Magdalena Bay, Baja California, 2/6/2018, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Baja California
The area near Puerto Lopez Mateos to Magdalena Bay is a wild and beautiful tangle of waterways and channels. This was our last time to admire, interact with, and giggle at gray whale calves before cruising south in the Hull Canal. By noon we were back in Magdalena Bay proper and then on to the open Pacific.
Pete Pederson has always been attracted to the out-of-doors and is fascinated by the diversity of life and how natural systems function. He studied zoology and completed his Master of Science degree in wildlife management at Humboldt State University...
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Today was another memorable day with a variety of surprising and enjoyable educational experiences. We awoke this morning on National Geographic Venture as it cruised north along the outside of Isla Margarita. Many delightful sightings of birds included masked boobies, western gulls, and Brandt's cormorants. The highlight of the morning was seeing the first California grey whales of the trip, which we witnessed at La Estrada, the mouth of Magdalena Bay that marks the northern end of Isla Margarita and the southern end of Isla Magdalena. In the afternoon, we set to shore and split into a variety of interest groups. Some went on a long, fast-paced hike while others went birding in the mangroves or on natural history or photo walks in the sand dunes. Some groups crossed over to the other side of the island and enjoyed the scenery of the wild beach that measures over ten miles long. Big waves and the sound of surf, sanderlings along the shoreline, and a light wind made for a great environment for beachcombing. We’re looking forward to the coming days here, exploring this fascinating part of a wonderful country.
Our day was spent at Cabo Pulmo National Park, one of the great conservation success stories of the world and home to a massive biomass of subtropical and tropical marine species. We spent the morning in local pangas that took us into the park for snorkeling activities and a whale watching opportunity, for those not interested in snorkeling. The afternoon saw us visited by a huge pod of dolphins and in the company of many humpback whales in the East Cape region of Baja California.
Our day began with another stunning sunrise against the rugged rock formations of Los Islotes. Perfect conditions for our early morning snorkel allowed for a memorable experience drifting with the playful California sea lions, schools of fish sparkling below, and brown pelicans plunge diving around us as they attempted to catch some fish. After our snorkel, we went on Zodiac cruises along the cliffs, visiting the sea lions, brown pelicans, Brandt’s cormorants, and blue-footed boobies. Following our early morning outing, we enjoyed a delicious brunch made by our talented galley team. While underway toward La Paz, we had presentations by our photo instructor and undersea specialists. Once we arrived in La Paz, we had some time to explore town on foot, try some local ice cream at La Fuente, and see some of the historic sites. We all reunited along the waterfront for an incredible performance by the local dancers and mariachi band, followed by dinner at Casa Marte. What a special day!
