Another bright green flash began our day today, promising more clear skies and warm breezes as we continued our exploration of the Gulf of California. Over the past couple of days we have landed on several of the desert islands in the Gulf, hiking in the sandy arroyos and snorkeling in the clear blue waters along their shores. In the meantime, I have made a series of dives with our new underwater video camera, capturing scenes of familiar fish and occasional oddities, which I have been sharing with the group back on board. I have encountered many of my favorites among the beautiful colorful fish which inhabit the rocky reefs of the Gulf, including King Angelfish, Yellow-tailed Surgeonfish, Cortez Rainbow Wrasse and an unusual, strikingly marked Bullseye Electric Ray.

Besides their lovely colors, it's always fun to observe the many fascinating behaviors of fish. We have seen little damselfish zealously guarding their algae gardens, pink-spotted Coral Hawkfish laying in wait for their prey, perfectly camouflaged on heads of coral and sponge-covered rocks, and juvenile Mexican Hogfish cleaning parasites from other fish. Today I came across a real standout, this normally shy Balloonfish that swam directly up to my camera lens, probably in defense of its nearby nest of developing eggs. Balloonfish, which resemble pufferfish but belong to a different family, are well defended by sharp spines embedded in their skin and a parrot-like beak which can deliver a powerful bite. Nevertheless, when this one bared its teeth at me I was more amused than terrified and continued filming it until it was satisfied that I presented no threat and returned to its nest. P>This evening we finished our day with a delicious barbecue served on a broad curve of beach as the sun set over the mountains of Baja. Later we spent some time observing the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter with a small telescope, a perfect conclusion to a day of wonders below the sea, on the land and in the heavens.