Cabo San Lucas and Gorda Banks
Upon rounding the tip of the Baja Peninsula, we, the guests of Sea Lion, arrived into the rich marine world of the Gulf of California, completely immersing ourselves, both literally and figuratively.
It started early this morning as the sun rose in spectacular fashion, a giant red ball over Finisterra, or “Land’s End.” These wind and water shaped rocks mark not only the southern most point of the Baja Peninsula but also the entrance into Cabo San Lucas, a tourist mecca and the spring-break haven of Baja. Passed by sport boat upon sport boat, we gently bobbed with the ocean swells, taking in the scenery. As we followed these towering rocks from their bird crowned tops to the waters edge, thoughts and questions of what lives in the underwater environment of Baja invade our minds. Images of great sharks and brilliant coral reefs come first (after all we are in the tropics), but are quickly shaken away, as more realistic ideas arise. Will we see sea lions swimming? Are the fish friendly here? What kinds of whales live in the Sea of Cortez? Today we would discover answers to many of these questions.
The undersea world of Baja is an interesting mix between temperate and tropical environments. The sea stays relatively cool, providing a wonderful environment for the proliferation of plankton, both zoo and phyto, which creates a cloudy effect in the water. This is a sharp contrast to the crystal clear waters found elsewhere in the tropics, but as a rule of thumb, the more clear the water is, the less life there is in it. The abundance of nutrients and animals in the water is essential to support the rocky reef system that surrounds the Baja Peninsula. There are filter feeding worms and urchins and many species of fish that rely on the small plants and crustations as food. Yet, hidden in the protected nooks and crannies of the rocks and boulders there is an inkling of the true tropical reef, as small populations of corals and sea fans find shelter, and some typically tropical fish, such as the Moorish Idol, nip away at the algae that covers the rocks.
It is not only small creatures that abound here, and as the title of our expedition suggests, we are among the great whales. The Sea of Cortez is home to as many as many as 15 species of cetaceans, maintaining their presence here sometimes for only a few months, during the breeding or calving season, or year around, finding everything they need within this aquatic environment. Today we were graced by the presence of Humpback Whales, as two, sometimes three, whales encircled the ship for over an hour. Rambunctious in their play, flukes were lobbed, and bodies thrown to and fro. Yet in the quiet moments, the whales cruised quietly along the hull of the ship, splaying their bodies out for all to see in a gentle ballet.
We sail northward into the Gulf of California feeling content in the answers we have attained today, but know that tomorrow we will have to delve deeper, both above and below the surface, searching for more.
Upon rounding the tip of the Baja Peninsula, we, the guests of Sea Lion, arrived into the rich marine world of the Gulf of California, completely immersing ourselves, both literally and figuratively.
It started early this morning as the sun rose in spectacular fashion, a giant red ball over Finisterra, or “Land’s End.” These wind and water shaped rocks mark not only the southern most point of the Baja Peninsula but also the entrance into Cabo San Lucas, a tourist mecca and the spring-break haven of Baja. Passed by sport boat upon sport boat, we gently bobbed with the ocean swells, taking in the scenery. As we followed these towering rocks from their bird crowned tops to the waters edge, thoughts and questions of what lives in the underwater environment of Baja invade our minds. Images of great sharks and brilliant coral reefs come first (after all we are in the tropics), but are quickly shaken away, as more realistic ideas arise. Will we see sea lions swimming? Are the fish friendly here? What kinds of whales live in the Sea of Cortez? Today we would discover answers to many of these questions.
The undersea world of Baja is an interesting mix between temperate and tropical environments. The sea stays relatively cool, providing a wonderful environment for the proliferation of plankton, both zoo and phyto, which creates a cloudy effect in the water. This is a sharp contrast to the crystal clear waters found elsewhere in the tropics, but as a rule of thumb, the more clear the water is, the less life there is in it. The abundance of nutrients and animals in the water is essential to support the rocky reef system that surrounds the Baja Peninsula. There are filter feeding worms and urchins and many species of fish that rely on the small plants and crustations as food. Yet, hidden in the protected nooks and crannies of the rocks and boulders there is an inkling of the true tropical reef, as small populations of corals and sea fans find shelter, and some typically tropical fish, such as the Moorish Idol, nip away at the algae that covers the rocks.
It is not only small creatures that abound here, and as the title of our expedition suggests, we are among the great whales. The Sea of Cortez is home to as many as many as 15 species of cetaceans, maintaining their presence here sometimes for only a few months, during the breeding or calving season, or year around, finding everything they need within this aquatic environment. Today we were graced by the presence of Humpback Whales, as two, sometimes three, whales encircled the ship for over an hour. Rambunctious in their play, flukes were lobbed, and bodies thrown to and fro. Yet in the quiet moments, the whales cruised quietly along the hull of the ship, splaying their bodies out for all to see in a gentle ballet.
We sail northward into the Gulf of California feeling content in the answers we have attained today, but know that tomorrow we will have to delve deeper, both above and below the surface, searching for more.
