Isla San Esteban and San Pedro Martir, Baja California, México
The natives that used to live on Isla San Esteban in the Gulf of California had disappeared by the time that the more modern Seri Indians started to use that island, traveling the short distance to it from Isla Tiburon. These last people introduced the chuckwalla or Pinto Iguana to the island for feeding purposes. Today it is found quite commonly here. The animals are quite tame, and allow us to approach and photograph them. This island is also home to a good series of species of endemic plants such as cacti, and other animals, including the San Esteban white-footed mouse. On the beach we saw young of the large yellow-footed gull, ready to fly in a week or two.
The afternoon gave us incredible views of marine mammals, and a visit to Isla San Pedro Martir, where we circumnavigated the island in our Zodiacs, enjoying the large (800) population of California sea lions and innumerable seabirds, such as brown- and blue-footed boobies, as well as cormorants, brown pelicans, tropic birds, yellow-footed and Heermann gulls and magnificent frigate birds.
The natives that used to live on Isla San Esteban in the Gulf of California had disappeared by the time that the more modern Seri Indians started to use that island, traveling the short distance to it from Isla Tiburon. These last people introduced the chuckwalla or Pinto Iguana to the island for feeding purposes. Today it is found quite commonly here. The animals are quite tame, and allow us to approach and photograph them. This island is also home to a good series of species of endemic plants such as cacti, and other animals, including the San Esteban white-footed mouse. On the beach we saw young of the large yellow-footed gull, ready to fly in a week or two.
The afternoon gave us incredible views of marine mammals, and a visit to Isla San Pedro Martir, where we circumnavigated the island in our Zodiacs, enjoying the large (800) population of California sea lions and innumerable seabirds, such as brown- and blue-footed boobies, as well as cormorants, brown pelicans, tropic birds, yellow-footed and Heermann gulls and magnificent frigate birds.
