Los Islotes & Isla Espiritu Santo
After an entire week of sun and sea, desert plants and colorful fishes, exploration and relaxation, we arrived at today. Although it was our last day together, we wasted no time packing, choosing instead to snorkel with sea lions, search for desert reptiles and paddle our kayaks on a turquoise bay.
This morning we awoke to our sixth marine mammal species of the voyage, a humpback mother and calf, splashing in the distance. After several breaches, the animals quieted and we watched their graceful surfacing, breathing and fluke-up dives. Our next stop was the small rocky islets at the northern tip of Espiritu Santo Island, know as Los Islotes. Here we cruised by Zodiac for close-up photos of the California sea lions hauled out on the rocky ledges, brightly colored Sally Lightfoot crabs and hundreds of seabirds nesting on the cliffs. Huge swarms of euphausids, or krill, coalesced at the surface, as hungry herring darted in for a snack. This mass of food attracted both plunge-diving pelicans, and curious Zodiac cruisers, dipping bills and hands into the writhing sea. We spent the remainder of our morning peering at the wonderful world beneath the sea’s surface through mask and snorkel. Curious sea lions offered to teach us how to swim, while the schools of herring continued to flash through the water.
The turquoise waters of Ensenada Grande tempted us this afternoon. After a gorgeous Zodiac ride to the beach, we set out on hikes up the arroyo where we found many reptiles and thirsty desert plants. Others chose to explore by water and paddled the perimeter of the bay in the trusty sea kayaks. The warm, shallow water was too inviting, and the water babies among us went for one last swim. As Sam and Hillary said, “this was the best day.”
After an entire week of sun and sea, desert plants and colorful fishes, exploration and relaxation, we arrived at today. Although it was our last day together, we wasted no time packing, choosing instead to snorkel with sea lions, search for desert reptiles and paddle our kayaks on a turquoise bay.
This morning we awoke to our sixth marine mammal species of the voyage, a humpback mother and calf, splashing in the distance. After several breaches, the animals quieted and we watched their graceful surfacing, breathing and fluke-up dives. Our next stop was the small rocky islets at the northern tip of Espiritu Santo Island, know as Los Islotes. Here we cruised by Zodiac for close-up photos of the California sea lions hauled out on the rocky ledges, brightly colored Sally Lightfoot crabs and hundreds of seabirds nesting on the cliffs. Huge swarms of euphausids, or krill, coalesced at the surface, as hungry herring darted in for a snack. This mass of food attracted both plunge-diving pelicans, and curious Zodiac cruisers, dipping bills and hands into the writhing sea. We spent the remainder of our morning peering at the wonderful world beneath the sea’s surface through mask and snorkel. Curious sea lions offered to teach us how to swim, while the schools of herring continued to flash through the water.
The turquoise waters of Ensenada Grande tempted us this afternoon. After a gorgeous Zodiac ride to the beach, we set out on hikes up the arroyo where we found many reptiles and thirsty desert plants. Others chose to explore by water and paddled the perimeter of the bay in the trusty sea kayaks. The warm, shallow water was too inviting, and the water babies among us went for one last swim. As Sam and Hillary said, “this was the best day.”
