Baja California; San Jose and San Francisco Islands
When I first heard about Baja California, not much came to mind! It was ten years ago when a comment was made in my classroom while attending one of my ecology-oriented classes for my Marine Biology school program. It was mentioned to be a desert land, and one of the secure places for humpback and California gray whales, but no more was mentioned. I didn’t know then, that I would fall in love with this place the minute I got off the plane. In spite of the inhospitable surroundings, Baja California holds a complex ecosystem that is both fascinating and beautiful.
Much of Baja California is encompassed within the Sonora desert, a subdivision of the North American Desert, which is the fifth largest of the world’s deserts. The Sonoran is said to be the most beautiful of deserts, partially due to the biannual rainfall that occurs in some areas. Referred to as an arboreal desert, it is characterized by an abundance of small trees, tall tree-like cacti and other shrubs and succulents.
After a nice cruise throughout San Jose Channel, the Sea Lion made its way to Bahia Amortajada, off the southwest shore of Isla San Jose. The sunlight bathed the layered volcanic cliffs of the Sierra de la Giganta on the Baja California Peninsula nearby.
Our landing on the beach was as smooth as it can get, and our walk gave us a nice perspective of the flora found in the area. A barely submerged gravel bar separated a mangrove lagoon from the open ocean. A graceful reddish egret was fishing in the shallows of the lagoon, performing for us its characteristic dance as it chased fish. As a true expedition, nothing can be said in terms of weather. A rather refreshing and unusual rain forced us to leave behind the spectacular scenery.
The Sea Lion set off then to Isla San Francisco, anchoring in a protected bay on the other side of Half Moon bay. Our Zodiacs deposited us ashore during low tide where a good number of us converged on the tide pools. Our guests were conscientious enough to turn over rocks and carefully return them as we found them. We were duly rewarded with a bonanza of marine invertebrates representing nearly a dozen phyla of animals.
The view of the hill was too beautiful, and a group of guests accompanied by some of the naturalists set off to conquer the very top of it. A spectacular view of Half Moon Bay filled our hearts and our very souls. We were very impressed also by the geology. The rocks of Baja California reveal the dramatic and dynamic nature of the earth and the questions of how they were formed filled our minds.
This week is drawing to a close, but our hearts are still aching with the same energy of the very first afternoon. It is difficult to believe that we had seen so much in the short period of time we had on board. We will be sad to leave, but the good news is that our voyage is never going to end. The jump has been made and the bridge has been crossed. The world is our final destination, and take my word when I say, there is still much more to see out there…
When I first heard about Baja California, not much came to mind! It was ten years ago when a comment was made in my classroom while attending one of my ecology-oriented classes for my Marine Biology school program. It was mentioned to be a desert land, and one of the secure places for humpback and California gray whales, but no more was mentioned. I didn’t know then, that I would fall in love with this place the minute I got off the plane. In spite of the inhospitable surroundings, Baja California holds a complex ecosystem that is both fascinating and beautiful.
Much of Baja California is encompassed within the Sonora desert, a subdivision of the North American Desert, which is the fifth largest of the world’s deserts. The Sonoran is said to be the most beautiful of deserts, partially due to the biannual rainfall that occurs in some areas. Referred to as an arboreal desert, it is characterized by an abundance of small trees, tall tree-like cacti and other shrubs and succulents.
After a nice cruise throughout San Jose Channel, the Sea Lion made its way to Bahia Amortajada, off the southwest shore of Isla San Jose. The sunlight bathed the layered volcanic cliffs of the Sierra de la Giganta on the Baja California Peninsula nearby.
Our landing on the beach was as smooth as it can get, and our walk gave us a nice perspective of the flora found in the area. A barely submerged gravel bar separated a mangrove lagoon from the open ocean. A graceful reddish egret was fishing in the shallows of the lagoon, performing for us its characteristic dance as it chased fish. As a true expedition, nothing can be said in terms of weather. A rather refreshing and unusual rain forced us to leave behind the spectacular scenery.
The Sea Lion set off then to Isla San Francisco, anchoring in a protected bay on the other side of Half Moon bay. Our Zodiacs deposited us ashore during low tide where a good number of us converged on the tide pools. Our guests were conscientious enough to turn over rocks and carefully return them as we found them. We were duly rewarded with a bonanza of marine invertebrates representing nearly a dozen phyla of animals.
The view of the hill was too beautiful, and a group of guests accompanied by some of the naturalists set off to conquer the very top of it. A spectacular view of Half Moon Bay filled our hearts and our very souls. We were very impressed also by the geology. The rocks of Baja California reveal the dramatic and dynamic nature of the earth and the questions of how they were formed filled our minds.
This week is drawing to a close, but our hearts are still aching with the same energy of the very first afternoon. It is difficult to believe that we had seen so much in the short period of time we had on board. We will be sad to leave, but the good news is that our voyage is never going to end. The jump has been made and the bridge has been crossed. The world is our final destination, and take my word when I say, there is still much more to see out there…
