Glass-flat water south of Isla Monserrat, cake-layer like bands of colorful volcanic ash of the Baja California peninsula, and a Bryde’s whale flitting about nearby. These were the ingredients to create an enchanted first morning of an amazing adventure this week. As they tend to do, the Bryde’s whale was an erratic target to attempt to watch, but that was okay. A bit later a smattering of bottlenose dolphins peaked our interest, a few mobula rays were viewed flying effortlessly near the surface, and a sea turtle was surprised into a dive by our presence. Life abounds in the stirred waters of the Gulf of California. Daily tides churn and mix this sea, bringing nutrients to the surface where the magic of sun and photosynthesis start a food chain that can cumulate in the form of a Bryde’s whale.
As the morning progressed we wandered from sighting to sighting, navigating a route that looked like the curly-cue squiggles on a frosted donut. A humpback whale in one direction, then later a breaching humpback whale, and still later a sleek pod of common dolphins easily viewed as they slipped through the water. The sea is not the only attraction; there is the desert as well.
For the afternoon at Puerto Gato on the peninsula, we had several choices for our approach. Kayakers effortlessly paddled the jagged shoreline, snorkelers viewed the underwater world as they were equipped with masks, snorkels, and fins, and others chose the paddleboard approach. Still others decided to explore terra firma and moseyed up the arroyo to meet the exquisitely adapted desert denizens that not only survive but thrive in their arid home. Cacti, trees, and shrubs were not the only residents we observed. We viewed the clues of many desert adapted creatures as well. Tracks of hermit crabs crisscrossed the beach edge, undulating footprints of California quail wandered aimlessly with intent, roadrunners had raced by at some earlier point in time, and coyotes had thoroughly investigated the intricacies of every conceivable corner from desert vegetation to our sandy beach playground.
What a treat to explore with such diverse approaches in an unhurried fashion. Truly the correct recipe for an informative and enjoyable week of discovery in the Sea of Cortez and still to come, the gray whale breeding lagoons of Magdalena Bay.
