San Marcos Island and offshore waters
You know that it is going to be a good day when you are able to watch a large group of dolphins way before breakfast. And that is exactly what we did this morning as we encountered a large group of long-beaked common dolphins, the fifth species of marine mammal that we have seen on this voyage. After following them for a while, we sailed to San Marcos Island where we hiked and experienced the rugged beauty of one of its many canyons. Desert lavender, old-man cactus and palo blanco tree were among the few hardy plant species that call this dry place home, together with side-blotched lizards, antelope squirrels and turkey vultures. However, the scarcity of terrestrial life forms in the island is totally the opposite to its shores; huge anchovy schools were just a few feet offshore, and the entire coastline was covered by brown pelicans, Hermann’s gulls and cormorants. Humboldt’s squids were seen feeding at the surface, chasing the anchovies and catching them with their long, muscular arms and tentacles.
Around midday, the Sea Voyager departed her anchorage and sailed offshore looking for marine mammals. And it wasn’t long before we spotted an even larger group of long-beaked common dolphins than the one earlier in the morning. Although they were busy chasing some kind of small schooling fish, many individuals repeatedly swam alongside the ship and we got excellent views of their beautiful colors and streamlined figures; we even saw the abundance of remoras that many individuals carried attached to their bodies, like the one in the picture.
We returned to San Marcos Island for a nice afternoon of kayaking. The anchovy schools were still there, and the pelicans and gulls seemed determined to eat all of them. Thousands of pelicans, literally, seemed to dominate the scene, their plunge-diving resembling an avalanche of brown rocks hitting the water. With so much eating around, we too enjoyed a delicious dinner ashore, while the sun continued its journey behind the magnificent Sierra de la Giganta.
You know that it is going to be a good day when you are able to watch a large group of dolphins way before breakfast. And that is exactly what we did this morning as we encountered a large group of long-beaked common dolphins, the fifth species of marine mammal that we have seen on this voyage. After following them for a while, we sailed to San Marcos Island where we hiked and experienced the rugged beauty of one of its many canyons. Desert lavender, old-man cactus and palo blanco tree were among the few hardy plant species that call this dry place home, together with side-blotched lizards, antelope squirrels and turkey vultures. However, the scarcity of terrestrial life forms in the island is totally the opposite to its shores; huge anchovy schools were just a few feet offshore, and the entire coastline was covered by brown pelicans, Hermann’s gulls and cormorants. Humboldt’s squids were seen feeding at the surface, chasing the anchovies and catching them with their long, muscular arms and tentacles.
Around midday, the Sea Voyager departed her anchorage and sailed offshore looking for marine mammals. And it wasn’t long before we spotted an even larger group of long-beaked common dolphins than the one earlier in the morning. Although they were busy chasing some kind of small schooling fish, many individuals repeatedly swam alongside the ship and we got excellent views of their beautiful colors and streamlined figures; we even saw the abundance of remoras that many individuals carried attached to their bodies, like the one in the picture.
We returned to San Marcos Island for a nice afternoon of kayaking. The anchovy schools were still there, and the pelicans and gulls seemed determined to eat all of them. Thousands of pelicans, literally, seemed to dominate the scene, their plunge-diving resembling an avalanche of brown rocks hitting the water. With so much eating around, we too enjoyed a delicious dinner ashore, while the sun continued its journey behind the magnificent Sierra de la Giganta.
