Gulf of California and Isla San Marcos
No matter how many times we have cruised these waters, or if it is our first one, it is impossible to get used to such a beautiful and interesting place, the Gulf of California. So many feelings are awakened with each sunrise, with each glance to the islands or the mountains, and especially when we encounter some of the world’s largest creatures.
This morning, as the sun was rising, we spotted a group of sperm whales breaking the smooth water’s surface. Their particular shapes and blows revealed their identity from a distance. We got closer to find a group of about 18 individuals, mainly females, a calf and a huge male. These leviathans inhabit the productive waters of the Gulf and this area in particular due to the high productivity, the deep waters, and the presence of Humboldt squid, their main diet. We spent a few hours with this group, observing their behavior and getting good looks at their odd shapes and wrinkled skin.
As we moved on, sailing bound to Isla San Marcos, a good–sized group of common dolphins crossed our way; among them, pelicans, shearwaters and other marine birds feasted on the schools of fish. Mobula rays also leaped out of the water, flapping their wings as if they wanted to continue going up, as they splashed back into the ocean.
We spent the afternoon on a nice landing of Isla San Marcos. This island has a gypsum mine which is still working, and has a small population of people who work on the mine. We landed a few miles away from the mine and explored the interesting shoreline of the island by kayaks and Zodiacs. Millions of years of erosion and wave action have created several caves, which we could discover and go into them to experience a whole different perspective of the place. A Bryde’s whale surprised us while cruising these waters, giving us exceptional looks at it. Later on, we hiked up into the arroyos of the island to take a closer look at its interesting geology and wildlife of this desert environment surrounded by sea.
No matter how many times we have cruised these waters, or if it is our first one, it is impossible to get used to such a beautiful and interesting place, the Gulf of California. So many feelings are awakened with each sunrise, with each glance to the islands or the mountains, and especially when we encounter some of the world’s largest creatures.
This morning, as the sun was rising, we spotted a group of sperm whales breaking the smooth water’s surface. Their particular shapes and blows revealed their identity from a distance. We got closer to find a group of about 18 individuals, mainly females, a calf and a huge male. These leviathans inhabit the productive waters of the Gulf and this area in particular due to the high productivity, the deep waters, and the presence of Humboldt squid, their main diet. We spent a few hours with this group, observing their behavior and getting good looks at their odd shapes and wrinkled skin.
As we moved on, sailing bound to Isla San Marcos, a good–sized group of common dolphins crossed our way; among them, pelicans, shearwaters and other marine birds feasted on the schools of fish. Mobula rays also leaped out of the water, flapping their wings as if they wanted to continue going up, as they splashed back into the ocean.
We spent the afternoon on a nice landing of Isla San Marcos. This island has a gypsum mine which is still working, and has a small population of people who work on the mine. We landed a few miles away from the mine and explored the interesting shoreline of the island by kayaks and Zodiacs. Millions of years of erosion and wave action have created several caves, which we could discover and go into them to experience a whole different perspective of the place. A Bryde’s whale surprised us while cruising these waters, giving us exceptional looks at it. Later on, we hiked up into the arroyos of the island to take a closer look at its interesting geology and wildlife of this desert environment surrounded by sea.
