Islas Santa Catalina and Danzante
Our day began at the time a day should—at dawn. Before sunrise most of us mustered on deck for a trip ashore and a walk in the cool sunrise desert of Isla Santa Catalina. As usual, a small contingent of birders fell behind the main group, lingering to listen to Verdins, Black-throated Sparrows, and woodpeckers. We enjoyed excellent views of Gila and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers. I was surprised to see Northern Cardinals, the same species that visits our feeder in the snows of winter, flitting brilliant red among cacti and thorn bushes. We got uncommonly good looks at Loggerhead Shrikes and Ash-throated Flycatchers.
After breakfast a dozen or more people went on a long, vigorous walk up the same arroyo (dry streambed) where we’d been birding in the cool of dawn. They enjoyed numerous cardón, barrel, and low-branching cacti and views of the granite structure of the island as they climbed upward, keeping an eye out for lizards and the endemic rattle-less rattlesnake (they saw the former, not the latter). The hike entailed not a little effort and a bit of upward scrambling over loose footing. But it was well worth gaining the ridge and a high commanding view of water on both sides of the island. After a brief rest the group descended by a different route. Round-trip time: two and a half hours.
A much smaller group enjoyed scuba diving at a site called Northwest Elephant Rock. Divemaster Vicky Showler led divers down to about 45 feet, for 40 minutes. The divers observed clouds of minute mysid shrimp and tiny iridescent blue copepods called Copilia. Fishes were abundant, with about 28 species seen, including Green Morays, King and Cortez Angels, various snappers, balloonfish, goatfish, guitarfish, puffers, surgeonfishes, pompano, Pacific Yellowtail, and others.
Before lunch Carl Safina spoke briefly about fisheries as a way of starting a “Lindblad Expeditions Forum” discussion about the state of the oceans and our role as seafood lovers in advancing conservation by choosing seafood caught with best practices. The discussion was animated, with lots of good comments from passengers and crew alike.
After lunch we repositioned to Isla Danzante. There people kayaked or snorkeled or just relaxed on the beach. We were treated to views of Mobula rays leaping repeatedly, flapping their fins in the air as though attempting to gain altitude. They looked joyful, and some of us started to swim to them hoping to get a glimpse from underwater, until I thought that maybe their exuberant leaps were frantic attempts to evade an attacking Bull Shark. We’ll never really know, but a new tongue-twister was born: “Multiple mobile Mobulas.”
And so closes a wonderful week with Lindblad Expeditions in the Gulf of California, where the desert meets the sea. May there be many more such glorious travels in our future.
Our day began at the time a day should—at dawn. Before sunrise most of us mustered on deck for a trip ashore and a walk in the cool sunrise desert of Isla Santa Catalina. As usual, a small contingent of birders fell behind the main group, lingering to listen to Verdins, Black-throated Sparrows, and woodpeckers. We enjoyed excellent views of Gila and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers. I was surprised to see Northern Cardinals, the same species that visits our feeder in the snows of winter, flitting brilliant red among cacti and thorn bushes. We got uncommonly good looks at Loggerhead Shrikes and Ash-throated Flycatchers.
After breakfast a dozen or more people went on a long, vigorous walk up the same arroyo (dry streambed) where we’d been birding in the cool of dawn. They enjoyed numerous cardón, barrel, and low-branching cacti and views of the granite structure of the island as they climbed upward, keeping an eye out for lizards and the endemic rattle-less rattlesnake (they saw the former, not the latter). The hike entailed not a little effort and a bit of upward scrambling over loose footing. But it was well worth gaining the ridge and a high commanding view of water on both sides of the island. After a brief rest the group descended by a different route. Round-trip time: two and a half hours.
A much smaller group enjoyed scuba diving at a site called Northwest Elephant Rock. Divemaster Vicky Showler led divers down to about 45 feet, for 40 minutes. The divers observed clouds of minute mysid shrimp and tiny iridescent blue copepods called Copilia. Fishes were abundant, with about 28 species seen, including Green Morays, King and Cortez Angels, various snappers, balloonfish, goatfish, guitarfish, puffers, surgeonfishes, pompano, Pacific Yellowtail, and others.
Before lunch Carl Safina spoke briefly about fisheries as a way of starting a “Lindblad Expeditions Forum” discussion about the state of the oceans and our role as seafood lovers in advancing conservation by choosing seafood caught with best practices. The discussion was animated, with lots of good comments from passengers and crew alike.
After lunch we repositioned to Isla Danzante. There people kayaked or snorkeled or just relaxed on the beach. We were treated to views of Mobula rays leaping repeatedly, flapping their fins in the air as though attempting to gain altitude. They looked joyful, and some of us started to swim to them hoping to get a glimpse from underwater, until I thought that maybe their exuberant leaps were frantic attempts to evade an attacking Bull Shark. We’ll never really know, but a new tongue-twister was born: “Multiple mobile Mobulas.”
And so closes a wonderful week with Lindblad Expeditions in the Gulf of California, where the desert meets the sea. May there be many more such glorious travels in our future.
