Boca de Soledad, Baja California Sur
What does it mean when the moon is in Scorpio early in the morning? Well, whatever it means, there it was. Just before the first rays of light crept over the horizon, Scorpio appeared to be curved protectively around the semi-circular moon. Pale pink soon washed across the sky obscuring even the brightest stars and awakening not a rooster, but royal terns who declared to the world that morning was here. The damp air condensed over the water laying a fluffy blanket across the land as if to say that it was all right to sleep a little longer. But the sun broke through glowing yellow, stroking our faces with massaging warmth and tossed the comforter away. Scattered around us, gray whale exhalations painted heart shaped patterns against the dark water of the bay.
Isla Santo Domingo and Isla Magdalena are the lips framing the mouth or Boca of the bay. Huge breakers dance upon the shallow sands, dangerous teeth of sorts, for no vessel ventures light-heartedly through the mouth to the Pacific. Our Zodiacs flirted with these waves throughout the day, for this is where the gray whales play. Tiny calves, encouraged by their bulky mothers, exercised in the surf, swimming swiftly against the rushing tides. Not only must they put on bulk while here in Mexican waters, but they also must gain muscle strength to carry them thousands of miles to their frigid feeding grounds. Recess from their lessons allowed them to frolic and leap, swirling round their mother’s rostrums and sliding off their barnacled backs. The friskiest spy-hopped or breached.
As we watched their lives reveal themselves to us, we learned to read the signs of "footprints" on the water or shadows beneath the surface. Body parts that seemed a mystery upon initial introduction seemed to coalesce into shapes and forms that would not only identify each as a member of its species, but as an individual unto itself. Beautiful barnacles formed diamonds or stars on head or back or rostrum. The skin itself was delicately marbled, black and white in patterns unique to each whale. When tomorrow comes, we will greet them as old friends.
What does it mean when the moon is in Scorpio early in the morning? Well, whatever it means, there it was. Just before the first rays of light crept over the horizon, Scorpio appeared to be curved protectively around the semi-circular moon. Pale pink soon washed across the sky obscuring even the brightest stars and awakening not a rooster, but royal terns who declared to the world that morning was here. The damp air condensed over the water laying a fluffy blanket across the land as if to say that it was all right to sleep a little longer. But the sun broke through glowing yellow, stroking our faces with massaging warmth and tossed the comforter away. Scattered around us, gray whale exhalations painted heart shaped patterns against the dark water of the bay.
Isla Santo Domingo and Isla Magdalena are the lips framing the mouth or Boca of the bay. Huge breakers dance upon the shallow sands, dangerous teeth of sorts, for no vessel ventures light-heartedly through the mouth to the Pacific. Our Zodiacs flirted with these waves throughout the day, for this is where the gray whales play. Tiny calves, encouraged by their bulky mothers, exercised in the surf, swimming swiftly against the rushing tides. Not only must they put on bulk while here in Mexican waters, but they also must gain muscle strength to carry them thousands of miles to their frigid feeding grounds. Recess from their lessons allowed them to frolic and leap, swirling round their mother’s rostrums and sliding off their barnacled backs. The friskiest spy-hopped or breached.
As we watched their lives reveal themselves to us, we learned to read the signs of "footprints" on the water or shadows beneath the surface. Body parts that seemed a mystery upon initial introduction seemed to coalesce into shapes and forms that would not only identify each as a member of its species, but as an individual unto itself. Beautiful barnacles formed diamonds or stars on head or back or rostrum. The skin itself was delicately marbled, black and white in patterns unique to each whale. When tomorrow comes, we will greet them as old friends.
