San Marcos Island and offshore waters
Just as the sun slowly started its way up, rising over the tranquil waters, our brave group divided to explore both the coastline and the interior of San Marcos Island. Paddling along white cliffs, offshore rocks and pebbled beaches, those among us that went kayaking had a great time. Just as the rest of us, who hiked along the dry arroyo up into the higher portions of the island. Known for the big gypsum deposits on its southern end, San Marcos certainly possesses magnificent landscapes of arid, rugged beauty.
After a while and in order to refresh ourselves, we tired-but-satisfied explorers went snorkeling and SCUBA diving under impressive natural arches and caves and over rock reefs intermixed with clear sandy bottoms. An abundance of colorful fish and invertebrate species greeted us as we enjoyed a couple hours frolicking among the warm waters.
Later on, the Sea Voyager sailed off San Marcos and into the vicinity of Tortuga Island. These deep, rich waters are known to be the realm of a most amazing creature, one which embodies the very essence of the adventure and wildness of the offshore waters: the sperm whale. However, sperm whales are characterized by the annoying habit of showing during valuable siesta time! True to its habits, numerous Sperm whales soon surrounded us, many of them grouped as mother and baby pairs. So abundant were the whales and so closely did they approach the Sea Voyager that we almost forgot to look at the number of Mobula rays that repeatedly breached nearby! Marveled by the unusually high number of very young sperm whales in the vicinity we could only admire their playfulness and the closeness between them and their protective mothers. Possessing the world’s largest brains and living in complex societies, sperm whales start forming long-lasting bonds with other individuals in their pod at this young age. And what a privilege it was to share a moment in time and space with them to witness the beginnings of that process…!
Just as the sun slowly started its way up, rising over the tranquil waters, our brave group divided to explore both the coastline and the interior of San Marcos Island. Paddling along white cliffs, offshore rocks and pebbled beaches, those among us that went kayaking had a great time. Just as the rest of us, who hiked along the dry arroyo up into the higher portions of the island. Known for the big gypsum deposits on its southern end, San Marcos certainly possesses magnificent landscapes of arid, rugged beauty.
After a while and in order to refresh ourselves, we tired-but-satisfied explorers went snorkeling and SCUBA diving under impressive natural arches and caves and over rock reefs intermixed with clear sandy bottoms. An abundance of colorful fish and invertebrate species greeted us as we enjoyed a couple hours frolicking among the warm waters.
Later on, the Sea Voyager sailed off San Marcos and into the vicinity of Tortuga Island. These deep, rich waters are known to be the realm of a most amazing creature, one which embodies the very essence of the adventure and wildness of the offshore waters: the sperm whale. However, sperm whales are characterized by the annoying habit of showing during valuable siesta time! True to its habits, numerous Sperm whales soon surrounded us, many of them grouped as mother and baby pairs. So abundant were the whales and so closely did they approach the Sea Voyager that we almost forgot to look at the number of Mobula rays that repeatedly breached nearby! Marveled by the unusually high number of very young sperm whales in the vicinity we could only admire their playfulness and the closeness between them and their protective mothers. Possessing the world’s largest brains and living in complex societies, sperm whales start forming long-lasting bonds with other individuals in their pod at this young age. And what a privilege it was to share a moment in time and space with them to witness the beginnings of that process…!
