The weather maps showed the winds to be originating in British Columbia, Canada. By the time they coursed south and reached us here in Baja California Sur they were strong enough that a protected anchorage would be just the ticket. We had cruised from La Paz the previous evening, and by 1:00 AM had found the placid waters of Ensenada Grande on the west side of Isla Partida. Lying at anchor in this spectacular bay, the morning wakeup call encouraged us onto the decks. Brown boobies, brown pelicans and the endemic yellow-footed gull soared over our ship. A rugged arroyo at the head of the bay beckoned us to explore.
The more agile among us worked their way up the arroyo, inching carefully over huge volcanic boulders and around well-armed cacti to the top of the ridge. Their vista there was the open Sea of Cortez, still frothing with whitecaps. The shear drop to the sea from this ridge is testimony to how these beautiful islands and the entire Baja peninsula have ripped away from mainland Mexico. The separation continues, with the land mass moving slowly but relentlessly to the west and north as a major fault in the center of the sea continues to spread.
Our casual walkers felt the brisk and cooling wind funneling down the arroyo as they identified the many desert flowers in bloom. Rare, soaking rains had fallen in the past week or so, triggering the rapid growth of leaves and blossoms. Seeds would soon be set, perhaps to lay dormant for years before deep moisture triggered the next generation of desert life.
Our first opportunity to snorkel came after lunch. Steep cliffs of volcanic tuff, eroded by thousands of years of hot winds and crashing waters, were now rounded into unbelievably artistic shapes. What a backdrop! The colours of tropical fish flashed along this seawall, while sedate sea stars and sea cucumbers, moving at glacier speed, were brought to the surface for our close study.
Our full day of activities ended with a slide lecture featuring beautiful images of this desert peninsula's geological origin, rich and adaptive plant life and early human settlement. Today was an introduction to a most fascinating area. We could look forward to more time to experience the many unique features that make Baja California and the Sea of Cortez one of the must-see places in the world.
