Isla Magdalena and Northern Magdalena Bay, 2/7/2023, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Baja California
This was our second full day of observing California gray whales from pangas. The pregnant females seem to prefer giving birth in the northern lagoons. The southern bay has more of a “singles bar” atmosphere, all in an anthropomorphic sense, of course. In all, it made for a diverse set of images and impressions for all of us.
Born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Linda and her Air Force family moved extensively throughout the U.S. when she was a child. Linda continues to travel and explore a broader spectrum of the world as a naturalist with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geogr...
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We spent the day enjoying a variety of activities in Puerto Magdalena on Magdalena Island. Some explored the seashore, and others made the hike across the island to spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, observing the endemic cactus species along the way. Still others went for a bike ride on the other side of town. After our excursions, we all met at Chejo’s restaurant to enjoy drinks and snacks and a Q&A with Chejo, learning more about the lives of the locals. After a full day spent outdoors, we headed back to National Geographic Sea Bird for cocktail hour, and there was a spectacular sunset. We look forward to another day of fun tomorrow!
We sailed south through Canal de La Soledad to set anchor at El Barril, one of the highlights of our expedition. Here we did an outing with kayaks and Zodiacs, surrounded by red and sweet mangroves, with the San Lazaro Mountains as background. After lunch we moved forward to have our farewell activity — hiking through the astonishing sand dunes of Isla Magdalena. Here we also enjoyed our only chance to admire the Pacific Ocean at Bahia Santa Maria, also known as Sand Dollar Beach. Afterwards we came aboard to share our last recap and dinner together aboard National Geographic Sea Lion .
What a full day of richness and birding galore! Our day started off with early morning hikes on Isla Magdalena, taking in the impressive desert plant life of this exotic terrane, filled with whale skeletons and osprey nests. A stunning midday journey through Hull Canal brought with it enough herons, egrets, terns, gulls, frigatebirds, cormorants, shorebirds, and camera shutter clicks to last a lifetime. After anchoring at Lopez Mateos, we boarded pangas for a late afternoon of wildlife watching and a lovely little beach landing. We found a bald eagle’s nest, some of the southernmost nesting bald eagles (!), and examined incredible shells and beautiful sand. To top off our wonderful day, we enjoyed live music from Los Coyotes and dancing from The Desert Flowers! It was another spectacular day here in Baja California Sur.
