Punta Colorada and Los Islotes
A magnificent sight rewarded the early risers who went ashore before sunrise; the impressive sedimentary cliffs of Punta Colorada glowed with golden, pink and red tones as the sun slowly made its way above the horizon. Located on the eastern side of San Jose Island, Punta Colorada is a gorgeous little place at the end of a dry river-bed or arroyo, where the erosion of sedimentary rocks carved a very nice coastline. Photographers and hikers enjoyed the many opportunities to photograph and admire the beauty of its forms, shapes and colors, whereas kayakers did the same along the shore and some brave souls even practiced some cliff-jumping! Snorkelers had the chance to watch a very healthy reef with abundant coral formations and fish; yellowtail surgeonfish, king angelfish, blue and gold snapper and a multitude of wrasses and damsels were among the species observed.
The National Geographic Sea Bird continued her journey to the south and eventually dropped her anchor at Los Islotes, on the extreme north of the Espiritu Santo Island Complex Biosphere Reserve. We quickly grabbed our snorkel gear to enter the realm of the California sea lion. Many of them greeted us and we all enjoyed their beauty, agility and grace underwater. “Flying” with their oversized front flippers, sea lions are able to out-swim any fish and seemed to take pity on our clumsy efforts to imitate them.
We made our final landing of the trip at Bonanza Bay, a beautiful sandy beach on the south end of Espiritu Santo Island, where we all had a chance to reflect on the experiences we’ve had during the last days. A great end to a marvelous week in the Sea of Cortez!
