Ensenada Grande and Los Islotes
Colors and sounds are two things that easily trigger memories. This morning the colors that were displayed as the sun rose were spectacular. Pale pinks and yellows reflected off the stunning sandstone cliffs as many of us gathered on the bow to see a dot of green also known as “the green flash” as the sun broke the horizon. What a wonderful way to begin a day.
After breakfast we launched kayaks for a easy paddle along the wind sculpted cliffs of Ensenada Grande. The turquoise blue waters were calling as we slowly made our way around the bay discovering sergeant majors and other fishes just below our stable kayaks. We also had the opportunity to go for various walks up into the canyons. Some of us went for the more challenging hike scrambling over boulders and were rewarded with lovely vistas. Others of us chose a slower pace and discovered the many wonders of this beautiful desert with a wide variety of cactus and several bird species including the zippy Costa’s Hummingbird.
In the afternoon we anchored off Los Islotes, a small island that has a small colony of California sea lions. The Sea Bird dropped anchor to the sound of the sea lions barking at each other along the rocky shore. Many of us hardy souls braved the slightly chilly water to encounter the sea lions face to face while snorkeling. These graceful animals buzzed by us as we also discovered the incredible colors of the king angelfish and the giant hawkfish.
There were also many things to discover on land during our afternoon Zodiac cruise. The brilliantly colored blue-footed booby did its lovely courtship dance while the magnificent frigate bird soared above our heads. We also saw sea lion pups from last year nursing and resting in the many crevices while the brilliantly red sally light foot crabs skittered along the shore edge.
We will take many memories of this journey with us including the sound of a gray whale blowing in the still morning air, the wonderful colors of all fish species while snorkeling off Pelican Rocks, the beautiful, haunting song of the canyon wren and of course the multi-colored sunrises and sunsets. It is a gift to have the time to just sit and savor the anticipation of another stunning sunset.
Colors and sounds are two things that easily trigger memories. This morning the colors that were displayed as the sun rose were spectacular. Pale pinks and yellows reflected off the stunning sandstone cliffs as many of us gathered on the bow to see a dot of green also known as “the green flash” as the sun broke the horizon. What a wonderful way to begin a day.
After breakfast we launched kayaks for a easy paddle along the wind sculpted cliffs of Ensenada Grande. The turquoise blue waters were calling as we slowly made our way around the bay discovering sergeant majors and other fishes just below our stable kayaks. We also had the opportunity to go for various walks up into the canyons. Some of us went for the more challenging hike scrambling over boulders and were rewarded with lovely vistas. Others of us chose a slower pace and discovered the many wonders of this beautiful desert with a wide variety of cactus and several bird species including the zippy Costa’s Hummingbird.
In the afternoon we anchored off Los Islotes, a small island that has a small colony of California sea lions. The Sea Bird dropped anchor to the sound of the sea lions barking at each other along the rocky shore. Many of us hardy souls braved the slightly chilly water to encounter the sea lions face to face while snorkeling. These graceful animals buzzed by us as we also discovered the incredible colors of the king angelfish and the giant hawkfish.
There were also many things to discover on land during our afternoon Zodiac cruise. The brilliantly colored blue-footed booby did its lovely courtship dance while the magnificent frigate bird soared above our heads. We also saw sea lion pups from last year nursing and resting in the many crevices while the brilliantly red sally light foot crabs skittered along the shore edge.
We will take many memories of this journey with us including the sound of a gray whale blowing in the still morning air, the wonderful colors of all fish species while snorkeling off Pelican Rocks, the beautiful, haunting song of the canyon wren and of course the multi-colored sunrises and sunsets. It is a gift to have the time to just sit and savor the anticipation of another stunning sunset.
