Punta Colorada and Isla San Jose, 3/30/2025, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
Guests aboard National Geographic Venture awoke to glorious sunshine and picturesque sandstone cliffs beside Punta Colorada. The morning’s highlights were a snorkeling trip where pufferfish and sea fans were on full display and Zodiac cruises laden with playful dolphins. A midday sail complete with leaping devil rays and bow riding dolphins brought us to Isla San Jose where we hiked under the afternoon sun.
Frankie was born and raised on the Jersey Shore, cultivating an interest in the outdoors through countless hours spent catching estuary creatures and telling anyone willing to listen about his findings. These childhood days provided the spark for an ...
Today, on the last full day of our journey, we woke up in the Loreto Bay National Marine Park. Calm winds and clear skies welcomed us to Playa Blandra on the west side of Isla Carmen. We began our day with a series of hikes up the arroyo into the heart of the island. As we ventured into the thick vegetation at the start of the hike, we began to see a variety of plants, lizards, birds, and remnants of bighorn sheep, species that characterize this part of the peninsula. As the day grew warmer, we cooled off by spending time in the shallows of the beach while enjoying a cold beverage. Once we returned to National Geographic Venture , we set out to explore the islands of this park in search of charismatic megafauna. It didn't take long before we were surrounded by hundreds of common dolphins. As our explorations continued, sightings of mobulas, humpback whales, and even hammerhead sharks offered a spectacular way to say goodbye to such a special place in this part of the world.
After enjoying an astonishing sunrise by Isla Tortuga, an extinct volcano, we headed towards the historic town of Santa Rosalia, founded by copper miners in the 1800s. It seemed that time had stopped as we walked through the main street with its houses built from wood imported from California in the U.S. Now labeled “Pueblo Magico” by the Mexican government, the town will be preserved and promoted as a tourist destination. We visited the “El Boleo “Museum, the former office of the mining company, as well as Santa Barbara Church, designed by Gustav Eiffel, a world-famous civil engineer. After having lunch aboard the ship, we sailed in search of marine life. We observed humpback and fin whales, marine birds, and a couple of dolphin pods. It was the perfect end to another day in paradise itself. Gracias, Baja California Sur.
This morning, we awoke east of one of the most isolated islands
in the Gulf of California, Isla San Pedro Martir. The abundance of guano here
tells the story of the sea's productivity, as this island serves as a nesting
ground for a variety of birds that feed on nearby fish. These include brown
boobies, blue-footed boobies, red-billed tropicbirds, brown pelicans, and
Herrmann's gulls. After circumnavigating San Pedro Martir, we returned to National
Geographic Venture and navigated to our next stop, Isa Rasa. The elegant
terns were so loud we could hear them as we approached at a great distance:
this island hosts nearly 90% of all the world's elegant terns and Heermann's
gulls. They’re especially plentiful from April through August, as they form
breeding colonies and raise their chicks here. We then continued onward to Bahia de Los Angeles on the Baja
California Peninsula. After driving inland for 20 minutes, we pulled aside and
began exploring the surreal landscape of this part of the peninsula. Perhaps
the most iconic plant species spotted here is the cirio, also known as the
boojum tree.
