“Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.” –Albert Einstein
Day 2 aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird! We awakened to mostly clear skies, 70 degrees Fahrenheit and pilot whales sighted off the bow. Wow! What a treat to wake up to these whales, not something we see often, though they are here in Baja California. The bulbous rostrums and slanted blowholes make them easy to identify from other whales. Not long after the announcement for the whales, dolphins came for a visit and bow ride as well. Meanwhile a group gathered on the aft bridge deck for the morning exercise class.
We anchored for the morning at Los Islotes, a rocky land mass used as a haul-out for California sea lions and a resting site for seabirds. Naturalists led Zodiac cruises around the little rocky islets to bring us a closer look at these birds and mammals. In addition to the sea lions, today we saw blue-footed boobies, brown-footed boobies, frigatebirds, ravens, and yellow-footed gulls. The yowling/growling of the sea lions, screeching of birds and the unmistakable scent of guano from all species gave a full sensory experience. For many people, however, the Zodiac cruises served only as an appetizer. Donning wetsuits, fins, masks, and snorkels, people were ferried over to anchored boats to slip into the water and deepen their experience. Splash—yikes! As cold water meets warm skin beneath the layer of wetsuit. The sea lions—who on land slowly lumbered up and down rocks, propelled by their front flippers, and draped themselves over seemingly uncomfortable crags and peaks—were a whole different creature in water. Zipping and zooming, rolling and twirling, these graceful acrobats were mesmerizing to watch. Playful with each other—and us! The adolescent males liked to charge and veer, nibble fins, and clamber on and around the humans like over-exuberant puppy dogs. As always, the undulation of the water was also mesmerizing, observing singles and schools of fish going about their daily business. Damselfish and angelfish and balloon fish were among those seen, both this morning as well as later in the afternoon.
Once back aboard, National Geographic expert Flip Nicklin shared his story and amazing photos of his work with whales over the last over three decades. In the afternoon we anchored in Bahia Bonanza, off Isla Espiritu Santo, and went ashore onto a beautiful three-mile stretch of sandy and shell-worn beach. Here we took nature walks through the cactus-strewn desert, paddled around in kayaks, snorkeled, and swam off a rocky outcropping, and then had a marvelous beach barbecue dinner. The crew went all out bringing chairs and tables, a huge grill, and all manner of food and drink for the feast. The sun set a beautiful gold and orange, leaving a pinky-purple sky to linger as the almost-full moon rose on the opposite side. The boatswain built a fire, and our expedition leader and native Mexican naturalist told stories about the history of Baja California, and ancient creation stories of the sun and moon.
Another beautiful day here in Baja California.
