Magdalena Bay
Today we entered the realm of the gray whale. Mountains of two islands bracket the main entrance to this vast bay which is the southernmost of the gray whale breeding lagoons. ‘La Entrada’ is known as a gray whale ‘singles bar’ where adults sometimes court and mate. We saw many blows from pairs and trios of whales. Schools of small fish made ripples on the surface, and birds were abundant in this area of productive water.
A short distance to the north, the mountains of Isla Magdalena give way to sand dunes. We stepped ashore onto this luxuriously soft sand. Some of us walked south, searching for birds along the bay’s shoreline, and the rest of us headed west and walked across the sand dunes. There were perfectly sculpted, elegant dunes, and steep, small dunes topped with vegetation. The larger dunes begged to be climbed, so we did, then jumped down over the steep face. There were piles of shells amongst the dunes; clams, scallops, cockles and murex. And we found tracks of coyotes, jackrabbits, mice and beetles. The wind continuously erases tracks, and it even moves the dunes, sand grain by sand grain. We reached Sand Dollar beach, and if the dollars had been currency, we’d be rich.
Lunch was served on the sun deck as we began our journey north through Hull Canal. A local pilot guided Sea Lion up this very shallow, narrow channel which separates Isla Magdalena from the Baja peninsula. Sand dunes gave way to mangroves, and pelicans, frigatebirds and cormorants roosted atop the small trees. Along the mud flats there were egrets, herons, ibises and shorebirds of all shapes and sizes. By late afternoon, we reached the northern end of the channel, a place called ‘La Florida,’ which is a gray whale nursery. The ship slowed down again and again as we passed pairs of mothers and calves. Most of the calves were weeks old, some may have been only days old. We ooohed and aaahed with each new sighting. We will spend the next two days amongst these great whales.
Today we entered the realm of the gray whale. Mountains of two islands bracket the main entrance to this vast bay which is the southernmost of the gray whale breeding lagoons. ‘La Entrada’ is known as a gray whale ‘singles bar’ where adults sometimes court and mate. We saw many blows from pairs and trios of whales. Schools of small fish made ripples on the surface, and birds were abundant in this area of productive water.
A short distance to the north, the mountains of Isla Magdalena give way to sand dunes. We stepped ashore onto this luxuriously soft sand. Some of us walked south, searching for birds along the bay’s shoreline, and the rest of us headed west and walked across the sand dunes. There were perfectly sculpted, elegant dunes, and steep, small dunes topped with vegetation. The larger dunes begged to be climbed, so we did, then jumped down over the steep face. There were piles of shells amongst the dunes; clams, scallops, cockles and murex. And we found tracks of coyotes, jackrabbits, mice and beetles. The wind continuously erases tracks, and it even moves the dunes, sand grain by sand grain. We reached Sand Dollar beach, and if the dollars had been currency, we’d be rich.
Lunch was served on the sun deck as we began our journey north through Hull Canal. A local pilot guided Sea Lion up this very shallow, narrow channel which separates Isla Magdalena from the Baja peninsula. Sand dunes gave way to mangroves, and pelicans, frigatebirds and cormorants roosted atop the small trees. Along the mud flats there were egrets, herons, ibises and shorebirds of all shapes and sizes. By late afternoon, we reached the northern end of the channel, a place called ‘La Florida,’ which is a gray whale nursery. The ship slowed down again and again as we passed pairs of mothers and calves. Most of the calves were weeks old, some may have been only days old. We ooohed and aaahed with each new sighting. We will spend the next two days amongst these great whales.
