San Esteban and Isla Rasa islands
Today we woke up anchored at the east side of Isla San Esteban, where we planed to go ashore trying to find the famous endemic pinto chuckwalla and other species of reptiles.
After breakfast, Alberto offered three different kinds of walks. The long walk, lead by Vicky, the medium and bird-oriented walk lead by Bryan, and one group lead by Carlos and Octavio, this being the short walk. On the beach we saw the endemic yellow footed gulls and American oystercatchers. During the hikes, everybody had a good chance to see at least the two more conspicuous species of reptiles of the island, the pinto chuckwalla and the spiny-tailed lizard. As is normal, both of these spectacular lizards were found in association with different species of cacti; the chuckwalla with pitahaya agria (galloping cactus) and the spiny-tailed with the towering cardon cactus. Sweet fruits of the cardon were bursting open, revealing tiny black seeds imbedded in succulent tissue. The lizards were happy!
This was a warm morning, and some of our guests took the opportunity to swim from the fantail of the Sea Voyager when we got back to the ship. The water was perfect!
During the afternoon, Bryan Gates gathered everyone into the cool lounge and presented a slide program on the ecology of seabirds. With the tide high, his presentation ended in time for us to hop into the Zodiacs and visit Isla Rasa, our afternoon destination. Some of us cruised along the shoreline, admiring the thousands of young Heermann’s Gulls and Elegant and Royal terns. Others took the opportunity to go ashore and see this spectacular concentration of seabirds in their traditional nesting habitat. Evidence of past guano mining on this island was clear. Hundreds of rock piles and linear ridges still remain from the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is estimated that up to 65,000 tons of guano were removed from this tiny, flat island. Now it is protected. The birds will continue here…for many generations.
Today we woke up anchored at the east side of Isla San Esteban, where we planed to go ashore trying to find the famous endemic pinto chuckwalla and other species of reptiles.
After breakfast, Alberto offered three different kinds of walks. The long walk, lead by Vicky, the medium and bird-oriented walk lead by Bryan, and one group lead by Carlos and Octavio, this being the short walk. On the beach we saw the endemic yellow footed gulls and American oystercatchers. During the hikes, everybody had a good chance to see at least the two more conspicuous species of reptiles of the island, the pinto chuckwalla and the spiny-tailed lizard. As is normal, both of these spectacular lizards were found in association with different species of cacti; the chuckwalla with pitahaya agria (galloping cactus) and the spiny-tailed with the towering cardon cactus. Sweet fruits of the cardon were bursting open, revealing tiny black seeds imbedded in succulent tissue. The lizards were happy!
This was a warm morning, and some of our guests took the opportunity to swim from the fantail of the Sea Voyager when we got back to the ship. The water was perfect!
During the afternoon, Bryan Gates gathered everyone into the cool lounge and presented a slide program on the ecology of seabirds. With the tide high, his presentation ended in time for us to hop into the Zodiacs and visit Isla Rasa, our afternoon destination. Some of us cruised along the shoreline, admiring the thousands of young Heermann’s Gulls and Elegant and Royal terns. Others took the opportunity to go ashore and see this spectacular concentration of seabirds in their traditional nesting habitat. Evidence of past guano mining on this island was clear. Hundreds of rock piles and linear ridges still remain from the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is estimated that up to 65,000 tons of guano were removed from this tiny, flat island. Now it is protected. The birds will continue here…for many generations.
