Isla San Esteban and Isla San Pedro Martir, Baja California
We awoke this morning, as we have each morning, to a beautiful sunrise and another early visit from a cetacean. Yes, as has become customary this week, the new morn was greeted by a whale sighting! This morning it was a fin whale cruising along the southern coast of Isla San Esteban. We followed the whale for thirty minutes or so, and then went for breakfast as the ship dropped anchor and Zodiacs close to shore.
Once ashore on Isla San Esteban we went in search of terrestrial wildlife and we were not disappointed, soon we were spotting pinto chuckwallas everywhere, under a cactus here, on top of a rock there – these particular and very striking animals are endemic to this island. We came back aboard in the late morning and went cruising in search of more marine life.
As we cruised we saw some 100 common dolphins, then another 100 over to the right, then 200 more a little further out, and soon we were in the midst of 1000’s of common dolphins, all around us they were obviously feeding like crazy. Tail slapping, breaching, racing this way and that, the dolphins were everywhere. A quick decision was made to lower some Zodiacs and we all jumped in, to get a slightly different perspective, of this incredible sight. WOW!
It was still not yet lunchtime! After lunch we continued cruising towards Isla San Pedro Martir, and en route found some Sperm whales; was it two, no three, no it was some 15 Sperm whales, one very large male and a number of females and young. This tail fluke pictured, shows an adult male and a female fluke as they dove in search of Squid. What a day, and what a fit ending to an awesome week.
We awoke this morning, as we have each morning, to a beautiful sunrise and another early visit from a cetacean. Yes, as has become customary this week, the new morn was greeted by a whale sighting! This morning it was a fin whale cruising along the southern coast of Isla San Esteban. We followed the whale for thirty minutes or so, and then went for breakfast as the ship dropped anchor and Zodiacs close to shore.
Once ashore on Isla San Esteban we went in search of terrestrial wildlife and we were not disappointed, soon we were spotting pinto chuckwallas everywhere, under a cactus here, on top of a rock there – these particular and very striking animals are endemic to this island. We came back aboard in the late morning and went cruising in search of more marine life.
As we cruised we saw some 100 common dolphins, then another 100 over to the right, then 200 more a little further out, and soon we were in the midst of 1000’s of common dolphins, all around us they were obviously feeding like crazy. Tail slapping, breaching, racing this way and that, the dolphins were everywhere. A quick decision was made to lower some Zodiacs and we all jumped in, to get a slightly different perspective, of this incredible sight. WOW!
It was still not yet lunchtime! After lunch we continued cruising towards Isla San Pedro Martir, and en route found some Sperm whales; was it two, no three, no it was some 15 Sperm whales, one very large male and a number of females and young. This tail fluke pictured, shows an adult male and a female fluke as they dove in search of Squid. What a day, and what a fit ending to an awesome week.
