The National Geographic Sea Bird started a new day still at anchor at Boca de Soledad, off the northern portion of Magdalena Island; a mantle of heavy fog completely covered her and isolated us from the rest of the world. The faint sound of the pounding surf on the island’s Pacific shore to the west was the only evidence that the world was still out there. Caused by the condensation of the prevailing northwesterly winds as they flow over the cold California current, morning fogs are common here and provide a very important source of fresh water for many animals and plants. They also made for a most dramatic and picturesque scenario during our first round of whale watching today, and we enjoyed the almost magical tranquility of the lagoon.
We soon found the first of many gray whales and marveled once again with their grace, beauty, and charm. We even got the chance to get very good views of some of the creatures that live on the whales’ skins: one species of barnacles and three of lice. In fact, their life cycles are so closely intertwined that the barnacle and two species of lice are endemic to the gray whale, meaning that they only live on gray whales and nowhere else. The sight of hundreds of lice—not related to the lice found on humans but a crustacean—holding to the whale’s skin could be a bit overwhelming for some, but they actually may be beneficial to their host by feeding on dead skin cells and speeding-up the healing of cuts and wounds.
We eventually—and a bit reluctantly—sailed south away from Boca de Soledad through the Hull canal; during the first hour or so we kept watching a few more gray whales but also encountered numerous shore birds along the way, including great blue herons, white ibises, and marbled godwits. Ospreys looked around hoping to find a fish swimming close to the surface. White and red mangroves lined the shoreline in places, whereas magnificent sand dunes covered the rest.
Later in the afternoon we arrived to La Entrada, as the area between Santa Margarita and Magdalena Islands is known, and exited Magdalena Bay. We entered the open Pacific and headed south-southeast towards southern end of the peninsula, where more and exciting adventures await for us.
