San Pedro Martir Island and offshore waters
The first day of our expedition couldn’t start in a better way. Shortly after sunrise, the Sea Voyager anchored at San Pedro Martir Island, the most isolated island in the Gulf of California. Located pretty much midway between the Baja California peninsula and mainland Mexico, the island is also close to the three most important upwelling areas in the Gulf. As a result, San Pedro Martir is an oasis of life and an important nesting place for at least eight species of marine birds. We soon got up close and personal with the wonders around the island by circumnavigating it using the Zodiacs. Being home of the third-largest nesting colony of blue-footed boobies in the world and Mexico’s largest nesting site of brown boobies, the impressive guano-covered cliffs seemed peppered by thousands of those birds. Brown pelicans gathered in large numbers all around the coastline, and even the occasional peregrine falcon was seen patrolling its territory. Numerous California sea lions raised their heads to watch us or even followed the Zodiacs as we passed by their rookeries.
After returning to the ship, we raised the anchor and sailed to the deep waters around the island. Sure enough, several groups of bottlenose dolphins and sperm whales were soon spotted, and we spent most of the afternoon watching them. Sperm whales were seen in many directions around the ship, and we were able to watch a number of interesting behaviors, like spy-hopping, breaching and lob-tailing. A very young sperm whale baby approached the ship for a closer look and once convinced that the Sea Voyager didn’t resemble mom that much, swam away looking for her. Bottlenose dolphins were bow-riding the pressure wave caused by the moving ship and left us marveled by their speed and grace. Even during dinner some more dolphins where still swimming around us! I can’t think of a better way to start the trip!
The first day of our expedition couldn’t start in a better way. Shortly after sunrise, the Sea Voyager anchored at San Pedro Martir Island, the most isolated island in the Gulf of California. Located pretty much midway between the Baja California peninsula and mainland Mexico, the island is also close to the three most important upwelling areas in the Gulf. As a result, San Pedro Martir is an oasis of life and an important nesting place for at least eight species of marine birds. We soon got up close and personal with the wonders around the island by circumnavigating it using the Zodiacs. Being home of the third-largest nesting colony of blue-footed boobies in the world and Mexico’s largest nesting site of brown boobies, the impressive guano-covered cliffs seemed peppered by thousands of those birds. Brown pelicans gathered in large numbers all around the coastline, and even the occasional peregrine falcon was seen patrolling its territory. Numerous California sea lions raised their heads to watch us or even followed the Zodiacs as we passed by their rookeries.
After returning to the ship, we raised the anchor and sailed to the deep waters around the island. Sure enough, several groups of bottlenose dolphins and sperm whales were soon spotted, and we spent most of the afternoon watching them. Sperm whales were seen in many directions around the ship, and we were able to watch a number of interesting behaviors, like spy-hopping, breaching and lob-tailing. A very young sperm whale baby approached the ship for a closer look and once convinced that the Sea Voyager didn’t resemble mom that much, swam away looking for her. Bottlenose dolphins were bow-riding the pressure wave caused by the moving ship and left us marveled by their speed and grace. Even during dinner some more dolphins where still swimming around us! I can’t think of a better way to start the trip!
