Cabo San Lucas & Gorda Banks
The Sea Lion cruised southward in the Pacific Ocean during the night. Approaching Friar’s Rocks or “Land’s End” at the extreme tip of the Baja California Peninsula, we were briefly greeted by a breaching humpback whale calf. Captain Carden then brought the ship in for a close(!) look at “El Arco” – the famous sea arch sculpted out of the granitic rocks exposed at the end of this 800-mile long finger of land.
Cabo San Lucas has burgeoned from the sleepy fishing village described by John Steinbeck in A Log from the Sea of Cortez, to a lively tourist destination, replete with resorts, golf courses, bars, and a variety of souvenir shops. Guests from the Sea Lion had an opportunity to snorkel at Pelican Rock in the harbor, or take a ride to an estuary at San Jose del Cabo for some bird watching. Both were rewarding and productive ventures, where we could find respite from the frenzy of the town. But there was still time for shopping for those who wanted to search for the old-time flavor and spirit of Mexico reflected in its colorful folk art from around the country.
We were back on board for lunch and the Sea Lion sailed out of the harbor and took a left. We were now headed for the Sea of Cortez, to the east of the Baja California Peninsula. People rested until the announcement about Jonathan Cooley’s geology presentation. His explanation about how geologists know about what is happening in the earth was interrupted by a competitive group of humpback whales. We watched these animals from the decks as they pursued each other, sometimes passing in close proximity to the Sea Lion.
After about an hour of this excitement, the geology presentation resumed and we continued on our way. However, we were not finished with the humpbacks and during cocktail hour, a mother and calf were spotted, accompanied by a third animal, possibly a male that was interested in mating. Unlike the gray whales, humpbacks are quite shy about this and mating and birthing of humpbacks have not been documented. We observed this trio as it surfaced a few times and then turned our attention to recap and dinner. We were bound northward in the Sea of Cortez, looking forward to another remarkable day tomorrow.
The Sea Lion cruised southward in the Pacific Ocean during the night. Approaching Friar’s Rocks or “Land’s End” at the extreme tip of the Baja California Peninsula, we were briefly greeted by a breaching humpback whale calf. Captain Carden then brought the ship in for a close(!) look at “El Arco” – the famous sea arch sculpted out of the granitic rocks exposed at the end of this 800-mile long finger of land.
Cabo San Lucas has burgeoned from the sleepy fishing village described by John Steinbeck in A Log from the Sea of Cortez, to a lively tourist destination, replete with resorts, golf courses, bars, and a variety of souvenir shops. Guests from the Sea Lion had an opportunity to snorkel at Pelican Rock in the harbor, or take a ride to an estuary at San Jose del Cabo for some bird watching. Both were rewarding and productive ventures, where we could find respite from the frenzy of the town. But there was still time for shopping for those who wanted to search for the old-time flavor and spirit of Mexico reflected in its colorful folk art from around the country.
We were back on board for lunch and the Sea Lion sailed out of the harbor and took a left. We were now headed for the Sea of Cortez, to the east of the Baja California Peninsula. People rested until the announcement about Jonathan Cooley’s geology presentation. His explanation about how geologists know about what is happening in the earth was interrupted by a competitive group of humpback whales. We watched these animals from the decks as they pursued each other, sometimes passing in close proximity to the Sea Lion.
After about an hour of this excitement, the geology presentation resumed and we continued on our way. However, we were not finished with the humpbacks and during cocktail hour, a mother and calf were spotted, accompanied by a third animal, possibly a male that was interested in mating. Unlike the gray whales, humpbacks are quite shy about this and mating and birthing of humpbacks have not been documented. We observed this trio as it surfaced a few times and then turned our attention to recap and dinner. We were bound northward in the Sea of Cortez, looking forward to another remarkable day tomorrow.
