Magdalena Bay, 2/15/2018, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Baja California
Today was all about the gray whales! We anchored in Magdalena Bay, one of three primary calving and breeding lagoons in Baja California. Gray whales utilize these lagoons as safe sites to give birth, raise their young, socialize, breed, and prepare for the long journey north to feed. Listening to the breath of these large cetaceans and witnessing their fascinating behavior transports any observer to another world entirely.
Emily grew up in Boulder, Colorado and Pullman, Washington. Her love of nature began as a child during family vacations spent hiking, camping and exploring the mountains and deserts of the west. In contrast to her outdoors interests, Emily pursued an...
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We started our final morning along a beautiful coastline where some hiked along a shell-laden canyon and others explored the nearby seas via Zodiac. After an adventurous morning, we set sail on National Geographic Venture to search for the largest animal on the planet, the mighty blue whale, and we found five!
We started our day early by visiting El Cardonal on La Isla Espiritu Santo. Some guests opted to snorkel, exploring the corals and fish of the Gulf of California, while others chose to soak in the views of turquoise waters via Zodiac cruise, exploring the mangroves and watching birds. In the afternoon, we went ashore to explore the coastal town of La Paz. We watched a beautiful cultural representation of regional dances and music, all taking place along the malecon of the town, before enjoying a traditional Mexican dinner.
There is nothing quite like waking up to the sunrise on the waters of the Gulf of California. Today we had the opportunity to cruise around Cabo Pulmo, one of the better managed marine reserves in Mexico, declared in 1995 and promising some of the greatest recovery in fish biomass in any marine reserve worldwide. We cruised around with the local guides on board their pangas – small skiffs – where we encountered a large group of grey whales that got curious among our presence. The whales came close and spy hopped around our boats for several hours. On our way back to National Geographic Venture , we were also greeted by some humpback whale mommas and their calves, and a pretty big pod of dolphins. During the afternoon, we went ashore to explore the coast of Los Frailes Bay where we got to experience some of the local vegetation and bird life. There is an arroyo that contains remains of a lake in the dry season but continues to have a lot of greenery and life. For those that were especially adventurous, we had the chance to rock scramble along some hills and walk among the stunning dunes.
