Isla Partida Norte & Isla Rasa
We awakened to the soft voice of our Expedition Leader informing us that many dolphins had been sighted and were not far away. We scrambled up and out on to the deck of the Sea Voyager, binoculars and cameras in hand. This is often how a typical morning in the Gulf of California begins.
The common dolphin is found in large numbers here and this group might have been resting or socializing after spending time feeding on small fish or squid. The surface of the sea was flat, allowing us to easily see their graceful fluid movements. Several rode the pressure wave that the bow created as it pushed through the seas. They careened and twisted their sleek bodies this way and that as if to get a better look at us as we stretched out over the railing of the ship to get a better look at them.
Our morning was just getting started as we headed to Isla Partida Norte where we planned to kayak, walk ashore and cruise around the island in our Zodiacs. The kayakers out-numbered the cruisers and hikers and they had plenty of time to circumnavigate the island at a leisurely pace. A quick but refreshing dip into the water from the stern of our ship cooled us off nicely after our morning activities.
By afternoon, we were headed south towards Isla Rasa but before we could get there, we were distracted by the appearance of large marine mammals. We know from past experience, that if we ask one of our expedition staff to give a talk, marine mammals show up. It worked like a charm. Several fin whales appeared at the surface, their gusty blows echoing through the still air. We approached slowly with caution and curiosity and they seemed unaffected by our presence. Eventually, we had to turn away and continue onto Isla Rasa. The small channel that leads into the lagoon of the island can only be successfully navigated when the tide is relatively high so timing was crucial.
Isla Rasa is a most amazing island because it’s barely a mile long and half a mile wide but yet 95 % of the world’s Heerman’s gulls and elegant terns nest here every year. This island was heavily exploited in the past by guano miners and egg collectors and eventually was declared a marine bird sanctuary by the Mexican Government in 1964. While we waited for the rising tide, a Zodiac cruise around the island gave us the opportunity to photograph and observe many of the gulls and terns in flight. Once ashore, we walked amongst the nests of the Heerman’s gulls, picking our path carefully to avoid stepping on the hundreds of eggs that surrounded us.
The sun was just setting behind the hills of the far off peninsula as we motored back to our ship, tired, but filled with a deep sense of awe and appreciation of everything that Baja had offered to us this day.
We awakened to the soft voice of our Expedition Leader informing us that many dolphins had been sighted and were not far away. We scrambled up and out on to the deck of the Sea Voyager, binoculars and cameras in hand. This is often how a typical morning in the Gulf of California begins.
The common dolphin is found in large numbers here and this group might have been resting or socializing after spending time feeding on small fish or squid. The surface of the sea was flat, allowing us to easily see their graceful fluid movements. Several rode the pressure wave that the bow created as it pushed through the seas. They careened and twisted their sleek bodies this way and that as if to get a better look at us as we stretched out over the railing of the ship to get a better look at them.
Our morning was just getting started as we headed to Isla Partida Norte where we planned to kayak, walk ashore and cruise around the island in our Zodiacs. The kayakers out-numbered the cruisers and hikers and they had plenty of time to circumnavigate the island at a leisurely pace. A quick but refreshing dip into the water from the stern of our ship cooled us off nicely after our morning activities.
By afternoon, we were headed south towards Isla Rasa but before we could get there, we were distracted by the appearance of large marine mammals. We know from past experience, that if we ask one of our expedition staff to give a talk, marine mammals show up. It worked like a charm. Several fin whales appeared at the surface, their gusty blows echoing through the still air. We approached slowly with caution and curiosity and they seemed unaffected by our presence. Eventually, we had to turn away and continue onto Isla Rasa. The small channel that leads into the lagoon of the island can only be successfully navigated when the tide is relatively high so timing was crucial.
Isla Rasa is a most amazing island because it’s barely a mile long and half a mile wide but yet 95 % of the world’s Heerman’s gulls and elegant terns nest here every year. This island was heavily exploited in the past by guano miners and egg collectors and eventually was declared a marine bird sanctuary by the Mexican Government in 1964. While we waited for the rising tide, a Zodiac cruise around the island gave us the opportunity to photograph and observe many of the gulls and terns in flight. Once ashore, we walked amongst the nests of the Heerman’s gulls, picking our path carefully to avoid stepping on the hundreds of eggs that surrounded us.
The sun was just setting behind the hills of the far off peninsula as we motored back to our ship, tired, but filled with a deep sense of awe and appreciation of everything that Baja had offered to us this day.
