Los Islotes & Punta Dispensa, Isla Espiritu Santo
Small islands make big impressions. Pushed south by an eager wind, we arrived this morning off Los Islotes, the islets, where wild waves broke their backs against guano-caked, volcanic boulders. We heard the California sea lions before we saw them. Their barks and yells boomed off rocks and over calmer waters, where our hearty vessel, a sea lion herself, dropped anchor in the lee of the islets. Our Zodiac tours were a ride in a washing machine. Mustang winds toyed with us in a cross-grained sea, yet we played the game well, snapping photos with one hand while holding a line with the other. Blue-footed and brown boobies sailed overhead. A trio of great blue herons stood in the lee. A peregrine falcon made a brief appearance, as studious turkey vultures floated into the sun, made of different weight for different weather. And of course sea lions struck regal poses atop wave-pounded rocks. To find animals so at home in a place we found tumultuous was indescribable, and brought to mind a line from Samuel Johnson: “If somebody has experienced the inexpressible, he or she is under no obligation to express it.”
We then raised the ante and went snorkeling with the sea lions. Our curiosity matched theirs, but our acrobatics did not. Such beautiful swimmers. They spun pirouettes around us, wrapped us in figure-eights, blew bubbles in our faces, and zipped by so fast that only after they were gone did we understand what had happened.
Afternoon found us at the southern end of Isla Espiritu Santo, at Punta Dispensa, a long poem of a beach that invited solo hikes and excursions into desert botany. Our naturalists pointed out pickleweed, agave, and wax plant, plus cholla and cardon cacti. Tracks of jackrabbits crisscrossed the parched soil, taking our imaginations with them. The wind failed to discourage some of us from kayaking along a rocky shore. By the time we returned, the moon was up and the sun was low.
Back on theSea Lion, we gathered on the bridge deck for drinks and treats before another lively recap in the lounge and a buffet dinner of ribs, tuna, and Thai stir fry.
Small islands make big impressions. Pushed south by an eager wind, we arrived this morning off Los Islotes, the islets, where wild waves broke their backs against guano-caked, volcanic boulders. We heard the California sea lions before we saw them. Their barks and yells boomed off rocks and over calmer waters, where our hearty vessel, a sea lion herself, dropped anchor in the lee of the islets. Our Zodiac tours were a ride in a washing machine. Mustang winds toyed with us in a cross-grained sea, yet we played the game well, snapping photos with one hand while holding a line with the other. Blue-footed and brown boobies sailed overhead. A trio of great blue herons stood in the lee. A peregrine falcon made a brief appearance, as studious turkey vultures floated into the sun, made of different weight for different weather. And of course sea lions struck regal poses atop wave-pounded rocks. To find animals so at home in a place we found tumultuous was indescribable, and brought to mind a line from Samuel Johnson: “If somebody has experienced the inexpressible, he or she is under no obligation to express it.”
We then raised the ante and went snorkeling with the sea lions. Our curiosity matched theirs, but our acrobatics did not. Such beautiful swimmers. They spun pirouettes around us, wrapped us in figure-eights, blew bubbles in our faces, and zipped by so fast that only after they were gone did we understand what had happened.
Afternoon found us at the southern end of Isla Espiritu Santo, at Punta Dispensa, a long poem of a beach that invited solo hikes and excursions into desert botany. Our naturalists pointed out pickleweed, agave, and wax plant, plus cholla and cardon cacti. Tracks of jackrabbits crisscrossed the parched soil, taking our imaginations with them. The wind failed to discourage some of us from kayaking along a rocky shore. By the time we returned, the moon was up and the sun was low.
Back on theSea Lion, we gathered on the bridge deck for drinks and treats before another lively recap in the lounge and a buffet dinner of ribs, tuna, and Thai stir fry.
