After navigating all night long from La Paz we arrived to the vicinity of the marine park of Loreto, a place well known for its abundant marine life. We spent the morning cruising around the islands of Carmen and Coronado searching for wildlife with a spectacular background view of the Sierra de la Giganta. It didn’t take too long for the friendly locals to show up and soon we were surrounded by a large pod of common dolphins and hundreds of birds attracted by the feeding of the cetaceans. We spent most of the morning enjoying the show the wildlife put on for us as we sailed south to Isla Danzante, where we dropped anchor at an ideal location that sheltered us from the increasing north winds. Soon after lunch we geared up and got on board one of the expedition landing craft to go to Honeymoon Cove for the first snorkeling session of the trip, followed by kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. We also took the opportunity to explore the land and hiked amid cacti and desert-adapted vegetation up to a view point from where the landscape of the peninsula and the islands created great photo opportunities. Once back aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird it was time for cocktail hour—everyone was excited and shared the stories of their explorations and discoveries on their first full day in the Sea of Cortez.
One can only imagine what else this week will offer, but if it’s anywhere close to what we saw today, I’m sure that this will be an unforgettable experience.
