San Pedro Martir and San Esteban Islands
Activities in our first day of expedition into the Gulf of California started very early this morning with a Zodiac cruise around the fantastic volcanic island called San Pedro Martir. We observed dense layers of lava flows and ash mixed with cinders laying one over the other for more than 1,000 feet of thickness above the surface of the water. This remote, eroded, destroyed and isolated volcano is the breeding ground for brown pelicans, brown and blue-footed boobies, and red-billed tropicbirds, among other interesting sea birds. Thousands of individuals of all those species flew around the whole island, while on the rocky shore hundreds of California sea lions rested digesting their nocturnal catch.
We left San Pedro Martir in the late morning to sail in search of marine mammals. Just before lunch we discovered a group of at least 8 scattered individuals of sperm whale, among them a big male and a female with a calf. They were logging at the surface in times, or moving erratically in other moments. Because of this great opportunity, we sent the National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions team to try to attach the critter camera, also known as the “Critter Cam,” a creative device designed to unveil the secret life of many animal species to one’s individuals back. Because of the erratic movements of the whales, the choppy ocean, and our desire to not disturb the sperm whales, we left them without any success in attaching the Critter Cam.
We continued on our way to San Esteban in the afternoon, another isolated and remote island (made of granite and volcanic tuff). There live some endemic forms of life, among them the piebald chuckwalla and two cactus species. It did not take to long to find as much as two dozen individuals during the hikes, some of them perfectly camouflaged under the jumping cholla cacti, or under big rocks, or simply basking under the strong sun rays (photo). Some spiny tailed iguanas of different ages were also seen. During the cocktail time aboard the ship all of us agreed that this day was a fantastic beginning of our voyage.
Activities in our first day of expedition into the Gulf of California started very early this morning with a Zodiac cruise around the fantastic volcanic island called San Pedro Martir. We observed dense layers of lava flows and ash mixed with cinders laying one over the other for more than 1,000 feet of thickness above the surface of the water. This remote, eroded, destroyed and isolated volcano is the breeding ground for brown pelicans, brown and blue-footed boobies, and red-billed tropicbirds, among other interesting sea birds. Thousands of individuals of all those species flew around the whole island, while on the rocky shore hundreds of California sea lions rested digesting their nocturnal catch.
We left San Pedro Martir in the late morning to sail in search of marine mammals. Just before lunch we discovered a group of at least 8 scattered individuals of sperm whale, among them a big male and a female with a calf. They were logging at the surface in times, or moving erratically in other moments. Because of this great opportunity, we sent the National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions team to try to attach the critter camera, also known as the “Critter Cam,” a creative device designed to unveil the secret life of many animal species to one’s individuals back. Because of the erratic movements of the whales, the choppy ocean, and our desire to not disturb the sperm whales, we left them without any success in attaching the Critter Cam.
We continued on our way to San Esteban in the afternoon, another isolated and remote island (made of granite and volcanic tuff). There live some endemic forms of life, among them the piebald chuckwalla and two cactus species. It did not take to long to find as much as two dozen individuals during the hikes, some of them perfectly camouflaged under the jumping cholla cacti, or under big rocks, or simply basking under the strong sun rays (photo). Some spiny tailed iguanas of different ages were also seen. During the cocktail time aboard the ship all of us agreed that this day was a fantastic beginning of our voyage.
