Magdalena Island and La Entrada
A cloudy sky and a little bit of rain (but no wind at all) was the frame for our first opportunity for grey whale watching today. We anchored the Sea Bird close to the port of Lopez Mateos (name derived from a former president of Mexico). The little town is the home of many fishermen that provide services aboard their “pangas” (fiber-glass boats) for whale watching. Some of them joined us. We went out in our Zodiac boats in this fascinating coastal lagoon, and reached La Entrada, or The Entrance, in the northernmost tip of Magdalena Bay. We contemplated the extensive sand bar that closes the entrance and barely lets the grey whales come in. All day long we also observed thousands of birds of different species. They were traveling in groups or in long lines, like the Brandt’s cormorants, or pelicans in their typical v-shape formations. White pelicans, a rare event, were seen as well on the sandy shores.
Right from the beginning of this morning we observed immature individuals, pregnant females and cow and calf pairs of grey whales. Some of them were very elusive and erratic in behavior, but some others were quiet and cooperative. We observed the calves rolling over the mother’s backs, or the immature individuals swimming fast or fluking. Those moments were avidly captured by our digital cameras. Most of us also hiked on the Moon-looking wet sand dunes of the island. The coyotes and jackrabbits had a lot of activity as was derived from the many tracks observed on the sand. The great moments of grey whale observation were crowned by an excellent dinner cooked by the people of La Ballena Gris restaurant of Lopez Mateos (and served aboard the Sea Bird), and by the personal style of Los Coyotes de Magdalena, the local group of musicians that played Mexican songs of love and joy in the ship’s lounge after dinner.
A cloudy sky and a little bit of rain (but no wind at all) was the frame for our first opportunity for grey whale watching today. We anchored the Sea Bird close to the port of Lopez Mateos (name derived from a former president of Mexico). The little town is the home of many fishermen that provide services aboard their “pangas” (fiber-glass boats) for whale watching. Some of them joined us. We went out in our Zodiac boats in this fascinating coastal lagoon, and reached La Entrada, or The Entrance, in the northernmost tip of Magdalena Bay. We contemplated the extensive sand bar that closes the entrance and barely lets the grey whales come in. All day long we also observed thousands of birds of different species. They were traveling in groups or in long lines, like the Brandt’s cormorants, or pelicans in their typical v-shape formations. White pelicans, a rare event, were seen as well on the sandy shores.
Right from the beginning of this morning we observed immature individuals, pregnant females and cow and calf pairs of grey whales. Some of them were very elusive and erratic in behavior, but some others were quiet and cooperative. We observed the calves rolling over the mother’s backs, or the immature individuals swimming fast or fluking. Those moments were avidly captured by our digital cameras. Most of us also hiked on the Moon-looking wet sand dunes of the island. The coyotes and jackrabbits had a lot of activity as was derived from the many tracks observed on the sand. The great moments of grey whale observation were crowned by an excellent dinner cooked by the people of La Ballena Gris restaurant of Lopez Mateos (and served aboard the Sea Bird), and by the personal style of Los Coyotes de Magdalena, the local group of musicians that played Mexican songs of love and joy in the ship’s lounge after dinner.
