Isla Danzante & Santa Catalina
The wind’s intensity diminished overnight, and we woke up to a very nice day. The residual waves and wind did not affect our activities at all. Our first destination for the day was the beautiful Isla Danzante, or “The Dancer”. This small and rugged island offers good protection from the weather. Danzante’s scenic coves make this the perfect place to explore by kayak, swim or snorkel, and of course to walk into the desert, quickly gaining altitude, from where one can view the most magnificent landscapes. On our way to Isla Santa Catalina, we had several marine mammal encounters. Our closest whale, most likely a young fin whale, surfaced repeatedly without showing much of its cyclopean body.
The National Geographic Sea Lion anchored at a landing known as “Roca Elefante” or “Elephant Rock”. Here we had a great experience snorkeling from one of our Zodiacs. King angelfish, porcupine fish and even Moorish idols were seen. After the refreshing experience, we set foot on Santa Catalina to explore one of the pristine insular deserts.
The long hikers crossed the island all the way, on a journey that took them to a majestic viewpoint. The other groups of hikers took the time to stop and observe the intricacies of the fragile desert biome, and to understand the fascinating interconnections among species.
After a wonderful day exploring the Gulf of California and its islands, one of the most stunning sunsets took place. Bright colors of orange, red and pink, made the sky appear to be on fire for a few moments as the silhouetted mountains and the proud cardon cacti watched the spectacle.
