It was a perfect Baja morning. A smattering of golden clouds embraced the sun when it first peeked over the horizon, and the full moon lingered in the west above the abrupt escarpment of the peninsula. By 7 a.m. all this was forgotten. Hundreds of common dolphins appeared, and all attention focused on their sleek, patterned sides glistening in the morning light when they leaped with an energy level almost too active for human observers at this early hour. A tropicbird flew over, perhaps a good omen of experiences to come. Its graceful flight and long, streamer tail caught the attention of birders and non-birders alike.
With little warning, the waves kicked up a bit, but this was no hindrance to our morning activities at Isla Santa Catalina. One group hiked to the crest of the island for spectacular vistas of desert scenery and the deep blue ocean far below. Others wandered through towering cardons and massive giant barrel cacti, a specialty of this island and only two others.
Another endemic species, unique to this island alone, is this Santa Catalina Island side-blotched lizard, an emerald-tailed beauty. Baby blue polka dots cover the back, and pink spots trim the sides. Although side-blotched lizards are widespread and occur as far north as Washington state, none can match the exquisite coloration of those found on this remote island.
Hikers encountered a wide variety of birds. Bold black, gray, and white markings distinguished the loggerhead shrike or butcher bird. Ash-throated flycatchers, black-throated sparrows, and tiny Costa's hummingbirds flitted in the shrubbery that lined the sandy arroyo winding inland through rugged granitic rocks.
Snorkelers discovered an array of dazzling fishes. King angelfish, Cortez rainbow wrasses, and young yellow-and-blue beaubrummels cruised through the urchin-studded boulders, while green morays gaped menacingly from dark crevices.
During the afternoon the ship continued towards Islas Monserrate, Danzante, and Carmen in search of marine life. We were rewarded with magnificent views of the eighth marine mammal of the voyage. We had already seen sea lions, two species of dolphins, and four kinds of whales, but now was our chance to watch the second largest of the cetaceans, the fin or fin-backed whale. For one sequence of blows it rose just beside the bow. The lower jaw is white on the right side, and this light color radiated a turquoise-blue as we followed it just beneath the surface
Dusk set in, and the day drew to a close, but Baja California had shared many of her secrets with us today. The pale disk of the moon and the bright stars overhead were universal, seen at similar latitudes throughout the bigger world that has become easier to forget with each day of our journey. Our world now is one of jewel-like lizards and whale breaths. The Captain called us to the decks following dinner to see the eerie green bioluminescence caused by millions of microscopic organisms in the disturbed water beneath the ship What secrets will be revealed tomorrow?
