Bahía Los Angeles, 4/5/2024, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
While dealing with the spring winds of Baja California, National Geographic Venture’s bridge team and Expedition Leader found us a spot of great protection in Bahía Los Angeles. Here we had the rare opportunity to visit one of the weirdest plants on the planet, and of course, eat fish tacos.
Kim is a marine biologist, fine art photographer, and avid fisherman. Based in Juneau, Alaska, Lingít Aaní, she spends her time between the mountains and the ocean. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Cognitive Neuroscience from the Unive...
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
We spent our morning at Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, an area that was protected at the urging of local people and conservation leaders. Their efforts succeeded! The marine life has recovered from overfishing and now there are healthy heads of coral, large schools of fish, and even top predators – all signs of a healthy ecosystem. The southern end of the Baja California Peninsula is a winter gathering place for humpback whales, and throughout the day we were observing their activities. Some mothers with calves were by themselves and others were accompanied by one or two adult whales. Groups of three or four whales got quite active at times. We saw many large splashes today as whales breached or energetically slapped their flukes down on the water surface. We were likely watching males compete for the privilege of accompanying a female and possibly mate with her.
This morning found us sailing in the southern end of Loreto Bay National Park during sunrise, looking for marine life. We watched some mobula rays jumping out of the water doing spectacular summersaults and a few humpback whales. Everyone on board delighted every time that they showed their flukes at the start of a longer dive! We sailed by the small and remote Las Ánimas Island and saw some of the Guadalupe fur seals that spend some time in the Gulf during the spring. Eventually we anchored off San José Island at a gorgeous location named Punta Colorada where we enjoyed snorkeling and hiking and finished another beautiful day exploring the Sea of Cortez.
Today was an amazing return to Laguna San Ignacio and the Baja California grey whales. We got to experience the whales, including some calves, up close and personal on an unnaturally calm day. These lagoons are always magical and today was no exception.
