A beautiful sunny morning was spent exploring the thicket of mangroves in the region of El Barril (The Barrel) via Zodiacs. Red and white mangroves were predominant along the water’s edge and a variety of birds, from ibis to herons and scrub jays to white-winged scoters, were spotted. We observed stunning scenery, with a green mangrove forest set against white sand dunes, and towering mountains of desert rising in the distance. It was quite the natural contrast of color, texture, and habitat.

The anchor was housed and we were underway with a pilot cruising through Canal de Soledad, aka “Hull Canal”. Again, a great opportunity to view a variety of birds and a couple bottlenose dolphins, as well.

We finished up the day with a late afternoon walk along the sand dunes of Isla Magdalena, and following was a fantastic fiesta onboard National Geographic Sea Bird, complete with live music by Los Coyotes and the Desert Flowers dancers.