Isla Espiritu Santo & Los Islotes
The earth of Espiritu Santo is laced with seashells. Far away and up from the beach, still seashells. The very ground is ancient sea floor, holding remnants and evidence of its former condition. Seashells are an accumulation of minerals excreted from mollusk digestion. The resultant form is a beautiful and protective layer around the aforementioned creature.
As we visit Espiritu Santo, we become the seashells,, and the island our mollusk. Through the digestion of information and experience we develop love, familiarity, and a sense of protection for the natural area. As with many of the wild places we visit, firsthand knowledge and experience forges connection and appreciation. A place that moments before seemed empty of all but dried up vegetation and cacti, we now know supports plants that are very much alive, and not without their useful qualities. From basket weaving material to incense to blood coagulants, the desert’s secrets exposed themselves as we ventured on to learn more.
Three and a half inches of rain. In one year, three and a half inches of rain! That statistic alone turns this arid landscape into a teeming wilderness. The quantity of life sustained on such a pittance of water (four and a half in an El Nino year, mind you) makes this desert all that much more impressive.
Rounding up the coast, we head for Los Islotes. Tiny islands by comparison, and mostly white. Strange white rocks in the middle of the sea… as our downwind approach commences they became strange white smelly rocks… and then the sound! A cacophonous symphony of barking, roaring, crying pups, waves crashing on the far side, and the occasional sea bird sounding off to its kin.
Not satisfied by dry observation from the decks, most decide the only way to observe California sea lions in the wild is to jump right into the wild with them. Clumsily hobbling about on land mocks the true underwater grace of the sea lion. Being able to dance with them in their habitat is a treat every human should hold close to their heart if ever given the chance. Rarely in the wild are such close encounters so safely and responsibly executed.
