Isla San Esteban and Isla San Pedro Martir, 12/30/2024, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
Today was a magical day of weather and wildlife experiences on National Geographic Venture. In the mid islands we were able to land on Isla San Esteban, hiked up the arroyo, and even found an endemic chuckwalla.
The vessel repositioned during lunch and we had two rounds of Zodiac cruises circumnavigating Isla San Pedro Martir. Blue-footed boobies, brown boobies, red-billed tropic birds, brown pelicans, Neotropic cormorants, and yellow-footed gulls were observed in incredible numbers. A stunning sunset ended this fantastic and exciting day!
I like to remind people that there are very few big surprises left in life, but if you are out in nature, with an open mind and a lot of time, you never know what you will find.
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We had a beautiful day in the turquoise waters off Espiritu Santos. Some people kayaked and explored a mangrove forest while others did a challenging boulder hike to a gorgeous view. We saw a rare oarfish and mobula rays before deciding to don our snorkels and fins to go for a swim. Those not keen on getting in the water went for a Zodiac cruise. It was a wonderful day of exploration!
What a fantastic way to kick off 2025 aboard National Geographic Venture. Today we awoke anchored at Puerto Los Gatos and as the sun rose, everyone knew we were in for a treat as we saw the light shining on the red rocks of the petrified sandstone cliffs ashore. We shuttled ashore where guests chose from a variety of activities including kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, and hikes ranging from casual to strenuous. Back on board, we made a short move over lunch to Isla San Jose where we anchored the ship at a protected beach called Playa Encantada and went ashore to explore the arroyo and slot canyon. We beach combed the area, also investigating various bones from trigger fish, porcupine fish, moray eels and even feral goats. After the hikes, guests were amazed at the incredible service from our hotel team when they set up a beach BBQ, campfire, and even a s’more station!! To top it off, one of the guests, Elizabeth, put on a three-song show showcasing her incredible voice. Back on board, we ended the day with an evening of board games, stargazing with Sharyn and Tim, and were even treated to an amazing show of feeding fish off the stern. Wow, this trip is only 2/3 of the way through and we have had so many incredible experiences!!! Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
Happy New Year’s Eve from the staff and crew of National Geographic Venture ! Our morning aboard the ship began early with cruising around Parque National Bahia de Loreto, where guests witnessed sea turtles, mahi mahi, and even a blue whale from aboard the ship! In the afternoon, guests enjoyed snorkeling off Punta San Marcial, as well as hiking on the island. During the hikes, onboard Undersea Specialist Ayla Townsend and Expedition Diver Melissa Heres embarked on a scuba dive to record undersea footage for all guests to witness and enjoy at the end of the trip.
