Sunrise found National Geographic Sea Bird on approach to one of the most famous rocky outcroppings in all of Mexico: Land’s End, or Finis Terræ from the Latin. This granitic grouping of almost all white rocks forms the absolute terminus of the Baja Peninsula and is the last bit of land that plummets into the open Pacific Ocean.
Cameras whirred and clicked as most aboard rose early to see and photograph this iconic rock formation. The waning moon poked her head out now and then amongst the clouds, as the sun warmed the color on the bottoms of the clouds. California sea lions barked their early morning greetings to each other as magnificent frigatebirds floated on the air above us. The early morning fishing fleet were out and looking for the billfish that makes Cabo San Lucas such a major destination for fishermen from all over the world.
Then the call came over the PA system of “whale off the starboard bow”! Sure enough, first a pair, then in the distance more and more humpback whales could be seen all around us. These animals have made the journey from their feeding grounds off the coast of northern California to venture into the Sea of Cortez for the purposes of mating and giving birth to their young. Whale blows could be seen near shore as well as out to sea. Several humpbacks were actively breaching in the distance and there was a feeling of whale excitement in the air!
All the way to our afternoon destination at Los Frailes we sighted humpback whales all around us. A brisk northwest wind had built the seas to a state that made it uncomfortable to turn the ship to watch the whales, but there were enough whales to simply watch and enjoy as we headed north.
Behind the protection of Los Frailes, a rocky outcropping with a 769-foot tall peak, we found shelter to allow us to offer both hiking in the desert as well as snorkeling along the coast. The snorkeling was superb, as water clarity was in excess of 40 feet and the rocky bottom supported an amazing abundance and diversity of reef fishes. Moorish idols, convict tangs, guinea fowl puffer fish, bumphead parrotfish, and a school of several hundred Mexican lookdowns made for lots of oooohhhhs and aaaahhhhs sounds coming from snorkels all around me.
As the sun set slowly in the southwest she painted The Friars (as the rocks of this headland are known in English) with warm colors of golden reds and oranges before setting behind the peninsula itself. The first day of this expedition is in the books, and we look forward to what the future will bring. Stay tuned dear reader for more exciting news from Baja California Sur, Mexico!
