The first light of the day found us sailing off the western coast of the peninsula of Baja California towards Magdalena Bay; shortly after sunrise the National Geographic Sea Bird was in front of Punta Tosca, which is the southernmost point of Santa Margarita island. Together with the peninsula and Cresciente, Santo Domingo, and Magdalena islands, Santa Margarita forms the huge Magdalena Bay, one of the main gray whale calving lagoons and the southernmost of them. But as we sailed in the open Pacific heading to the gap between Santa Margarita and Magdalena islands, known locally as La Entrada (‘the entrance”), we had the chance to enjoy once again the beauty and grace of humpback whales. Several individuals delighted us with such interesting displays such as tail and pectoral fin slapping and breaches as they possibly headed towards their own calving grounds off the southern tip of the peninsula.
We eventually reached La Entrada and abandoned the open Pacific, entering Magdalena Bay; almost right away we spotted the first gray whales of our trip and learned firsthand the differences between them and the humpbacks that we got to know so well. Their light-gray color, mottled with whitish patches and scars and a finless back readily set them apart from their darker cousins. Some were slowly swimming near small local boats full of whale-watchers that provided some great size-comparison. We also watched a number of commercial fishing vessels, large and small, contributing to the economy of the few settlements in the bay.
After picking up our local pilot, we continued heading north, deeper into the bay, towards our destination near Boca de Soledad. Our pilot’s expert hand safely drove the ship along the Hull Canal, surrounded by mangroves and gorgeous sand dunes, past the small fishing town of Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos, until arriving to our anchorage. We encountered an abundance of life along the way, from egrets, brandt geese, and coyotes to numerous gray whale cow-calf pairs that witnessed our slow transit. Now we are quietly at anchor near Boca de Soledad, impatiently thinking of all the marvelous experiences that wait for us during the next couple of days.
