We started a new day with a wonderful sunrise at sea, and the clean atmosphere provided the perfect setup for a nice green flash; several sceptics were converted and the believers reaffirmed their convictions. National Geographic Sea Bird sailed north alongside San Ildefonso Island when a group of long-beaked common dolphins was discovered by observers on the ship’s bow. We approached the dolphins and watched them as they swam and jumped next to us, many of them showing large remoras hanging on their sides or bellies. Remoras –also known as shark-suckers—are fishes with a modified dorsal fin that acts like a suction cup, allowing its owner to attach itself to larger marine creatures like sharks, sea turtles, whales, or dolphins. They don’t cause any harm and get a free ride while waiting to feed on scraps of their host’s meals.
After having spotted a few blows created by elusive Bryde’s whales, we encountered another, larger group of long-beaked common dolphins feeding over a large area; numerous birds tried to catch their own lunch, including brown and blue-footed boobies, yellow-footed and Heermann’s gulls, and magnificent frigatebirds. The whole scene irradiated life as dolphins jumped over the surface and the boobies plunged missile-like into the water. Our expedition leader decided to make things even more exciting and lowered our inflatable boats to go get closer views of the fantastic event. At their level, everything was more exciting and everybody had a great time watching and taking pictures of leaping dolphins and plunging birds!
At mid-afternoon we entered the dock of Santa Rosalía and went ashore to visit the town. Santa Rosalía was officially born in 1888 as a company town of “El Boleo Mining Company,” a French enterprise that became very successful at copper mining until it closed in 1954. The strong French influence can still be seen in the architecture of the numerous old building still standing and in the unique church made of steel and designed by Gustave Eiffel himself. We explored the quiet streets and parks, watched a colony of yellow-crowned night herons right in the middle of downtown, a Cooper’s hawk eating a pigeon, and enjoyed glimpses of everyday life in a small authentic Mexican town, adding richness to our expedition in the beautiful Sea of Cortez.
