Isla del Carmen
We cruised the first half of the morning bound to Isla del Carmen. Today the productivity of the Gulf of California became very evident to us, expressing itself through different life forms. As we made our way, we could see different sea birds like the bat-like storm petrels, flying fish getting airborne to avoid becoming a mahi-mahi’s breakfast, devil rays leaping out of the water; only they know why they do it.
A group of common dolphins led us to a big pod of short-finned pilot whales. About two hundred of these magnificent squid eaters were seen around our ship, in a very disperse group. We got great looks of the males, females and the youngsters. Slapping the water with their tails, filling the atmosphere with the sound of their strong breaths and breaching occasionally, they displayed their mysterious beauty so seldom exposed to our eyes.
For the afternoon, we landed on Bahia Salinas. This is a ghost town located on the East side of Isla del Carmen, which holds the natural salt works with the highest quality salt on the planet. This salt was shipped to San Francisco, California during the gold rush and to Alaska for the Russian sailors who preserved sea otter pelts with it.
We could explore the scenic bay with our kayaks and even submerge ourselves to examine an old shipwreck. The rusted metal, which once had a name, a captain and a crew now lays inert on the sandy bottom of the bay. It is now guarded by the countless marine organisms that find sanctuary on its deck, bridge and hull. The giant hawk fish stays on the watch in the bridge, Graybar grunts clean the decks as the gorgonians play to be stowaways where the currents run strong.
To end the day we had dinner ashore followed by a bonfire. We played a few songs under the immensity of the star-covered sky. As Polaris stayed still, the rest of the sky spun through the darkness of the night.
We cruised the first half of the morning bound to Isla del Carmen. Today the productivity of the Gulf of California became very evident to us, expressing itself through different life forms. As we made our way, we could see different sea birds like the bat-like storm petrels, flying fish getting airborne to avoid becoming a mahi-mahi’s breakfast, devil rays leaping out of the water; only they know why they do it.
A group of common dolphins led us to a big pod of short-finned pilot whales. About two hundred of these magnificent squid eaters were seen around our ship, in a very disperse group. We got great looks of the males, females and the youngsters. Slapping the water with their tails, filling the atmosphere with the sound of their strong breaths and breaching occasionally, they displayed their mysterious beauty so seldom exposed to our eyes.
For the afternoon, we landed on Bahia Salinas. This is a ghost town located on the East side of Isla del Carmen, which holds the natural salt works with the highest quality salt on the planet. This salt was shipped to San Francisco, California during the gold rush and to Alaska for the Russian sailors who preserved sea otter pelts with it.
We could explore the scenic bay with our kayaks and even submerge ourselves to examine an old shipwreck. The rusted metal, which once had a name, a captain and a crew now lays inert on the sandy bottom of the bay. It is now guarded by the countless marine organisms that find sanctuary on its deck, bridge and hull. The giant hawk fish stays on the watch in the bridge, Graybar grunts clean the decks as the gorgonians play to be stowaways where the currents run strong.
To end the day we had dinner ashore followed by a bonfire. We played a few songs under the immensity of the star-covered sky. As Polaris stayed still, the rest of the sky spun through the darkness of the night.
