Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and Humpback Whales
Even before first light we were in the vicinity of the tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Lights appeared and little by little we could make out the skyline of Cabo San Lucas.
Before long we had sailed to the Friar’s Rocks, those huge granitic masses that mark Finisterra, or Land’s End. By that time a whole fleet of small-to-large yachts were streaming out of the bay, en route to the good marlin and other billfish fishing grounds. We slowly cruised up to the famous arch of rocks in Cabo San Lucas, and then turned around and headed east to our morning destination, San Jose del Cabo. An hour later we were securely docked at the local marina, and were boarding our buses – one to the estero or small stream, and the other into town.
At the estero we saw many birds, and among the most interesting were the ospreys, blue-wing teals, gadwalls, common yellow-throats, an American kestrel and different egrets. In town, we visited different Mexican silver shops, art galleries, and even had the opportunity of seeing interesting t-shirts!
By midday we were out of the marina and cruising east, watching for humpback whales. Eventually we were almost surrounded by many of these incredible behemoths, weighing up to 45 tons, and breaching and jumping out of the water. We watched them for quite a while as we proceeded deeper into the Gulf of California. By this time the waves were a little taller, and we had slowed down to enjoy our ride better.
These fantastic baleen whales spend their winters here and further south, along the Pacific coast of Mexico, to court and to calve. This is the area where the males sing! They spend summers up along the coast of British Columbia and northern U.S., feeding heavily and restoring their blubber layers for the long trip south again.
