San Ildefonso and Caleta San Juanico
We traveled overnight heading north towards San Ildefonso Island. Although we were going against the north wind, we had a good ride and dropped the anchor under an orange and pink sunrise. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of birds were flying in every direction and even more were still perched in the rock ridges where they had spent the night.
We started our morning by cruising in our Zodiacs along the shoreline of San Ildefonso Island. This island is an important bird-breeding colony that is home to brown and blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, yellow-footed gulls, Brandt’s cormorants, and magnificent frigatebirds. Many of these birds would climb into the sky by using the updraft of the wind that bounced against the island.
We stayed mostly on the south face of San Ildefonso. Here we saw myriad Sally Lightfoot crabs adorning the rocks. A peregrine falcon proudly stood on the highest point and eared grebes dove and surfaced over and over again in small groups.
After leaving San Ildefonso, we headed back south with following winds. Our destination was the scenic bay of Caleta San Juanico. Here we found protection from the north wind, and spent a delightful afternoon on the beach. Some of us joined the naturalists on desert walks to learn more about the hardy inhabitants of this arid environment. Regardless of the proximity with the sea, the landscape is dry and extremely contrasting with its surroundings.
Snorkelers ventured into the refreshing waters of the bay. Others chose to enjoy a moment of solitude, walking in peace through the sandy border that separates the desert and the sea.
