Ensenada Grande, Isla Partida
Ensenada Grande is a large bay etched deeply into the northwest shore of Isla Partida. This stunning protected island is an intensity of desert colors. Bands of red, black and creamy volcanic rock layers angle across the canyons, while the luminous aqua waters seem lit from below. The rocks are sculpted into sensuously draped shapes by water and wind and, to some of us, suggest lace or perhaps warm chocolate frosting gone awry. Desert rock gardens add splashes of green shapes atop the sculptures. It all makes this a very captivating place.
Long hikers trekked the rocky arroyo up to a view over the island and the white-capped sea to the north. Accompanied by the joyful downward trill of the canyon wren, walkers were astonished at the remarkably lush and varied plant life of the Sonoran desert. Cardon cacti, the tall venerable sentinels of the canyon, entwined with other spiny plants — many are still very green following a December rain and others bore delightful flowers in apricot and deep purple hues. The translucent and delicate lavender flower of the mariola (a tomato relative) is a particular favorite of mine. We found several beautifully woven, nearly round verdin nests well-protected in a chain-link cholla, and here and there the chipmunk-sized antelope ground squirrel was seen busily collecting and consuming seeds.
After lunch, some guests chose to explore the beach, while bright sunny skies lured snorkelers into the chilly turquoise waters, where they joined guineafowl puffers, Cortez rainbow wrasse, gulf sun stars, and king angelfish beneath the water’s surface. Late in the afternoon, everyone piled into Zodiacs and cruised the bay. There, we celebrated a brown pelican’s catch and an eared grebe’s comical diving up and down, glorying in the splendor of this watery desert place and the magnificent experiences we have shared.
