As the sky to the east began to show the first shades of a soft pink sunrise, National Geographic Sea Bird was making her way south along the western side of the southern end of the Baja Peninsula. A tiny thumbnail of a moon with the planet Venus hung in the eastern sky adding to the beauty of the morning. Just before sunrise, the Sea Bird slowed her pace and made a slow left turn towards Friar Rocks. These rugged, weather- and sea-worn granite batholiths that make up the backbone of the Baja Peninsula, continue to be sculpted into wonderful spires and one very large and lovely arch. After several passes and time spent taking sunrise pictures, our ship slowly pulled back out into the Gulf of California and began heading north towards our morning destination of San Jose del Cabo.
At approximately 9:00 a.m. the Sea Bird entered the main harbor and positioned dockside for disembarkation. Once aboard one of two busses, part of our group went to a nearby estuary that’s also the main water source for the community of San Jose del Cabo. The early morning hour was a guarantee for excellent birding for all enthusiasts! The second bus headed into town for those interested in spending time in a quiet more traditional resort town than its close neighbor Cabo San Lucas. The Jesuit padres founded this mission community in the 18th century. One-hundred-year old brick and adobe buildings, many proudly restored, line the main streets radiating out from the central plaza and church.
Our town explorers began their walk through town at an old glass blowing factory, then moving through the art district of the small city stops were made at two galleries before a small group headed deeper into town to the central market. It was early enough in the day that the market was still crowded with local shoppers. The stalls were full of fresh vegetables, fresh fish, poultry, and many small stalls of spices and dried goods. Negro mole from the state of Oaxaca was a must, along with fresh local honey and dried chilies. Shopping completed, our small group headed back into town to meet up with the remainder of our group, which was exploring some of the small and delightful galleries San Jose del Cabo is well known for. Soon it was time for birders and town visitors to meet at our designated spot and board one of two busses heading back to the main harbor and the waiting Sea Bird.
The smells of lunch greeted our arrival and once everyone was on board and all was secure, the Sea Bird began her exit out into the Gulf of California and a sharp turn to the right heading north towards our afternoon destination of La Fortuna and Gorda Banks. Here, upwelling currents bring deep, nutrient-rich waters to the surface. It is also a well-known area for the winter migration of humpback whales. In these deep waters humpback whales come for mating and birthing. In the distance several blows were seen and slowly the Sea Bird made her way towards what appeared to be a group of cavorting marine mammals. During the next hours we saw tail lobbing, several distant breaches, many, many flukes sparkling in the late afternoon sunlight, and a blows in every distant direction. The seas were high as the El Norte wind continued to make for a slow rolling passage, as the Sea Bird headed into the prevailing wind.
With all the whales in the area, a decision was made to turn on the hydrophone system permanently attached to the bow of the ship. This newly installed system was able to bring some of the best underwater humpback whale sound many of the natural history staff had ever heard. Around the bow, everyone’s face showed both the awe and wonder of listening to the song of first one and then a choir of Humpback whales. It felt like eavesdropping on a world completely foreign yet compelling beyond words! For many of us it was one of the high points of our trip. Slowly the crowd on the bow dissipated; each of us moving away with thoughts about the sounds still in our heads...we moved indoors, enjoyed a drink in the lounge, checked our images, decided to take showers, and once again our expedition leader made an announcement to get to the bow as we had two, that’s right two breaching humpback whales right off the bow! The sun had set, the mountains of the Baja Peninsula were silhouetted with soft shades of peach just above them to the west. Our fellow travelers arrived on the bow in everything from bath towels to casual evening attire, rearranged clothes from the day and many, with wet hair. The whales continued to breech into the waning light as we circled around the 200-level deck marveling at the continued good luck of this extraordinary journey so aptly named, “Among the Great Whales.”
