Angel de la Guarda Island, and Bahia Alcatraz
As we progress into the summer, the weather in the Gulf of California is getting better and better. We confirmed this in the morning as we disembarked in the northernmost tip of Isla Angel de la Guarda, for hikes and kayaking. The light breeze and calm water made the kayaking very enjoyable, with sights of the dramatic and steep profile of the island’s coastline. At the same time, those on land experienced a delightful hike over a flat valley covered with saltgrasses and brittlebush. On the foothills, we also saw many elephant trees as the dominant plants, and the impressive erosion around magmatic chambers of old dead volcanos (or maybe around vertical intrusions of magma called dikes), mute testimony of violent volcanic phases during and after the formation of the island. A lot of signs and tracks from different animals were also present on the the sand dunes,
By the late morning we repositioned our ship Sea Voyager just few hundred yards north, to an islet called Granito (Granite!). Once there, we conducted a long snorkeling session among the California sea lions. Males, females and numerous immature individuals were present at the location. The newborn pups were noisy and busy playing or learning to swim. Some adults got very close to us, so our guest observed details of their anatomy, like the strong pectoral fins and the “sagital crests” of several bulls.
This day of pleasant water sports was finished on a beautiful landscape and beach in the Baja peninsula, location known as Bahia Alcatraz. For dinner, our crew prepared a BBQ and a bonfire on the beach. Howling coyotes in the distance closed our day of exploration in the Sea of Cortes.
As we progress into the summer, the weather in the Gulf of California is getting better and better. We confirmed this in the morning as we disembarked in the northernmost tip of Isla Angel de la Guarda, for hikes and kayaking. The light breeze and calm water made the kayaking very enjoyable, with sights of the dramatic and steep profile of the island’s coastline. At the same time, those on land experienced a delightful hike over a flat valley covered with saltgrasses and brittlebush. On the foothills, we also saw many elephant trees as the dominant plants, and the impressive erosion around magmatic chambers of old dead volcanos (or maybe around vertical intrusions of magma called dikes), mute testimony of violent volcanic phases during and after the formation of the island. A lot of signs and tracks from different animals were also present on the the sand dunes,
By the late morning we repositioned our ship Sea Voyager just few hundred yards north, to an islet called Granito (Granite!). Once there, we conducted a long snorkeling session among the California sea lions. Males, females and numerous immature individuals were present at the location. The newborn pups were noisy and busy playing or learning to swim. Some adults got very close to us, so our guest observed details of their anatomy, like the strong pectoral fins and the “sagital crests” of several bulls.
This day of pleasant water sports was finished on a beautiful landscape and beach in the Baja peninsula, location known as Bahia Alcatraz. For dinner, our crew prepared a BBQ and a bonfire on the beach. Howling coyotes in the distance closed our day of exploration in the Sea of Cortes.
