Boca de Soledad
It was an active day, filled from sunrise to sunset with exploration and discovery. The Sea Lion spent the night in Boca de Soledad (mouth of solitude) for a second day in search of gray whales. As orange light peaked over the horizon in this peaceful bay, we poured our coffee and piled into Zodiacs.
Pelicans dive-bombed fish, creating false hope as we eagerly scanned the water. Our cameras sat ready, prepared to capture what may come. A pod of bottlenose dolphins sprouted around our fleet of Zodiacs, a welcome sighting in itself. We were astonished when a gray whale surfaced and began rolling around and spy hopping amongst these chattering dolphins – a rare sighting indeed! The heavy blow of this 80,000-pound animal silenced conversations as the heart-shaped fog of its breath hung in the morning sun; its thick, salty odor left an imprint. Breakers crashed over a sand bar in the distant “boca,” where the Pacific Ocean intrudes on this protected bay.
Of course, attention to detail provided views of smaller animals. Miles of mangroves teemed with birds, such as herons, ibises, and kingfishers. Male Magnificent Frigatebirds littered treetops, boasting their inflated red gular sac in courtship of nearby females.
Our early morning efforts were rewarded by a lunch BBQ and cocktails on deck in the sun. Appetites yielded to the pair of gray whales that traveled near the boat as we motored down the Hull Canal toward La Entrada, the entrance of Magdalena Bay. Throughout the afternoon we were in the presence of these amazing animals, arriving after a 5,000-mile migration from the North Pacific.
True believers (and some non-believers) patiently awaited and were rewarded by a dramatic green flash at sunset. With that, the Sea Lion set its course for Cabo San Lucas, on its way to the Sea of Cortez.
It was an active day, filled from sunrise to sunset with exploration and discovery. The Sea Lion spent the night in Boca de Soledad (mouth of solitude) for a second day in search of gray whales. As orange light peaked over the horizon in this peaceful bay, we poured our coffee and piled into Zodiacs.
Pelicans dive-bombed fish, creating false hope as we eagerly scanned the water. Our cameras sat ready, prepared to capture what may come. A pod of bottlenose dolphins sprouted around our fleet of Zodiacs, a welcome sighting in itself. We were astonished when a gray whale surfaced and began rolling around and spy hopping amongst these chattering dolphins – a rare sighting indeed! The heavy blow of this 80,000-pound animal silenced conversations as the heart-shaped fog of its breath hung in the morning sun; its thick, salty odor left an imprint. Breakers crashed over a sand bar in the distant “boca,” where the Pacific Ocean intrudes on this protected bay.
Of course, attention to detail provided views of smaller animals. Miles of mangroves teemed with birds, such as herons, ibises, and kingfishers. Male Magnificent Frigatebirds littered treetops, boasting their inflated red gular sac in courtship of nearby females.
Our early morning efforts were rewarded by a lunch BBQ and cocktails on deck in the sun. Appetites yielded to the pair of gray whales that traveled near the boat as we motored down the Hull Canal toward La Entrada, the entrance of Magdalena Bay. Throughout the afternoon we were in the presence of these amazing animals, arriving after a 5,000-mile migration from the North Pacific.
True believers (and some non-believers) patiently awaited and were rewarded by a dramatic green flash at sunset. With that, the Sea Lion set its course for Cabo San Lucas, on its way to the Sea of Cortez.
