Cabo San Lucas
Our morning started with scattered dolphins, which soon coalesced into consolidated dolphins and were soon identified as Delphinus delphis or Common Dolphins. No matter what you called them we delighted in their sense of play and their tendency to ride the bow wave of our ship. As we continued south we crossed the dotted line on the map, the Tropic of Cancer and soon sighted a blow, a back and a pair of flukes! All the necessary ingredients to assemble a whale, our first whale sighting! We patiently waited for the opportunity to whale watch, however this humpback whale had other plans. With this cetaceanal teaser we reluctantly headed for breakfast.
Following breakfast, our marine mammal specialist, Jack Swenson, gave a beautifully illustrated natural history presentation on “Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises.” Late morning found us turning the corner at Land’s End and entering the bustling harbor of Cabo San Lucas.
The afternoon options included natural history walks in an ocean fronted arid tropical forest, photographic jaunts along the same oceanside trails, and an opportunity to snorkel the salty waters of the Pacific. Vibrant blossoms along the trails tempted not only hummingbirds and bees, but photographers as well, as illustrated in the first photo. The flowers are those of coral vine, a vine that flowers with exceptional exuberance whenever there is sufficient moisture. The lower photo shows a close-up of the blossoms.
As we exited the harbor for a sunset composition cruise, Stewart Aitchison, one of our Naturalists, told us of the pirates that used this harbor to lay in ambush for ships laden with the riches of the far east. As he spoke, a masted vessel was glimpsed through a gap of Land’s End; perhaps pirates still prowl these seemingly civilized waters.
