Yellow-orange and deep violet shades of dawn’s light slowly brightened Isla Santa Margarita following a delightfully calm night on the Pacific Ocean. Several groups of common dolphins played in our bow wave while we scanned the sea for pelagic birds and marine mammals. At least four sea turtles were sighted nearby—a very happy start to our explorations on the west side of the Baja California peninsula.
Late in the morning we meandered across the dunes to Sand Dollar Beach or Bahia Santa Maria; rain has fallen here this winter and all of the exquisite little dune plants are blooming. When we crested the highest dune 12 miles of sand beach cradled between two magnificent rocky headlands lay before us. It was very difficult to leave the beach and return home on such a fine day.
We sailed north in the calm inside waters following the mangrove-lined channel of Isla Magdalena’s east side. Today’s low tide was a minus 1.3 ft. and exposed mudflats made for great birding! Egrets, herons, white ibis, and groups of shorebirds entertained us for hours while a few wily coyotes showed themselves here and there. Local fishermen were out wading through the clam beds and traps for jaiba or the local crab lay exposed at low tide.
Finally, near sunset we reached Boca de Soledad—the mouth of solitude. There, a gray whale mother and calf were logging off the bow in the last light of this beautiful day.
