Isla San Jose and Isla San Francisco, Baja California Sur
More adventures for the guests of the Sea Bird! As always, picking the best part of the day is next to impossible. Let’s see? Was it the Zodiac ride through the mangroves of Isla San Jose with the rays flapping their way to another morsel to munch on? Or the white ibis waiting for the tide to expose a sand flat full of their own kind of delicacies?
Was the best part of the day exploring the volcanic talus slopes of Isla Francisco? Sideslopes that yielded opportunities to see pitaya, cholla, Mammillaria, and Cochemia cactus along with a multitude of desert flowers and plants? Sideslopes that hosted some of the greenest vegetation in years? Was it the fact that the cacti were full to almost busting with water?
Or was it the fabulous tidepooling that we experienced on the opposite side of the short tombolo (sandspit that links two islands) from where the Sea Bird was anchored? We managed to turn up at least 5 types of sea stars in addition to sea cucumbers, sponges, corals, tunicates and huge flatworms. Most of the critters really don’t survive outside their environment, so we tried our best to put rocks back where we found them with the wet side down.
Was it the opportunity to kayak? The kayaks explored the azure blue half moon bay as brown pelicans and brown boobies plunged into the water seeking a fishy meal.
Maybe the best part was the beach barbecue with our uninvited guest that flew in from down the beach – a brown pelican began the evening sitting in the firepit. Part of the best might have been the beach bonfire where we heard tales of the origins of land and peoples of Mexico. This was a barbecue where many of us were wearing t-shirts and sandals while our families and neighbors were probably under ice and snow up north. Yes, it was another wonderful day away from the pressures of home, and a great dose of the Tonic of Wilderness.
More adventures for the guests of the Sea Bird! As always, picking the best part of the day is next to impossible. Let’s see? Was it the Zodiac ride through the mangroves of Isla San Jose with the rays flapping their way to another morsel to munch on? Or the white ibis waiting for the tide to expose a sand flat full of their own kind of delicacies?
Was the best part of the day exploring the volcanic talus slopes of Isla Francisco? Sideslopes that yielded opportunities to see pitaya, cholla, Mammillaria, and Cochemia cactus along with a multitude of desert flowers and plants? Sideslopes that hosted some of the greenest vegetation in years? Was it the fact that the cacti were full to almost busting with water?
Or was it the fabulous tidepooling that we experienced on the opposite side of the short tombolo (sandspit that links two islands) from where the Sea Bird was anchored? We managed to turn up at least 5 types of sea stars in addition to sea cucumbers, sponges, corals, tunicates and huge flatworms. Most of the critters really don’t survive outside their environment, so we tried our best to put rocks back where we found them with the wet side down.
Was it the opportunity to kayak? The kayaks explored the azure blue half moon bay as brown pelicans and brown boobies plunged into the water seeking a fishy meal.
Maybe the best part was the beach barbecue with our uninvited guest that flew in from down the beach – a brown pelican began the evening sitting in the firepit. Part of the best might have been the beach bonfire where we heard tales of the origins of land and peoples of Mexico. This was a barbecue where many of us were wearing t-shirts and sandals while our families and neighbors were probably under ice and snow up north. Yes, it was another wonderful day away from the pressures of home, and a great dose of the Tonic of Wilderness.
