Isla Ildefonso and San Juanico Cove
Guano encrusted cliffs of Isla Ildefonso rose to the east as the anchor noisily dropped. This island attracts a multitude of seabirds. Exploring the rugged coast by Zodiac, we approached brown pelicans, brown and blue-footed boobies, and yellow-footed gulls as they perched on whitewashed rocks. Orange and green crabs called Sally Lightfoots scrambled over the barnacle-covered intertidal area. The Zodiacs cruised past slopes where clusters of orange pega pega flowers, cacti, and gnarled fig trees had gained footholds.
As the ship rode, following the sea towards San Juanico Cove on the Baja Peninsula, we were treated to slides about geologic processes that formed the region. We then climbed to the Bridge Deck for a lunch barbecue. Mounds of pasta salad, chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, and tofu filled us with energy for the activities that followed.
The afternoon destination provided something for everyone. Snorkelers encountered stately king angelfish, the elongate reef coronetfish, and the ever-smiling balloonfish. A white crescent beach invited us ashore for hiking, kayaking, and relaxing, and we found that the desert landscape was much more open here than at yesterday’s landing site. Boaters climbed into the colorful sea kayaks to paddle off and explore the bay. A pair of ospreys called overhead and flew to and from their nest site on a tall islet within the cove. We noticed irregular brown patches in the water and discovered that they were immense rafts of eared grebes that dove and resurfaced almost in unison. Shadows stretched across the wet sand, and dusk enveloped us, as we returned to the Sea Lion after a busy and varied day.
Guano encrusted cliffs of Isla Ildefonso rose to the east as the anchor noisily dropped. This island attracts a multitude of seabirds. Exploring the rugged coast by Zodiac, we approached brown pelicans, brown and blue-footed boobies, and yellow-footed gulls as they perched on whitewashed rocks. Orange and green crabs called Sally Lightfoots scrambled over the barnacle-covered intertidal area. The Zodiacs cruised past slopes where clusters of orange pega pega flowers, cacti, and gnarled fig trees had gained footholds.
As the ship rode, following the sea towards San Juanico Cove on the Baja Peninsula, we were treated to slides about geologic processes that formed the region. We then climbed to the Bridge Deck for a lunch barbecue. Mounds of pasta salad, chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, and tofu filled us with energy for the activities that followed.
The afternoon destination provided something for everyone. Snorkelers encountered stately king angelfish, the elongate reef coronetfish, and the ever-smiling balloonfish. A white crescent beach invited us ashore for hiking, kayaking, and relaxing, and we found that the desert landscape was much more open here than at yesterday’s landing site. Boaters climbed into the colorful sea kayaks to paddle off and explore the bay. A pair of ospreys called overhead and flew to and from their nest site on a tall islet within the cove. We noticed irregular brown patches in the water and discovered that they were immense rafts of eared grebes that dove and resurfaced almost in unison. Shadows stretched across the wet sand, and dusk enveloped us, as we returned to the Sea Lion after a busy and varied day.
