Espiritu Santo blessed with a seemingly endless soft sand beach. Kayaking, swimming, and hiking, each of us made the most of our final afternoon in the Sea of Cortez. As the sun set and the moon rose, we gathered in the lounge for an underwater tour by undersea specialist William Mercadante, and a farewell song from naturalist Chris Lindberg. Smiles abounded as we recalled the week’s adventures, and wished each other well on our varied journeys homeward. Hasta la proxima.
