San Marcos Island
Shortly after the sun raised above the calm waters to the East, not far from Tortuga Island on the horizon, everyone grew excited by a great encounter. A group of a couple hundred short-beaked common dolphins were engaged in their morning pursuit of breakfast, herding schools of baitfish and jumping out of the water. Many of the streamlined and colorful dolphins approached the Sea Voyager and we all were fortunate enough to get close views of them. And all before breakfast! We continued our way towards our destination at San Marcos island; however, shortly before dropping the anchor many of us observed a very rare event, that of a dwarf sperm whale breaching several times not far from the ship!
Once on the island we divided into different hikes and explored the desert environment; many of its inhabitants were observed and we all admired their adaptations to live in such a challenging place. Orange-throated whiptail, zebra-tailed and spiny lizards added a touch of motion to the otherwise still ambiance of the lanscape; great blue herons watched us from their nests on the hill high above our heads. The rugged rocky scenery and the harsh-looking cacti, coupled with the rising air temperature, were good indicators that only the tough and strong can live here; even if they only measure a bit more than a couple of inches, like the Costa’s hummingbird or the tarantula-hawk wasp.
We dedicated the afternoon to explore the north coastline of the island, both by kayaking and snorkeling. Kayakers were able to get close and personal to an abundance of brown pelicans and different species of gulls, whereas the snorkelers were rewarded by encounters of the scaly type. And with numerous new memories to recall, a delicious dinner on the beach made the perfect ending for an amazing day!
Shortly after the sun raised above the calm waters to the East, not far from Tortuga Island on the horizon, everyone grew excited by a great encounter. A group of a couple hundred short-beaked common dolphins were engaged in their morning pursuit of breakfast, herding schools of baitfish and jumping out of the water. Many of the streamlined and colorful dolphins approached the Sea Voyager and we all were fortunate enough to get close views of them. And all before breakfast! We continued our way towards our destination at San Marcos island; however, shortly before dropping the anchor many of us observed a very rare event, that of a dwarf sperm whale breaching several times not far from the ship!
Once on the island we divided into different hikes and explored the desert environment; many of its inhabitants were observed and we all admired their adaptations to live in such a challenging place. Orange-throated whiptail, zebra-tailed and spiny lizards added a touch of motion to the otherwise still ambiance of the lanscape; great blue herons watched us from their nests on the hill high above our heads. The rugged rocky scenery and the harsh-looking cacti, coupled with the rising air temperature, were good indicators that only the tough and strong can live here; even if they only measure a bit more than a couple of inches, like the Costa’s hummingbird or the tarantula-hawk wasp.
We dedicated the afternoon to explore the north coastline of the island, both by kayaking and snorkeling. Kayakers were able to get close and personal to an abundance of brown pelicans and different species of gulls, whereas the snorkelers were rewarded by encounters of the scaly type. And with numerous new memories to recall, a delicious dinner on the beach made the perfect ending for an amazing day!
