Isla Santa Catalina
Isla Santa Catalina - a pastel desert island gem held in the salty azure grip of the Gulf of California’s wild waters was our destination for an unforgettable day of Sonoran Desert discovery. The rains of last September have left the island covered in beautiful leafy green shrubs and dotted with wildflowers. We were especially charmed by the red tubular blossoms of the ‘chuparosa’ mistletoe that Costa’s hummingbirds are fond of. This morning’s hikes were journeys through a mystical landscape that at first sight gave little evidence of the severe droughts that can occur in this area.
Giant barrel cactus and huge specimens of the cardon cactus outlined the arroyo and provided picturesque perches for gila woodpeckers and white-winged doves. Beneath the peeling bark of a torote colorado tree, an endemic rattleless rattlesnake revealed itself! The brilliant scarlet flash of a male cardinal was quite surprising in this muted landscape, while the unusual survival tactics of desert plants and animals continue to be amazing.
Snorkelers braved the cool water around the stone elephant that guards the southern anchorage and gives this bay its name. They were rewarded with sightings of the brilliant king angel fish among many other ocean residents, as well as an eared grebe curious enough to swim near us. In the soft last light of the day, Zodiac cruises brought wonderful views of the local birdlife- an osprey atop a cardon cactus keeping its reef cornet fish safe from marauding ravens and a pair of American oystercatchers guarding their rocky reef.
Isla Santa Catalina - a pastel desert island gem held in the salty azure grip of the Gulf of California’s wild waters was our destination for an unforgettable day of Sonoran Desert discovery. The rains of last September have left the island covered in beautiful leafy green shrubs and dotted with wildflowers. We were especially charmed by the red tubular blossoms of the ‘chuparosa’ mistletoe that Costa’s hummingbirds are fond of. This morning’s hikes were journeys through a mystical landscape that at first sight gave little evidence of the severe droughts that can occur in this area.
Giant barrel cactus and huge specimens of the cardon cactus outlined the arroyo and provided picturesque perches for gila woodpeckers and white-winged doves. Beneath the peeling bark of a torote colorado tree, an endemic rattleless rattlesnake revealed itself! The brilliant scarlet flash of a male cardinal was quite surprising in this muted landscape, while the unusual survival tactics of desert plants and animals continue to be amazing.
Snorkelers braved the cool water around the stone elephant that guards the southern anchorage and gives this bay its name. They were rewarded with sightings of the brilliant king angel fish among many other ocean residents, as well as an eared grebe curious enough to swim near us. In the soft last light of the day, Zodiac cruises brought wonderful views of the local birdlife- an osprey atop a cardon cactus keeping its reef cornet fish safe from marauding ravens and a pair of American oystercatchers guarding their rocky reef.
