Espiritu Santo
Our last day in the Sea of Cortez was another wet one but the rain did nothing to dampen our spirit of adventure as we explored one of the most interesting islands on our trip. Our morning began with Zodiac cruises at Los Islotes, a small group of islets on the north end of Espiritu Santo. This has long been known as a haul out for California sea lions. The boisterous animals made their presence known as we plied along the waters of the islets. An unusual bonus were the numerous diving pelicans that were after the massive schools of sardines just below the water surface. Later in the morning we were able to get a closer look by going snorkeling with both the sea lions and the fish. There were other tropical fish to be seen as well but the darting around of the sea lions stole the show.
During midday the Sea Lion repositioned south to Bahia Bonanza where organized walks along the long deserted beach were enjoyed by many, others took to the kayaks for one last paddle in the calm seas. One group of walkers was able to catch a glimpse of the endemic black jackrabbit amongst the lush plant life as they made their way up the arroyo. The dark clouds that have followed us all week began to close in so we made our way back to the ship for the final dinner of the voyage.
Our last day in the Sea of Cortez was another wet one but the rain did nothing to dampen our spirit of adventure as we explored one of the most interesting islands on our trip. Our morning began with Zodiac cruises at Los Islotes, a small group of islets on the north end of Espiritu Santo. This has long been known as a haul out for California sea lions. The boisterous animals made their presence known as we plied along the waters of the islets. An unusual bonus were the numerous diving pelicans that were after the massive schools of sardines just below the water surface. Later in the morning we were able to get a closer look by going snorkeling with both the sea lions and the fish. There were other tropical fish to be seen as well but the darting around of the sea lions stole the show.
During midday the Sea Lion repositioned south to Bahia Bonanza where organized walks along the long deserted beach were enjoyed by many, others took to the kayaks for one last paddle in the calm seas. One group of walkers was able to catch a glimpse of the endemic black jackrabbit amongst the lush plant life as they made their way up the arroyo. The dark clouds that have followed us all week began to close in so we made our way back to the ship for the final dinner of the voyage.
