What a stunning way to start our voyage together! We spent our morning traversing the Hull Canal. On one side we had beautiful mangroves, on the other golden sand dunes. All around us magnificent frigate birds, brown pelicans, and cormorants soared above or dove into the water below. To the delight of everyone, we found several mother and calf pairs of gray whales throughout the canal! Our first gray whale sightings of the trip!
On our way we also had fun and interactive presentations where we learned more about photography and the birds in Baja from our field staff! In the afternoon it was finally time to board our expedition craft to go on our first up close whale watching adventure! Everyone took turns whale watching and exploring the sand dunes and beach. We made our way out to an area that is a favorite spot for pregnant gray whales to give birth or for mom and calves to bond during the first month of the calf’s life.
We were fortunate to find a mother and calf pair during our excursions, along with a multitude of single whales congregated in the surf at the mouth of the bay! The whales were so active! They spy-hopped, getting their eyes above the waterline to checkout their surroundings and some of them even showed us their flukes, a rare sight in the shallow Magdalena Bay.
On shore we explored the beautiful sand dunes where we found coyotes, mangroves, and beautiful shells amongst the other unique desert vegetation. Back on the ship, our evening was topped off with the music of the local band “Los Coyotes.” The moon is rising on a beautiful night as everyone is retiring to their rooms, excited for the early morning adventures of tomorrow!
