Cabo San Lucas
Today started at the end. Depending on which book you consult or where you begin counting, the Baja Peninsula is somewhere between 700 to 1,000 miles long. Twice the length of Florida. Second only to the Malay Peninsula, as the longest peninsula in the world. Either way, this morning at sunrise we found ourselves at the furthest south point of the peninsula, locally known as Land’s End or Friar’s Rocks. The morning light was bright upon pelicans and frigatebirds, the sentinels of the guardian rocks. The harbor gleamed with white boats and a sky endlessly blue. Some of us chose to explore town on our own, while a large contingent grabbed binoculars to view birds in an estuary, and still others made a first foray into the undersea world, thanks to our wetsuits, masks, snorkels, and fins. By the time we returned from our various adventures, town was alive with mid-day activities and a festive feeling. We departed the protected harbor of Cabo San Lucas as every manner of merriment surrounded us: kayaking, swimming, jet skiing, sport fishing, and parasailing.
As we reached the end again, with another pass at Friar’s Rocks, our exciting afternoon was just beginning. Not far from Cabo, where upwelling offers nutrients aplenty for fish and marine mammals, we found some humpback whales, and spent the entire afternoon in their company. Common dolphins then arrived with great exuberance, leaping and splashing and riding the pressure wave off our bow.
As the sun retired over the thirsty mountains of the Baja California Peninsula, we turned north into the Sea of Cortez, to end with a beginning. The second half of our journey promises sea lions, cacti, and long white beaches on islands rich with endemism, homes to plants and animals that live nowhere else. So tonight we’ll sleep well and prepare for a new day that actually starts at the beginning.
Today started at the end. Depending on which book you consult or where you begin counting, the Baja Peninsula is somewhere between 700 to 1,000 miles long. Twice the length of Florida. Second only to the Malay Peninsula, as the longest peninsula in the world. Either way, this morning at sunrise we found ourselves at the furthest south point of the peninsula, locally known as Land’s End or Friar’s Rocks. The morning light was bright upon pelicans and frigatebirds, the sentinels of the guardian rocks. The harbor gleamed with white boats and a sky endlessly blue. Some of us chose to explore town on our own, while a large contingent grabbed binoculars to view birds in an estuary, and still others made a first foray into the undersea world, thanks to our wetsuits, masks, snorkels, and fins. By the time we returned from our various adventures, town was alive with mid-day activities and a festive feeling. We departed the protected harbor of Cabo San Lucas as every manner of merriment surrounded us: kayaking, swimming, jet skiing, sport fishing, and parasailing.
As we reached the end again, with another pass at Friar’s Rocks, our exciting afternoon was just beginning. Not far from Cabo, where upwelling offers nutrients aplenty for fish and marine mammals, we found some humpback whales, and spent the entire afternoon in their company. Common dolphins then arrived with great exuberance, leaping and splashing and riding the pressure wave off our bow.
As the sun retired over the thirsty mountains of the Baja California Peninsula, we turned north into the Sea of Cortez, to end with a beginning. The second half of our journey promises sea lions, cacti, and long white beaches on islands rich with endemism, homes to plants and animals that live nowhere else. So tonight we’ll sleep well and prepare for a new day that actually starts at the beginning.
