Isla Del Carmen, Baja California, Mexico
Early morning found us circling in the waters north of Isla del Carmen, a large island in the Gulf of California. We were searching for marine mammals and were promptly rewarded. Dolphins! And they were very playful as they came to our ship and rode our bow. Oh, and they jumped into the air, singly and in groups! In awe, the luckiest of the photographers among us managed to freeze three of these sleek cetaceans as they jumped synchronously high into the air. Later we encountered a pod of rare-to-see members of the dolphin family, the short-finned pilot whale. But did we deserve to be awed? Maybe not, as up to 35 different species of cetaceans have been confirmed to occur here in the Gulf of California.
After lunch, we landed at Puerto Balandra on the northwest corner of Isla del Carmen. Through the 18th and into the 19th century, the deep waters of this bay allowed sloops to enter, whereupon they were loaded to the maximum with a most valuable cargo: sea salt. From evaporation ponds on the northeast side of the island six miles away, the salt was hauled in carts pulled by mules. It was a labour-intensive operation, but the sun’s energy in evaporating the sea water was the real workhorse.
In this arroyo we hiked and studied the interesting plants adapted to harsh desert conditions and identified the tracks of jackrabbits, desert bighorn sheep and even of feral cats. Kayakers also set off to explore the bay and some of us cooled in the clear ocean water.
But that was not all! As dusk approached, we enjoyed a beach barbecue, with a fantastic sunset over the mountains of the Sierra de la Giganta, which form much of the Peninsula of Baja California Sur. As darkness fell, twinkling lights of the large town of Loreto blended beautifully with those of our anchored ship. Loreto was the first of all the Jesuit missions of both Alta and Baja California. It was also the first capital of the state of Baja California.
Story telling, singing and star-gazing on the warm beach followed into the evening. Even Saturn showed us its amazing rings!
Early morning found us circling in the waters north of Isla del Carmen, a large island in the Gulf of California. We were searching for marine mammals and were promptly rewarded. Dolphins! And they were very playful as they came to our ship and rode our bow. Oh, and they jumped into the air, singly and in groups! In awe, the luckiest of the photographers among us managed to freeze three of these sleek cetaceans as they jumped synchronously high into the air. Later we encountered a pod of rare-to-see members of the dolphin family, the short-finned pilot whale. But did we deserve to be awed? Maybe not, as up to 35 different species of cetaceans have been confirmed to occur here in the Gulf of California.
After lunch, we landed at Puerto Balandra on the northwest corner of Isla del Carmen. Through the 18th and into the 19th century, the deep waters of this bay allowed sloops to enter, whereupon they were loaded to the maximum with a most valuable cargo: sea salt. From evaporation ponds on the northeast side of the island six miles away, the salt was hauled in carts pulled by mules. It was a labour-intensive operation, but the sun’s energy in evaporating the sea water was the real workhorse.
In this arroyo we hiked and studied the interesting plants adapted to harsh desert conditions and identified the tracks of jackrabbits, desert bighorn sheep and even of feral cats. Kayakers also set off to explore the bay and some of us cooled in the clear ocean water.
But that was not all! As dusk approached, we enjoyed a beach barbecue, with a fantastic sunset over the mountains of the Sierra de la Giganta, which form much of the Peninsula of Baja California Sur. As darkness fell, twinkling lights of the large town of Loreto blended beautifully with those of our anchored ship. Loreto was the first of all the Jesuit missions of both Alta and Baja California. It was also the first capital of the state of Baja California.
Story telling, singing and star-gazing on the warm beach followed into the evening. Even Saturn showed us its amazing rings!
