Sand Dollar Beach and Hull Canal, Magdalena Bay
While exploring the white sand dunes of Isla Santa Magdalena this morning, Naturalist Stephanie reminded us: “The one constant in nature is change.” Recent rains helped transform the desert plant life of this barrier island into blooming, thriving throw rugs scattered across the sloping dunes. The sand verbena was in bloom with its delicate-looking purple flowers, and the purslane’s leaves were plump with stored water. Although it was calm this morning, evidence of the wind’s power surrounded us, as it lifted and swirled grains of sand, changing the shape of the dunes bit by bit before our eyes.
Animal tracks were everywhere – signs of life scurrying this way and that. Teeny tiny mouse prints, wavy grooves of a slithering snake, paw prints showed the loping route of a lone coyote, and two-toed imprints of birds all indicated the creatures of the desert about their morning’s business. We were lucky to actually glimpse a few of these creatures in action – but we had to look fast before they disappeared from view! A coyote scuttled along the sand and jackrabbits were spied bounding and zooming across the dunes. The owner of a set of distinctive tracks made itself known to us as we watched a member of the stink beetle family crawl up a towering wall of sand.
Although we could have spent hours investigating the busy world in the dunes, the further we walked, the gentle roar of the Pacific Ocean became louder and louder, calling to us. Emerging from the dunes, we stepped onto a pristine stretch of shoreline known as Sand Dollar Beach. Here, too, we saw evidence everywhere of nature in a constant state of change. Sand dollars, members of the echinoderm family, were scattered everywhere along the beach, some just deposited along the sand from a recent tide, others already bleached white by time in the sun. Various shore birds skittered along the edge of the waves, darting about, poking into the sand, feeding along the tidal zone. Bits of marine mammal skeletons and bird bones were scattered about, drawing us in for closer looks.
When the sun reached its highest point, we retraced our steps through the dunes, making our way back to the landing site. Back on board the Sea Bird, our local pilot, Alejandro Camacho, joined us for the afternoon and we began our cruise up the Hull Canal. We spent the afternoon on deck, soaking up the sun, bird watching, and most importantly, keeping our eyes peeled for the first glimpses of the gray whales and their newborn calves.
While exploring the white sand dunes of Isla Santa Magdalena this morning, Naturalist Stephanie reminded us: “The one constant in nature is change.” Recent rains helped transform the desert plant life of this barrier island into blooming, thriving throw rugs scattered across the sloping dunes. The sand verbena was in bloom with its delicate-looking purple flowers, and the purslane’s leaves were plump with stored water. Although it was calm this morning, evidence of the wind’s power surrounded us, as it lifted and swirled grains of sand, changing the shape of the dunes bit by bit before our eyes.
Animal tracks were everywhere – signs of life scurrying this way and that. Teeny tiny mouse prints, wavy grooves of a slithering snake, paw prints showed the loping route of a lone coyote, and two-toed imprints of birds all indicated the creatures of the desert about their morning’s business. We were lucky to actually glimpse a few of these creatures in action – but we had to look fast before they disappeared from view! A coyote scuttled along the sand and jackrabbits were spied bounding and zooming across the dunes. The owner of a set of distinctive tracks made itself known to us as we watched a member of the stink beetle family crawl up a towering wall of sand.
Although we could have spent hours investigating the busy world in the dunes, the further we walked, the gentle roar of the Pacific Ocean became louder and louder, calling to us. Emerging from the dunes, we stepped onto a pristine stretch of shoreline known as Sand Dollar Beach. Here, too, we saw evidence everywhere of nature in a constant state of change. Sand dollars, members of the echinoderm family, were scattered everywhere along the beach, some just deposited along the sand from a recent tide, others already bleached white by time in the sun. Various shore birds skittered along the edge of the waves, darting about, poking into the sand, feeding along the tidal zone. Bits of marine mammal skeletons and bird bones were scattered about, drawing us in for closer looks.
When the sun reached its highest point, we retraced our steps through the dunes, making our way back to the landing site. Back on board the Sea Bird, our local pilot, Alejandro Camacho, joined us for the afternoon and we began our cruise up the Hull Canal. We spent the afternoon on deck, soaking up the sun, bird watching, and most importantly, keeping our eyes peeled for the first glimpses of the gray whales and their newborn calves.
