Isla Santa Catlina
A desert arroyo bursting with color…red tubes of mistletoe flowers, dark purple spikes of the indigo bush pictured in the photo, lavender plumes of desert lupine, red-orange globes of ripe coyote melon, scents of low-tide and warm pungent desert plants. Isla Santa Catalina was stunning this afternoon. It's been quite a few years since I have experienced the exuberant life on a desert island after an abundant winter rain, and today's afternoon walk was one to be savored and the memory tucked away for a cold winter's day before the fire.
And the walk was near the end of this memorable day – our first morning of the shipboard portion of this journey began with watching the rising sun light up the many colored volcanic layers of the rugged Sierra de la Giganta range. Following liferaft drills, briefings and gearing up for snorkeling, we spotted several enticing splashes in the distance toward Isla Carmen. Within a few minutes, it became apparent that we were approaching a feeding frenzy. Several hundred long-beaked common dolphins, brown pelicans, yellow-footed gulls, brown and blue-footed boobies were plunge diving and working over a school of small fish. Excited marine mammals swam off the bow and the stern of the Sea Lion or performed beautiful aerial leaps.
The warm afternoon at Isla Santa Catalina also offered a post-hike snorkeling opportunity. What a marvelous way to cool down and enjoy the lively antics of the many beautiful fishes found in these productive waters.
A desert arroyo bursting with color…red tubes of mistletoe flowers, dark purple spikes of the indigo bush pictured in the photo, lavender plumes of desert lupine, red-orange globes of ripe coyote melon, scents of low-tide and warm pungent desert plants. Isla Santa Catalina was stunning this afternoon. It's been quite a few years since I have experienced the exuberant life on a desert island after an abundant winter rain, and today's afternoon walk was one to be savored and the memory tucked away for a cold winter's day before the fire.
And the walk was near the end of this memorable day – our first morning of the shipboard portion of this journey began with watching the rising sun light up the many colored volcanic layers of the rugged Sierra de la Giganta range. Following liferaft drills, briefings and gearing up for snorkeling, we spotted several enticing splashes in the distance toward Isla Carmen. Within a few minutes, it became apparent that we were approaching a feeding frenzy. Several hundred long-beaked common dolphins, brown pelicans, yellow-footed gulls, brown and blue-footed boobies were plunge diving and working over a school of small fish. Excited marine mammals swam off the bow and the stern of the Sea Lion or performed beautiful aerial leaps.
The warm afternoon at Isla Santa Catalina also offered a post-hike snorkeling opportunity. What a marvelous way to cool down and enjoy the lively antics of the many beautiful fishes found in these productive waters.
