West Coast of Baja California Sur
After a rocky night at sea, we awoke to a calm, clear morning as we motored toward “La Entrada,” the entrance to Bahía Magdalena on the Western side of Baja California. Many people emerged before sunrise for the yoga and stretching class on the bridge deck. Others tried to catch a glimpse of the “green flash” which, as our naturalist Lee described earlier in the week, can be seen with the perfect conditions just at the moment that the sun is starting to come into view at sunrise or drop from the sky at sunset. A lucky few saw it today.
Soon after breakfast, we emerged on deck to be treated to more fabulous viewing of the marine mammals in the area. First humpback whales caught our attention and then, as we came closer to the entrance to the bay, we witnessed the dramatic courtship behavior of Gray whales. At least 5 cruised alongside the Sea Lion along with several Pacific White-sided dolphins who leaped alongside and in front of the whales. With time we were able to identify individuals as we had repeated close looks at patterns made by the barnacles around their blow holes, backs, and flukes.
Next, we made a landing at Sand Dollar Beach on Isla Magdalena. As we headed inland or along the shore, we examined shells, tests (the calcareous hard remains of echinoderms like sand dollars, sea urchins, and sea potatoes), animal bones, scat, and tracks of jack rabbits and coyotes, crustaceans and insects. We added our own tracks and took only our memories back to the ship with us.
The afternoon was spent slowly moving through the natural waterway of Hull Canal. A natural history presentation on the Sea Birds of the area prepared us for the main attraction of the afternoon. As we motored by the dunes and mangroves lining the canal, we saw Brown Pelicans, Magnificent Frigatebirds, and various gulls. Within one 12 foot long stretch of mangrove, there appeared to be a meeting of herons which gave us a fabulous chance to compare and contrast 4 species; the Snowy Egret, the Great Blue Heron, the Great Egret, and the Tricolor Heron. These seemingly similar species occupy different ecological niches that allow them to successfully coexist. A marvelous highlight were the flocks of several hundred cormorants, like the Brandt’s pictured above (who can count—there are nine of them!), that cruised through the area. The quiet of the day allowed us to hear the slap of their wings on the water when they took flight, leaving behind long chains of wing-prints on the surface. As the day melted away, bottlenose dolphins rode the bow and Gray whales made another appearance, heightening our anticipation for the days to come.
After a rocky night at sea, we awoke to a calm, clear morning as we motored toward “La Entrada,” the entrance to Bahía Magdalena on the Western side of Baja California. Many people emerged before sunrise for the yoga and stretching class on the bridge deck. Others tried to catch a glimpse of the “green flash” which, as our naturalist Lee described earlier in the week, can be seen with the perfect conditions just at the moment that the sun is starting to come into view at sunrise or drop from the sky at sunset. A lucky few saw it today.
Soon after breakfast, we emerged on deck to be treated to more fabulous viewing of the marine mammals in the area. First humpback whales caught our attention and then, as we came closer to the entrance to the bay, we witnessed the dramatic courtship behavior of Gray whales. At least 5 cruised alongside the Sea Lion along with several Pacific White-sided dolphins who leaped alongside and in front of the whales. With time we were able to identify individuals as we had repeated close looks at patterns made by the barnacles around their blow holes, backs, and flukes.
Next, we made a landing at Sand Dollar Beach on Isla Magdalena. As we headed inland or along the shore, we examined shells, tests (the calcareous hard remains of echinoderms like sand dollars, sea urchins, and sea potatoes), animal bones, scat, and tracks of jack rabbits and coyotes, crustaceans and insects. We added our own tracks and took only our memories back to the ship with us.
The afternoon was spent slowly moving through the natural waterway of Hull Canal. A natural history presentation on the Sea Birds of the area prepared us for the main attraction of the afternoon. As we motored by the dunes and mangroves lining the canal, we saw Brown Pelicans, Magnificent Frigatebirds, and various gulls. Within one 12 foot long stretch of mangrove, there appeared to be a meeting of herons which gave us a fabulous chance to compare and contrast 4 species; the Snowy Egret, the Great Blue Heron, the Great Egret, and the Tricolor Heron. These seemingly similar species occupy different ecological niches that allow them to successfully coexist. A marvelous highlight were the flocks of several hundred cormorants, like the Brandt’s pictured above (who can count—there are nine of them!), that cruised through the area. The quiet of the day allowed us to hear the slap of their wings on the water when they took flight, leaving behind long chains of wing-prints on the surface. As the day melted away, bottlenose dolphins rode the bow and Gray whales made another appearance, heightening our anticipation for the days to come.
