Exploring Magdalena Bay
The morning started early as the first Zodiacs headed out at 7:15am in search of grey whales in Magdalena Bay. Some were very lucky to come upon a mother and a small calf quite close to the Sea Lion. The calf was only about a week old and they were spotted frequently as they moved slowly towards the ocean and came up often for air. We were treated to several close looks at the dark, shiny skin of this young calf that has not yet acquired the barnacles and ‘whale lice’ (amphipods) of its mother. This mother and calf will stay here as long as possible so that the calf will become strong enough for the long migration north to the Arctic later in the spring. The grey whale migration is one of the longest known mammal migrations on earth. The round trip can be close to ten thousand miles long.
During lunch we traveled south back through the Hull Canal and anchored off a large stretch of mangrove islands. We spent the afternoon plying the mud flats and explored the mangroves. Zodiacs and kayaks crept amongst the prop roots of the red mangroves amongst the night herons and egrets. Some explored the creatures that where scurrying on the bottom, including jetting scallops and rays darting around. Turns and bottlenose dolphins dined on small fish close to the surface.
As the sun set over the pacific we enjoyed a large pod of bottlenose dolphins, sea lions, and several grey whales. Even a tropical murrlet accompanied us as we made south towards Cabo San Lucas and the Gulf of California.
The morning started early as the first Zodiacs headed out at 7:15am in search of grey whales in Magdalena Bay. Some were very lucky to come upon a mother and a small calf quite close to the Sea Lion. The calf was only about a week old and they were spotted frequently as they moved slowly towards the ocean and came up often for air. We were treated to several close looks at the dark, shiny skin of this young calf that has not yet acquired the barnacles and ‘whale lice’ (amphipods) of its mother. This mother and calf will stay here as long as possible so that the calf will become strong enough for the long migration north to the Arctic later in the spring. The grey whale migration is one of the longest known mammal migrations on earth. The round trip can be close to ten thousand miles long.
During lunch we traveled south back through the Hull Canal and anchored off a large stretch of mangrove islands. We spent the afternoon plying the mud flats and explored the mangroves. Zodiacs and kayaks crept amongst the prop roots of the red mangroves amongst the night herons and egrets. Some explored the creatures that where scurrying on the bottom, including jetting scallops and rays darting around. Turns and bottlenose dolphins dined on small fish close to the surface.
As the sun set over the pacific we enjoyed a large pod of bottlenose dolphins, sea lions, and several grey whales. Even a tropical murrlet accompanied us as we made south towards Cabo San Lucas and the Gulf of California.
