San Esteban and Rasa Islands
The Midriff Region of the Gulf of California is a very exciting area. First of all, it lies in the narrowest part of the gulf. Second, it is characterized by the occurrence of upwelling and great currents, creating a lot of water mixing. Third, its marine richness is exceptional. And fourth, the islands that form this region are among the most interesting because of the presence of different unique plant and animal species. For example, this morning we explored the arroyo Limantur on San Esteban Island. All hikers had the opportunity to observe two of the most beautiful reptile species of the island: the “Pinto” chuckwalla and the spiny-tailed iguana or “garrobo.”
As we progressed inland, we watched the iguanas climbing the tall cardon cacti to reach the fleshy and nutritious fruits. The inner pinkish tissue of the fruits is a magnet for these animals, and they take great chunks of them regardless of the spiny shell that protects the fruit. Many iguanas were seen atop the cacti, as if they were parts of them, like in the picture shown here. Also, several chuckwallas were seen hidden under the canopy of the jumping cholla cacti, perfectly camouflaged between the contrasting patterns of orange dry stems, shadows, and lights.
In the afternoon, the Sea Voyager sailed towards Rasa Island. This place is special, because every spring hundreds of thousands of Heerman’s gulls and elegant and royal terns meet here to nest and raise their chicks. By this time, however, most chicks have almost reached adult size and are ready to fledge. Our guests hiked there lead by our naturalists, and the birds didn’t show great fear but stayed alert and sometimes were in a bad mood from the human presence.
When we just left Rasa, our sixth marine mammal appeared. It was a solitary fin whale, probably exploring these deep and rich waters in search of plankton, its most important food. We stayed for a time, and later common dolphins and more sperm whales were sighted in the distance. At the end of the day, there was a general feeling that, in fact, the Gulf of California is a great, great place.
The Midriff Region of the Gulf of California is a very exciting area. First of all, it lies in the narrowest part of the gulf. Second, it is characterized by the occurrence of upwelling and great currents, creating a lot of water mixing. Third, its marine richness is exceptional. And fourth, the islands that form this region are among the most interesting because of the presence of different unique plant and animal species. For example, this morning we explored the arroyo Limantur on San Esteban Island. All hikers had the opportunity to observe two of the most beautiful reptile species of the island: the “Pinto” chuckwalla and the spiny-tailed iguana or “garrobo.”
As we progressed inland, we watched the iguanas climbing the tall cardon cacti to reach the fleshy and nutritious fruits. The inner pinkish tissue of the fruits is a magnet for these animals, and they take great chunks of them regardless of the spiny shell that protects the fruit. Many iguanas were seen atop the cacti, as if they were parts of them, like in the picture shown here. Also, several chuckwallas were seen hidden under the canopy of the jumping cholla cacti, perfectly camouflaged between the contrasting patterns of orange dry stems, shadows, and lights.
In the afternoon, the Sea Voyager sailed towards Rasa Island. This place is special, because every spring hundreds of thousands of Heerman’s gulls and elegant and royal terns meet here to nest and raise their chicks. By this time, however, most chicks have almost reached adult size and are ready to fledge. Our guests hiked there lead by our naturalists, and the birds didn’t show great fear but stayed alert and sometimes were in a bad mood from the human presence.
When we just left Rasa, our sixth marine mammal appeared. It was a solitary fin whale, probably exploring these deep and rich waters in search of plankton, its most important food. We stayed for a time, and later common dolphins and more sperm whales were sighted in the distance. At the end of the day, there was a general feeling that, in fact, the Gulf of California is a great, great place.
