A very colorful sunrise created beautiful patterns on the water as we started our day aboard National Geographic Sea Lion. We enjoyed tranquil seas and an overcast sky, with an occasional glimpse of a marine mammal and some bird watching – Heermann’s gulls, storm petrels, and brown pelicans became photographic subjects.
After breakfast we prepared for our excursions at the north end of Isla San Marcos. There were choices of hiking up an arroyo, expedition landing craft cruising, kayaking, and snorkeling. There were multihued rocks and flowers along the walk, and the avian highlight was a long-eared owl for the longer walkers! Expedition landing craft cruisers found dolphins, breaching rays, birds, and rafts of sea lions to exclaim about. The rocky coastline was very spectacular. To the south we saw evidence of the gypsum mine, which is still active on the island.
Upon leaving our anchorage, we did circles around a group of foraging common dolphins. Very young babies among them delighted us. Suddenly a thresher shark leaped from the water several times. We found it difficult to go in for lunch. As we made our way toward Santa Rosalía, many more dolphins gave us a reason to pause and create more images.
In the late afternoon, we explored the town of Santa Rosalía, established in 1884 by a French mining company. Although situated along Highway 1, it is not very “touristy”. We found the people friendly and hard-working. There is a copper mine here and much of its history can be told through the historical buildings, equipment, train engines, and museum situated in the town. Many of us visited the bakery to sample the fine French pastries. The metal church (debatably designed by Gustave Eiffel) is a focal point of the town.
Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres served on the back deck lured us back to the ship and then in for a nice dinner.
At a gathering in the lounge after dinner, the photo team provided anonymous constructive criticism for many excellent photographs that had been submitted by the guests, from which everyone could learn.
National Geographic Sea Lion cruised gently through bioluminescent water toward our next day’s destination.
