As the sky began to emerge from darkness, the full moon setting into the clouds, many of us were already on deck scanning the sea around us for critters. Shortly, the sun escaped from its cloudy bonds into a sky blue and brushed with feathered cloud-strokes. It was a calm morning, warm and inviting, and all were drawn to the decks and the potential every day in Baja California brings.
We had arrived to Thetis Bank off the coast of Isla Magdalena, known even in whaling days for its abundance of marine life. From a 1,600 foot drop off, this sea mount rises to as little as 100 feet below the inky surface, creating an environment that is ideal for marine life. We had some less-than-common seabird sightings with black-footed albatross, masked booby, and Sabine’s gull, and three species of shearwater—pink-footed, Sooty, and black-vented. Magnificent long-beaked common dolphins rode the bow of the ship, jumping and racing ahead on the bow wake, splashing and invigorating our spirit for the day ahead.
As the National Geographic Sea Bird continued toward Cape Lazaro, Pete’s geology talk, “The Great Rip-off,” was interrupted by sightings of blue whales intermingled with groups of playful sea lions and pelicans, all likely there for the plentiful food resources of the region.
After lunch, the ship sailed back into Magdalena Bay to find an afternoon landing spot. On the way through La Entrada, we passed a small group of Pacific white-sided dolphins who popped up briefly right next to the ship. We arrived at Point Belcher, and after a few days at sea it was great to set foot again on land, to stretch our legs and enjoy a casual beach walk. The tidal lines were strewn with the molts of pelagic red crabs and piles of colorful shells. We went exploring to see what was at the point and found an osprey on a nest built upon the remains of the old industrial pier, and a current fishing encampment on the site.
Our journey southward proceeded in a very tame Pacific, the rugged coastline gently softened by the marine layer in the air. As sunset approached we were off Punta Tosca, and suddenly the announcement came over the PA, a long line of dolphins, possibly a huge feeding frenzy, had been spotted ahead! Everyone altered course to converge on the decks, cameras and binoculars in hand. We found ourselves amid a thousand or more dolphins, and our captain expertly kept our course with them as the dolphins veered from port to starboard, suddenly surging forward, flying through the air, slapping tails, and generally putting on an exceptional display for us as the sun sunk lower into the sky.
We finished the day on the bow, watching the giant orb of the sun as she settled into the sea, a fond adieu to today, and looking forward to what lies ahead.
