After a night of smooth sailing south on the open Pacific, the National Geographic Sea Bird changed course to enter Magdalena Bay for a morning ashore at Punta Belcher. On our approach, thousands of elegant terns called and wheeled overhead and in the distance. This was a surprise, as we usually expect to encounter these birds at or near their primary breeding grounds on Isla Rasa in the Sea of Cortez. It was a spectacular sight.
After anchoring, we headed for shore to investigate. At one time there was a whale rendering operation and later a sea turtle cannery here. More recently, a pier was constructed as a part of a phosphate extraction project. Remnants of the pilings still remain. Today, a fishing camp exists adjacent to a white-sand and cobble beach backed by heavily vegetated desert at the base of rugged hills of metamorphic rocks. Some people opted for a stroll or jog along the sand or a walk into the desert. Beach-combing is always fun, but it was particularly fascinating along this stretch of Isla Magdalena where beautiful shells and colorful stones lay scattered about along with skeletons of birds and fish. Lizards sped into the brush above the high-tide line. Blue morning glories, nightshade, and yellow daisies dotted the shrubbery with colorful blooms.
Most of us reached a spit crowded with hundreds of resting seabirds. Elegant terns stood in a tight mass flanked by groups of California gulls and brown pelicans. A peregrine falcon and several other disturbances abruptly flushed the birds into the air. The cacophony of their piercing screams was almost overwhelming as they lifted off and then quickly resettled once again. What a spectacular opportunity for photographers and non-photographers alike!
We spent the remainder of the day at sea, watching presentations on birds, the importance of lighting in photography, and how to best use underwater cameras. Along the way, we stopped when two humpbacks and a blue whale appeared. The spout of the blue is tall and columnar in contrast to the bushy blow of the humpbacks. As darkness enveloped the ship, we motored on towards Land’s End at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, where we would enter the Sea of Cortez, the start of a whole new episode to our photo expedition and Remarkable Journey.
