Los Islotes and Bahia Bonanza, Espiritu Santo
Cavorting, leaping, and twisting with a lot of barking – dogs you say. Hardly! These are the antics and sounds of the California sea lions of Los Islotes. This jagged pinnacle is at the far north end of Isla Partida Sur and was most likely attached at some point to this larger island judging by the apparent similarities of the two islands.
As the countless stories indicate, the lives of seals and humans have been closely intertwined for many thousands of years. Seals provided primitive humans with food, clothing, shelter and fuel. A visit to almost any Pacific or Atlantic shoreline is likely to yield a glimpse of these unique sea mammals, the pinnipeds: seals, sea lions, fur seals and walruses.
Whether surfing waves or lounging on a rock slab in the hot sun, pinnipeds seem equally at ease on shore and in the water. It is remarkable that these marine mammals have the ability to live in these two very different worlds.
After snorkeling with these agile creatures, we made sure that we explored every bit of this island by offering Zodiac cruises. This was the best way to see the brown and blue-footed boobies and the white guano adhered to the rock ledges where they were perched.
Scuba divers got the chance to experience another kind of world below the surface. The water was cooler than previous days, but with the temperature change came the diversity. As we approached the rocky bottom, we could see movement all around us. Schools of scissortail damselfish and bright yellow goatfish swirled in and out of our limited vision. Half a dozen or so paired stone scorpionfish, cryptic ambush predators, blended in with the algae covered rocks. I spied a gorgeous leopard flatworm next to an inquisitive jeweled moray that was intrigued by it’s reflection on the lens of the underwater video camera housing.
By afternoon, we were staring back at our ship as she lay suspended on mantle of turquoise that softly blended in with the sky beyond. The sparkling white beach seemed to emphasize and enhance the color of the sea. We had arrived at Bahia Bonanza, also located in the Espiritu Santo group of scalloped sandy bays.
As this amazing week drew to an end, there was no doubt that we had indeed arrived at the place where the desert meets the sea.
Cavorting, leaping, and twisting with a lot of barking – dogs you say. Hardly! These are the antics and sounds of the California sea lions of Los Islotes. This jagged pinnacle is at the far north end of Isla Partida Sur and was most likely attached at some point to this larger island judging by the apparent similarities of the two islands.
As the countless stories indicate, the lives of seals and humans have been closely intertwined for many thousands of years. Seals provided primitive humans with food, clothing, shelter and fuel. A visit to almost any Pacific or Atlantic shoreline is likely to yield a glimpse of these unique sea mammals, the pinnipeds: seals, sea lions, fur seals and walruses.
Whether surfing waves or lounging on a rock slab in the hot sun, pinnipeds seem equally at ease on shore and in the water. It is remarkable that these marine mammals have the ability to live in these two very different worlds.
After snorkeling with these agile creatures, we made sure that we explored every bit of this island by offering Zodiac cruises. This was the best way to see the brown and blue-footed boobies and the white guano adhered to the rock ledges where they were perched.
Scuba divers got the chance to experience another kind of world below the surface. The water was cooler than previous days, but with the temperature change came the diversity. As we approached the rocky bottom, we could see movement all around us. Schools of scissortail damselfish and bright yellow goatfish swirled in and out of our limited vision. Half a dozen or so paired stone scorpionfish, cryptic ambush predators, blended in with the algae covered rocks. I spied a gorgeous leopard flatworm next to an inquisitive jeweled moray that was intrigued by it’s reflection on the lens of the underwater video camera housing.
By afternoon, we were staring back at our ship as she lay suspended on mantle of turquoise that softly blended in with the sky beyond. The sparkling white beach seemed to emphasize and enhance the color of the sea. We had arrived at Bahia Bonanza, also located in the Espiritu Santo group of scalloped sandy bays.
As this amazing week drew to an end, there was no doubt that we had indeed arrived at the place where the desert meets the sea.
