San José Island and Puerto Gato
Well, let's say that during a normal day, I wouldn't be very considerate to anyone who disrupts my sleep before sunrise. But this was not a normal day, and the low voice of Jim Kelley saying through the public announcements system that a Bryde's whale and numerous dolphins were swimming just off the ship's bow was quite welcome, indeed! Many of us tumbled onto the deck to see the sun rising above the calm waters, silhouetting Las Animas Island in the process. Happy, sleepy faces (some with funny early-morning hairstyles) admired the acrobatic long-beaked common dolphins cavorting around the ship. We got to experience their noisy underwater realm by means of a hydrophone, their clicks and whistles clearly audible to us, as if trying to defy the title of Jacques Cousteau's movie "The Silent World." After breakfast we explored the terrestrial and underwater wonders of San José Island at Punta Colorada. As its name implies, the red, pink and orange colored cliff left us in awe as the early morning light turned it into a masterpiece.
Our next plan was to cruise to Puerto Gato on the Baja Peninsula in order to exercise our muscles and sense of adventure by kayaking and more hiking and snorkeling. However, the sudden appearance of killer whales flushed our schedule down the head! Several groups of this most magnificent predator were seen over a large area, and at least six of them, including a young calf, were seen right next to the ship. As someone said, you can tell this was no ordinary sighting when everyone on board - from crew to staff and guests - ran outside with an assortment of cameras and binoculars on their hands. The clear waters allowed us to admire their grace and majesty as some individuals swam just under the ship's bow, their inquisitive eyes inspecting the mesmerized crowd above. The mere presence of these most powerful of predators added a true sense of wildness to this marvelous corner of the Sea of Cortez that many of us will never forget.
Well, let's say that during a normal day, I wouldn't be very considerate to anyone who disrupts my sleep before sunrise. But this was not a normal day, and the low voice of Jim Kelley saying through the public announcements system that a Bryde's whale and numerous dolphins were swimming just off the ship's bow was quite welcome, indeed! Many of us tumbled onto the deck to see the sun rising above the calm waters, silhouetting Las Animas Island in the process. Happy, sleepy faces (some with funny early-morning hairstyles) admired the acrobatic long-beaked common dolphins cavorting around the ship. We got to experience their noisy underwater realm by means of a hydrophone, their clicks and whistles clearly audible to us, as if trying to defy the title of Jacques Cousteau's movie "The Silent World." After breakfast we explored the terrestrial and underwater wonders of San José Island at Punta Colorada. As its name implies, the red, pink and orange colored cliff left us in awe as the early morning light turned it into a masterpiece.
Our next plan was to cruise to Puerto Gato on the Baja Peninsula in order to exercise our muscles and sense of adventure by kayaking and more hiking and snorkeling. However, the sudden appearance of killer whales flushed our schedule down the head! Several groups of this most magnificent predator were seen over a large area, and at least six of them, including a young calf, were seen right next to the ship. As someone said, you can tell this was no ordinary sighting when everyone on board - from crew to staff and guests - ran outside with an assortment of cameras and binoculars on their hands. The clear waters allowed us to admire their grace and majesty as some individuals swam just under the ship's bow, their inquisitive eyes inspecting the mesmerized crowd above. The mere presence of these most powerful of predators added a true sense of wildness to this marvelous corner of the Sea of Cortez that many of us will never forget.
