Isla Santa Catalina / Cruising north in the Sea of Cortez
Did you hear a familiar whistle calling you to the bow this morning? The dolphins greeted us early, escorting us through the calm waters of the Sea of Cortez. They remained with us throughout the day as the Sea Lion made her way further north.
Just after breakfast, we anchored off Elephant Rock on Isla Santa Catalina and eagerly loaded the Zodiacs to explore this pristine island. Catalina, a granite island that emerged from the sea floor, hosts a variety of endemic plants and animals distinct from the mainland. Here you can find the largest barrel cactus in the world and the giant cardons that might be as old as 150 – 200 years. Set against the muted desert colors, the vibrant green of the cactus popped out against the blue of the sky, as we aimed our lens at the island’s prickly offerings. Some of us focused our attentions on the small critters scuttling from one rock to another: desert iguana, side blotched lizards, chuckwallas and the orange throat ribtail lizard. Though you couldn’t hear a warning from it, the rattleless rattlesnake revealed itself to a few. One group of unassuming hikers stumbled across it as they made their way to the top of the island; while a more focused gang of reptile hunters went armed with lasso and gusto, emerging with the elusive snake in hand. The rattleless rattlesnake, aside from a fun thing to say ten times fast, interests us because of its unique characteristics. The rattlesnake evolved its rattle as a self-defense mechanism to alert hoofed animals of its presence. In the absence of hoofed animals, the rattlesnakes on Catalina lost their rattles; today, the only threatening stomps on the island come from the travelers in pursuit of tracking, rather than trampling, this fascinating reptile.
Bottlenose and common dolphins met us again in the afternoon, eager to pose for our photos. On deck we witnessed their playful banter set against the dramatic scenery of Isla Carmen to the starboard side, and the mainland, portside. Those of us below might have heard the dolphins’ high-pitched voices communicating with one another. Some studies have shown that bottlenose dolphins, and perhaps common as well, develop a “signature whistle” between one month to two years of age that they will use for the rest of their lives. These distinctive calls serve two functions: individual recognition and group cohesion through communication. As we finish day nine of our journey together, we too feel a bit of this group cohesion. The clicking of our cameras mimics the dolphin’s call; as each shutter closes on a different perspective of the same image, we sound our signature whistle. The day ends with our dolphins jumping across the peaceful water’s surface, reflecting perfectly the rose-colored sky overhead. We shoot a few more frames before replacing our lens caps and retiring to the lounge to toast the day’s events.
Did you hear a familiar whistle calling you to the bow this morning? The dolphins greeted us early, escorting us through the calm waters of the Sea of Cortez. They remained with us throughout the day as the Sea Lion made her way further north.
Just after breakfast, we anchored off Elephant Rock on Isla Santa Catalina and eagerly loaded the Zodiacs to explore this pristine island. Catalina, a granite island that emerged from the sea floor, hosts a variety of endemic plants and animals distinct from the mainland. Here you can find the largest barrel cactus in the world and the giant cardons that might be as old as 150 – 200 years. Set against the muted desert colors, the vibrant green of the cactus popped out against the blue of the sky, as we aimed our lens at the island’s prickly offerings. Some of us focused our attentions on the small critters scuttling from one rock to another: desert iguana, side blotched lizards, chuckwallas and the orange throat ribtail lizard. Though you couldn’t hear a warning from it, the rattleless rattlesnake revealed itself to a few. One group of unassuming hikers stumbled across it as they made their way to the top of the island; while a more focused gang of reptile hunters went armed with lasso and gusto, emerging with the elusive snake in hand. The rattleless rattlesnake, aside from a fun thing to say ten times fast, interests us because of its unique characteristics. The rattlesnake evolved its rattle as a self-defense mechanism to alert hoofed animals of its presence. In the absence of hoofed animals, the rattlesnakes on Catalina lost their rattles; today, the only threatening stomps on the island come from the travelers in pursuit of tracking, rather than trampling, this fascinating reptile.
Bottlenose and common dolphins met us again in the afternoon, eager to pose for our photos. On deck we witnessed their playful banter set against the dramatic scenery of Isla Carmen to the starboard side, and the mainland, portside. Those of us below might have heard the dolphins’ high-pitched voices communicating with one another. Some studies have shown that bottlenose dolphins, and perhaps common as well, develop a “signature whistle” between one month to two years of age that they will use for the rest of their lives. These distinctive calls serve two functions: individual recognition and group cohesion through communication. As we finish day nine of our journey together, we too feel a bit of this group cohesion. The clicking of our cameras mimics the dolphin’s call; as each shutter closes on a different perspective of the same image, we sound our signature whistle. The day ends with our dolphins jumping across the peaceful water’s surface, reflecting perfectly the rose-colored sky overhead. We shoot a few more frames before replacing our lens caps and retiring to the lounge to toast the day’s events.
