Islas del Carmen and Santa Catalina
Partial cloud cover gave us some relief from the direct sun this morning but there was still plenty of warmth and humidity in the air as we approached our anchorage. Our morning hike was up scenic Arroyo Rojo on the east side of Isla del Carmen. This is a long, narrow island close to the peninsula in the vicinity of the mission town of Loreto. The island is privately owned and bighorn sheep have been introduced here. There is also a miniature version (an endemic subspecies) of the giant barrel cactus that occurs on a few other islands in the Gulf of California. We noticed that some of the organpipe cacti (pitaya dulce) had flower buds and would soon bloom and produce the most delicious of all the cactus fruits. Several species of lizards were active as the day warmed up. The more adventurous hikers scrambled up a short wall of rock in order to continue further up the arroyo.
After our pleasant walk, we returned to the Sea Voyager for a lecture by Lee Moll about the special adaptations that have evolved in desert plants and animals in order to survive in the harsh climate. Meanwhile, we hoisted the anchor and cruised eastward toward our afternoon destination of Isla Santa Catalina.
We disembarked after lunch for snorkeling, diving, and kayaking at a beach on the west side of Isla Santa Catalina. We were happy to find that the water temperature was very comfortable and we enjoyed our time in the water and relaxing on the beach. We took a short break and returned to the Sea Voyager to watch a preview of the video of the voyage, prepared by Conrad Evarts, our video chronicler.
Santa Catalina Island is composed mostly of granite with some other igneous intrusions. It is the home of the giant barrel cactus, the turquoise side-blotched lizard, and the rattleless rattlesnake. We were fortunate to see all of these unique and interesting species during our afternoon and evening walks up the gravelly arroyo. The cholla cactus sported beautiful pink blossoms and we spotted many birds, including both the gila and ladder-backed woodpeckers.
Back on the beach, the ship’s crew had set up a sumptuous buffet and barbecue. Golden light illuminated the cactus behind the beach and a violet flash occurred as the sun set over the peaks of the Sierra de la Giganta. The brilliant colors in the sky intensified and evolved as we feasted. It was nourishment for our bodies and our souls.
Partial cloud cover gave us some relief from the direct sun this morning but there was still plenty of warmth and humidity in the air as we approached our anchorage. Our morning hike was up scenic Arroyo Rojo on the east side of Isla del Carmen. This is a long, narrow island close to the peninsula in the vicinity of the mission town of Loreto. The island is privately owned and bighorn sheep have been introduced here. There is also a miniature version (an endemic subspecies) of the giant barrel cactus that occurs on a few other islands in the Gulf of California. We noticed that some of the organpipe cacti (pitaya dulce) had flower buds and would soon bloom and produce the most delicious of all the cactus fruits. Several species of lizards were active as the day warmed up. The more adventurous hikers scrambled up a short wall of rock in order to continue further up the arroyo.
After our pleasant walk, we returned to the Sea Voyager for a lecture by Lee Moll about the special adaptations that have evolved in desert plants and animals in order to survive in the harsh climate. Meanwhile, we hoisted the anchor and cruised eastward toward our afternoon destination of Isla Santa Catalina.
We disembarked after lunch for snorkeling, diving, and kayaking at a beach on the west side of Isla Santa Catalina. We were happy to find that the water temperature was very comfortable and we enjoyed our time in the water and relaxing on the beach. We took a short break and returned to the Sea Voyager to watch a preview of the video of the voyage, prepared by Conrad Evarts, our video chronicler.
Santa Catalina Island is composed mostly of granite with some other igneous intrusions. It is the home of the giant barrel cactus, the turquoise side-blotched lizard, and the rattleless rattlesnake. We were fortunate to see all of these unique and interesting species during our afternoon and evening walks up the gravelly arroyo. The cholla cactus sported beautiful pink blossoms and we spotted many birds, including both the gila and ladder-backed woodpeckers.
Back on the beach, the ship’s crew had set up a sumptuous buffet and barbecue. Golden light illuminated the cactus behind the beach and a violet flash occurred as the sun set over the peaks of the Sierra de la Giganta. The brilliant colors in the sky intensified and evolved as we feasted. It was nourishment for our bodies and our souls.
