Los Islotes and Isla Espiritu Santo
When the first sun rays broke the sky, they painted the guano frosted islets of Los Islotes with gold. Here a wonderful display of life was underway. California sea lions waking up, growling and barking at their mates, the athletic ones already in the water stretching and being curious by chasing the Zodiacs, brown and blue footed boobies flying around the island hoping to catch some breakfast, two peregrine falcons perched at the light tower keeping an eye on all their neighbors as possible prays, great blue herons seating on their nests and enjoying the view. A single red bill tropic bird flying in circles trying to land on the islet, every character having an ordinary day at Los Islotes. But something very different caught our attention. There is a yellow footed gull eating something; it may be a sally light foot crab, or wait, it looks like a bird! Yes! It's a bird! I can see a wing sticking out of its beak. It swallowed it whole! Someone else in the Zodiacs says they are catching another one behind us, another yellow footed gull trapping a storm petrel in flight, but what is happening? No one had seen this before. What a strange thing to see petrels, which are nocturnal, flying out during the day when they are most vulnerable. The mystery wasn’t solved, but a good picture was taken.
As we were making our way to Bahia Bonanza in Isla Espiritu Santo, a fleet of beautiful mobulas (small manta rays) swam by the Sea Lion, blessed by perfect water conditions. We were able to capture their beauty with cameras. Not much longer after that water ballet, three blue whales were spotted in the horizon. What a magical moment to have such close views of these colossal creatures.
And if that hadn’t been enough, we spent the rest of the afternoon hiking, kayaking and singing around a bonfire during our beach BBQ.
When the first sun rays broke the sky, they painted the guano frosted islets of Los Islotes with gold. Here a wonderful display of life was underway. California sea lions waking up, growling and barking at their mates, the athletic ones already in the water stretching and being curious by chasing the Zodiacs, brown and blue footed boobies flying around the island hoping to catch some breakfast, two peregrine falcons perched at the light tower keeping an eye on all their neighbors as possible prays, great blue herons seating on their nests and enjoying the view. A single red bill tropic bird flying in circles trying to land on the islet, every character having an ordinary day at Los Islotes. But something very different caught our attention. There is a yellow footed gull eating something; it may be a sally light foot crab, or wait, it looks like a bird! Yes! It's a bird! I can see a wing sticking out of its beak. It swallowed it whole! Someone else in the Zodiacs says they are catching another one behind us, another yellow footed gull trapping a storm petrel in flight, but what is happening? No one had seen this before. What a strange thing to see petrels, which are nocturnal, flying out during the day when they are most vulnerable. The mystery wasn’t solved, but a good picture was taken.
As we were making our way to Bahia Bonanza in Isla Espiritu Santo, a fleet of beautiful mobulas (small manta rays) swam by the Sea Lion, blessed by perfect water conditions. We were able to capture their beauty with cameras. Not much longer after that water ballet, three blue whales were spotted in the horizon. What a magical moment to have such close views of these colossal creatures.
And if that hadn’t been enough, we spent the rest of the afternoon hiking, kayaking and singing around a bonfire during our beach BBQ.
