El Nino’s warm waters swept some special cetacean gifts our way this morning. A flat calm sea at first light brought glimmers of whales, unusual ones, like Cuvier’s beaked whales, pygmy beaked whales, and smaller cetaceans too…graceful, playful pan tropical spotted dolphins! Several of our more frequently seen species were in the area as well—short-finned pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, and the elusive dwarf sperm whale were all seen in the area of Los Animas and Isla Santa Cruz. Oh yes, and near the top of the list for many, a blue whale—the largest animal to have ever lived on Earth. This was a truly stunning spring morning at sea.
Our fine weather held, and we anchored off Punta Colorado on the east shore of Isla San Jose. Snorkelers dropped into the shallow water to behold thousands of blue and gold snappers wending their way across the seabed and around the rocky reefs at the foot of the sandstone amphitheater there. Kayaking and paddleboarding near the raised seabed cliffs is a joy, and many of us also walked up the narrow arroyo that meanders through red and buff sandstones up the mountainous slopes. The granite rocks that line the floor of the canyon is evidence of flash floods that have swept boulders downhill from the island’s granitic spine. Elegant desert plants of amazing shapes and subtle shades ignited our curiosity and made our walk enchanting.
