Isla San Jose, Ensenada Grande, Los Islotes
We arose early today for an early morning Zodiac cruise through a magnificent mangrove estero on the southern shore of Isla San Jose. Riding silently between the dense walls of red, black, and white mangroves, we were treated to close-up views of white ibises, a variety of wading birds, and diving brown pelicans. Turning into a quiet arm of the estero, we spotted a black-crowned night heron perched like a silent sentinel against the cobalt sky. Leaving the Zodiacs and mangroves behind, we strolled along the edge of a dense cactus garden, admiring the stately cardons, ground-hugging pitahaya agrias and chollas. We were fortunate enough to find a small stand of palo adans, close relatives of Arizona’s ocotillos, that had produced delicate red blossoms out of season. Perhaps they were responding to the recent rains that have transformed much of the Baja peninsula into a forest of green.
After lunch and a brief sail southward, we dropped anchor off Isla Partida. Our landing spot on this island was a glorious bay called Ensenada Grande, known for its turquoise waters and sandy beaches. Here our expedition split into three groups. Some donned their snorkels and spent an enchanting afternoon among sergeant major fish, king angels and parrotfish in a multitude of colors. The scuba divers cruised to the nearby rocky islands called Los Islotes and dove its legendary clear waters. Los Islotes supports a colony of California sea lions, and one friendly animal struck up a playful friendship with our masked divers. Meanwhile, our third contingent hiked up a beautiful cactus-lined arroyo to the sea cliffs on the opposite side of the island. Their efforts were rewarded with an impressive view of the far shore and an extensive archaeological site with enigmatic rock structures and an array of chipped stone tools.
At the end of the afternoon we celebrated our day with a barbecue on the beach. And since it was the last day of 2002, we ended the evening with a champagne toast to the new year among the warm gulf breezes and all our friends aboard the Sea Lion.
We arose early today for an early morning Zodiac cruise through a magnificent mangrove estero on the southern shore of Isla San Jose. Riding silently between the dense walls of red, black, and white mangroves, we were treated to close-up views of white ibises, a variety of wading birds, and diving brown pelicans. Turning into a quiet arm of the estero, we spotted a black-crowned night heron perched like a silent sentinel against the cobalt sky. Leaving the Zodiacs and mangroves behind, we strolled along the edge of a dense cactus garden, admiring the stately cardons, ground-hugging pitahaya agrias and chollas. We were fortunate enough to find a small stand of palo adans, close relatives of Arizona’s ocotillos, that had produced delicate red blossoms out of season. Perhaps they were responding to the recent rains that have transformed much of the Baja peninsula into a forest of green.
After lunch and a brief sail southward, we dropped anchor off Isla Partida. Our landing spot on this island was a glorious bay called Ensenada Grande, known for its turquoise waters and sandy beaches. Here our expedition split into three groups. Some donned their snorkels and spent an enchanting afternoon among sergeant major fish, king angels and parrotfish in a multitude of colors. The scuba divers cruised to the nearby rocky islands called Los Islotes and dove its legendary clear waters. Los Islotes supports a colony of California sea lions, and one friendly animal struck up a playful friendship with our masked divers. Meanwhile, our third contingent hiked up a beautiful cactus-lined arroyo to the sea cliffs on the opposite side of the island. Their efforts were rewarded with an impressive view of the far shore and an extensive archaeological site with enigmatic rock structures and an array of chipped stone tools.
At the end of the afternoon we celebrated our day with a barbecue on the beach. And since it was the last day of 2002, we ended the evening with a champagne toast to the new year among the warm gulf breezes and all our friends aboard the Sea Lion.
