A humpback whale greeted us with its flukes in the San Jose Channel, the prelude of a beautiful day. Later in the morning we arrived at Isla San Francisco, a volcanic island located in the Sea of Cortez. We started a hike towards the hills, and on our way could see the natural "salinas", which are plains where ocean water is evaporated and the salt crystals accumulated on the ground. These places are important to the native fishermen, who gather the salt for preserving their fish.
We could find several interesting desert plants, like torchwood, or elephant tree, Bursera microphylla, which is also known as copal. The Mexican people for centuries have been using the crystallized or dried fragrant resin for ceremonial practices, burned as incense. Another outstanding plant is the ocotillo, the beautiful red colored flower we can appreciate in the picture. This and many other desert plants have amazing strategies for avoiding the loss of water that occurs through the leaves. The plants drop their leaves during the dry season to avoid the transpiration.
As we enjoy the wonders of the Mexican desert over the mountains, the Sea Lion awaits our arrival to continue our adventure.
