Isla Angel de la Guarda
It’s not every morning in Baja California that you see elephants marching up a hillside. But a peach-colored sunrise found us at the north end of Isla Angel de la Guarda, one of the largest islands in the Gulf of California, in search of the perfect image to capture. We soon noticed the stark white, twisted trunks and branches of elephant trees set against the dark, volcanic rocks of the island, cameras were pointed at these remarkable plants, and shooting began. And not a single peanut was required.
Later morning activities included sea kayaking and short walks inland, a Zodiac ride, and for the hardy, snorkeling and diving in a very brisk ocean. And once again, elephants were sighted. This time they turned out to be elephant seals, a species normally restricted to the Pacific side of Baja California, but here were two young animals in the midst of the usual pinniped denizen of the area, the California sea lion. What were they doing so far from their relatives? Looking for new territory perhaps?
In the afternoon, we learned a little about “Orogeny in the Torrid Zone,” a lecture about some of the new and exciting ideas concerning the earth’s geologic history and specifically the evolution of the Baja landscape.
By late afternoon, the Sea Voyager had repositioned to a new location on the Isla Angel de la Guarda, and a long hike was offered up a yawning desert canyon with the promise of palm trees. Could more elephants be hiding behind a frond? No telling in such a strange and mysterious place as the Gulf of California. Elephants did not appear but zebras did… not the mammalian kind but a reptilian version: the zebra-tailed lizard, which runs with its striped tail held high and curled forward like scorpions do.
As the sun set behind a distant ragged mountain ridge, we relaxed back on the ship in the fading glow of yet another fine day of exploring in the Sonoran Desert and Vermilion Sea.
It’s not every morning in Baja California that you see elephants marching up a hillside. But a peach-colored sunrise found us at the north end of Isla Angel de la Guarda, one of the largest islands in the Gulf of California, in search of the perfect image to capture. We soon noticed the stark white, twisted trunks and branches of elephant trees set against the dark, volcanic rocks of the island, cameras were pointed at these remarkable plants, and shooting began. And not a single peanut was required.
Later morning activities included sea kayaking and short walks inland, a Zodiac ride, and for the hardy, snorkeling and diving in a very brisk ocean. And once again, elephants were sighted. This time they turned out to be elephant seals, a species normally restricted to the Pacific side of Baja California, but here were two young animals in the midst of the usual pinniped denizen of the area, the California sea lion. What were they doing so far from their relatives? Looking for new territory perhaps?
In the afternoon, we learned a little about “Orogeny in the Torrid Zone,” a lecture about some of the new and exciting ideas concerning the earth’s geologic history and specifically the evolution of the Baja landscape.
By late afternoon, the Sea Voyager had repositioned to a new location on the Isla Angel de la Guarda, and a long hike was offered up a yawning desert canyon with the promise of palm trees. Could more elephants be hiding behind a frond? No telling in such a strange and mysterious place as the Gulf of California. Elephants did not appear but zebras did… not the mammalian kind but a reptilian version: the zebra-tailed lizard, which runs with its striped tail held high and curled forward like scorpions do.
As the sun set behind a distant ragged mountain ridge, we relaxed back on the ship in the fading glow of yet another fine day of exploring in the Sonoran Desert and Vermilion Sea.
