Boca de Soledad, Baja
The white, peach, and brilliant blues of a Bahia Magdalena sunrise greets us as we begin our day. After breakfast, half of us departed for the beach and sand dunes near the entrance of the ocean. It was a wonderful way to experience the solitude of Baja. Not one car, siren or slamming door was heard the entire morning. This is a place where only the surf resounds and the shifting sands make a different landscape everyday. The shapes, colors, and textures of the dunes change with each hour. Dark browns from morning dew change to light tan under the noonday sun. You will seldom find a beach that has such a wide range of sizes, shapes and colors of shells on the same beach. This is one of the best shell beaches in Baja. Arks, venus, turbans, augers, cowry’s, and murex are just a few of the shells we found.
The other half of our group headed into the bay hoping for an up-close look at the gray whales. The whales at times are very social, approaching our Zodiac as well as local fishing boats, called pangas. The gray whale cows will sometimes push their calves right to the boats. We are careful not to obstruct the whale in any way. There are rules for watching whales that help alleviate the possibility of disrupting the whales’ daily routine.
The afternoon offered the same options of Zodiac rides and shore hikes. When not cruising for cetacean encounters, many guests chose to enjoy the wonderful sunshine reading on deck, socializing or napping in the peace that pervades the bay. What a tough life we lead in Baja! Some of our afternoon whale watchers were treated to an unusual sight. They were able to see the fetal folds on the gray whale calf that are a result of the calf’s curled position within the womb. The folds appear as dark bands around the baby’s hind section and usually disappear within days of birth. This means the calf that was seen this afternoon was brand new! What a lucky find!
The white, peach, and brilliant blues of a Bahia Magdalena sunrise greets us as we begin our day. After breakfast, half of us departed for the beach and sand dunes near the entrance of the ocean. It was a wonderful way to experience the solitude of Baja. Not one car, siren or slamming door was heard the entire morning. This is a place where only the surf resounds and the shifting sands make a different landscape everyday. The shapes, colors, and textures of the dunes change with each hour. Dark browns from morning dew change to light tan under the noonday sun. You will seldom find a beach that has such a wide range of sizes, shapes and colors of shells on the same beach. This is one of the best shell beaches in Baja. Arks, venus, turbans, augers, cowry’s, and murex are just a few of the shells we found.
The other half of our group headed into the bay hoping for an up-close look at the gray whales. The whales at times are very social, approaching our Zodiac as well as local fishing boats, called pangas. The gray whale cows will sometimes push their calves right to the boats. We are careful not to obstruct the whale in any way. There are rules for watching whales that help alleviate the possibility of disrupting the whales’ daily routine.
The afternoon offered the same options of Zodiac rides and shore hikes. When not cruising for cetacean encounters, many guests chose to enjoy the wonderful sunshine reading on deck, socializing or napping in the peace that pervades the bay. What a tough life we lead in Baja! Some of our afternoon whale watchers were treated to an unusual sight. They were able to see the fetal folds on the gray whale calf that are a result of the calf’s curled position within the womb. The folds appear as dark bands around the baby’s hind section and usually disappear within days of birth. This means the calf that was seen this afternoon was brand new! What a lucky find!
