Dawn found us northwest of and nearing Isla del Carmen. Calm seas are the best for searching for marine mammals, and this was a day of glassy water with bands of wind-generated ripples extending as far as one’s gaze could see. Occasional bottlenose dolphins were in the distance but seemed uninterested in our passage. Later in the morning a few of these large dolphins approached the ship for bow riding, while in the distance others leaped high out of the water or rode within the waves of our wake.
We were soon at the beautiful and fascinating island of Santa Catalina. This mountainous hunk of granodiorite rocks rises abruptly over 1000 feet high. It’s quite isolated and about 17 miles from the peninsula, a true oceanic island. Because it rose up from the gulf waters several million years ago, it has never had a connection with mainland Mexico or the peninsula. That result has given it endemic reptiles that can be found nowhere else on earth. Within its two-by-seven-mile area some of its plants are also unique. Best of all, it’s a beautiful place to hike, kayak, snorkel and enjoy in our inflatable boats.
Some of the tours found a great blue heron nest with a partly grown and ungainly-looking chick staring down on us. Wandering tattlers, spotted sandpipers and American oystercatchers foraged along the shoreline. About thirty bottlenose dolphins surfaced nearby and several engaged in bow riding. Others followed along and sometimes leaped into the air. One mom and a very small calf swam alongside to look at us.
More than half of our guests jumped into the clear water and snorkeled with the interesting fish that live around this island. Highlights were a green moray and numerous porcupinefish. Hikers made their way up a sandy wash full of cardons, endemic giant barrel cacti, blooming palo verdes, and the exquisite little-leaf elephant tree. The branches were loaded with berries that possess an aromatic concoction of sweet citrus and mild turpentine. Some of the ridgelines led hikers to stunning views of the gulf with the peninsula to the west.
We returned to a barbeque dinner on the beach and a sunset that turned the water into a golden path westward. The campfire drew us closer together for music and captivating stories beneath the starry sky.
