Isla Santa Catalina, Baja California
The island of Santa Catalina was our destination this morning. We wanted to take advantage of the early morning while it was still somewhat cooler. Our Zodiacs pulled up to a pebbly beach and we set off on long, short or medium hikes to explore the interior. Isla Santa Catalina has the highest amount of endemism in the Sea of Cortez and is a very old island. Things grow much larger here than on the other islands and this was evident in the towering cordon and endemic barrel cacti. As we walked along the arroyo, a flash of turquoise on the ground near a jojoba tree caught our attention. We had found the endemic side-blotched lizard. This six inch lizard can be most easily identified by the striking blue tail. A rustle in the brush caught our attention as the endemic desert iguana scurried out across the desert floor. We spotted several species of birds such as the Gila woodpecker, loggerhead shrike and northern cardinal.
By noon, we were on our way to Isla Carmen. One of our expedition staff presented us with an interesting slide show about the amazing adaptations of desert plants and animals. Our anchor down, we once more headed to the shore. Most of Isla Carmen is privately owned and the owners are very interested in the preservation and conservation of this island. We wasted no time heading ashore to swim and snorkel from the beach. And while some our guests frolicked in the gentle shore swells, the scuba divers plunged below the surface in search of marine life. As we descended into the cool depths, our eyes could make out the shapes of huge slabs of rock strewn along the sandy sea floor. These make great habitats for marine invertebrates and fish. King angelfish swam up to greet us and the giant damselfish didn’t seem bothered buy our presence as they continued about their fishy business. Huge panamic green moray eels poked their wedge-shaped heads from their rock lairs. Flower urchins and brilliantly colored seastars adorned the surface of the rocks.
Back on board, we motored a short distance to hike the beautiful and photogenic Arroyo Rojo (Red Valley). A small cave at the waters edge is home to a group of fish-eating bats. These winged mammals are endemic to the Sea of Cortez and are one of the three species of fish-eating bats found in the world. They use their long strong claws to grab fish from the surface of the water. They can then store these captured fish in a “basket” membrane that joins the back legs. And then an exciting discovery; our guests had a chance to get a close-up look at the non-poisonous gopher snake. This species can be found on other islands in this region, but none have ever been found here, according to the literature of this island! Another cactus found on Isla Carmen which is only about a foot tall, is the dwarf cousin of the giant barrel cactus.
The sun set across the Sea of Cortez as we settled in for another fabulous dinner aboard the Sea Voyager.
The island of Santa Catalina was our destination this morning. We wanted to take advantage of the early morning while it was still somewhat cooler. Our Zodiacs pulled up to a pebbly beach and we set off on long, short or medium hikes to explore the interior. Isla Santa Catalina has the highest amount of endemism in the Sea of Cortez and is a very old island. Things grow much larger here than on the other islands and this was evident in the towering cordon and endemic barrel cacti. As we walked along the arroyo, a flash of turquoise on the ground near a jojoba tree caught our attention. We had found the endemic side-blotched lizard. This six inch lizard can be most easily identified by the striking blue tail. A rustle in the brush caught our attention as the endemic desert iguana scurried out across the desert floor. We spotted several species of birds such as the Gila woodpecker, loggerhead shrike and northern cardinal.
By noon, we were on our way to Isla Carmen. One of our expedition staff presented us with an interesting slide show about the amazing adaptations of desert plants and animals. Our anchor down, we once more headed to the shore. Most of Isla Carmen is privately owned and the owners are very interested in the preservation and conservation of this island. We wasted no time heading ashore to swim and snorkel from the beach. And while some our guests frolicked in the gentle shore swells, the scuba divers plunged below the surface in search of marine life. As we descended into the cool depths, our eyes could make out the shapes of huge slabs of rock strewn along the sandy sea floor. These make great habitats for marine invertebrates and fish. King angelfish swam up to greet us and the giant damselfish didn’t seem bothered buy our presence as they continued about their fishy business. Huge panamic green moray eels poked their wedge-shaped heads from their rock lairs. Flower urchins and brilliantly colored seastars adorned the surface of the rocks.
Back on board, we motored a short distance to hike the beautiful and photogenic Arroyo Rojo (Red Valley). A small cave at the waters edge is home to a group of fish-eating bats. These winged mammals are endemic to the Sea of Cortez and are one of the three species of fish-eating bats found in the world. They use their long strong claws to grab fish from the surface of the water. They can then store these captured fish in a “basket” membrane that joins the back legs. And then an exciting discovery; our guests had a chance to get a close-up look at the non-poisonous gopher snake. This species can be found on other islands in this region, but none have ever been found here, according to the literature of this island! Another cactus found on Isla Carmen which is only about a foot tall, is the dwarf cousin of the giant barrel cactus.
The sun set across the Sea of Cortez as we settled in for another fabulous dinner aboard the Sea Voyager.
