We awoke at anchor near Boca de Soledad, the entrance at the north end of Isla Magdalena. Some made an early start to the day, heading out to whale watch in time to see the sun rise. Conditions were somewhat challenging, with waves rolling in from the entrance, but spouts in the low-angle light were particularly beautiful. For some the highlight was seeing courting whales rolling at the surface, showing off their impressively sized tails. Later, whale watchers followed whales through the choppy waters and strong currents near the entrance to the open sea. Perhaps best were views of a placidly moving cow-calf pair.
Later in the morning we drew anchor and headed south through the protected waters of Hull Canal. We passed familiar herons, egrets, curlews and godwits, but our focus was often on shipboard activities. We got snorkel gear in preparation for time in the Gulf of California and Hilke Schlichting, our MIT representative, spoke about the search for life-bearing planets.
In the middle of the afternoon we passed through the entrance to Bahia Magdalena, and entered the open Pacific. Then we headed south toward the famous arch at Cabo San Lucas, where our exploration of the Gulf of California will begin.
