Our first full day of our voyage in the Gulf of California began as expected with a spectacular sunrise as we cruised toward our destination of Isla San Marcos. Half of the island is an operational gypsum mine and the other has some great views from the plateau.
We began our operations for the day with a snorkel outing. The waters just off the beach are filled with schools of fish and interesting invertebrate species. It was our first snorkel of the voyage and an amazing way to start. Everyone was eager to learn about the marine life of the Gulf of California.
After lunch, we headed back out for hikes ashore led by our natural history staff. Strenuous hikers ventured up to the plateau for great views of the coastal waters. Moderate hikers explored the arroyo landscape, while casual hikers surveyed the tide pools along the shore. Through wavy conditions, we loaded up the Zodiacs and headed back to the ship to enjoy cocktail hour and dinner aboard National Geographic Venture.
