Pacific Ocean & Magdalena Bay
Last night we started our journey north, towards Bahía Magdalena. The National Geographic Sea Bird sailed against gentle waves throughout the night, to greet a new day sailing off the coast of Isla Santa Margarita. From the bow we could spot the first gray whale blows in the distance. The closer we got to La Entrada, the more whales we saw. La Entrada is our gateway to Bahia Magdalena, and it is located between Isla Margarita, on the south, and Isla Magdalena on the north.
As soon as we crossed into Bahia Magdalena, it became impossible to count the number of whales we saw in every direction. The excitement could be felt on the bow, as everyone pointed out gray whales in different directions.
After meeting our local pilot, Alejandro Camacho, we sailed through the beautiful and “non-navigable” Canal de Soledad. Our pilot has acquired his experience being the second generation that drives our ships through the channel, and it is the only way of sail from the southern part of Bahia Magdalena to the northern bay.
As we crossed the channel, we saw many kinds of birds, like green herons, ospreys fishing, and dancing reddish egrets. A few bottlenose dolphins joined us for quite a while to ride the bow, and many of us could enjoy watching their underwater pirouettes.
Once past Colina Coyote, as we entered the northern section of the bay, we started spotting many more whales, most of which had already given birth to their calves. Some spy hopping and breaching whales were seen, including an adult that breached quite close to our ship.
As we arrived at our anchorage in an area close to Boca de Soledad, we disembarked on the magnificent shoreline, which leads to some amazing sand dunes. Here at Isla Magdalena, we stretched our legs and enjoyed a walk or some of solitude, in preparation for a full day of whale watching tomorrow.
