The day began with Zodiac cruises around the magical islets known as Los Islotes, solitary red stacks topped with brilliant white guano. Even a solitary Cardon cactus was covered with a snowy layer, prompting an inspired guest to remark: "It looks like we'll be having a white Christmas after all!" Next up was an hour of snorkeling among the playful and inquisitive California sea lions who make Los Islotes their home.
Our picture of the day comes from the spectacularly beautiful Bahia Ballena on Isla Espirtu Santo (Island of the Holy Spirit). The aquamarine waters were perfect for kayaking as brown pelicans skimmed the surface, splashing down around us on every side. Some of us clambered up a ridge of welded volcanic tuff for an unforgettable vista of the mangrove-bordered bay and the shimmering sea beyond.
We ended the day aboard the Sea Lion with a festive revision of a holiday ballad, beginning with the verse "In my first hour in Baja my naturalist showed to me twelve dolphins leaping, eleven frigates soaring, ten chollas jumping"…. We'll leave the rest to your imagination.
