Today the National Geographic Sea Bird arrived to a very special part of the Sea of Cortez known as the Midriff Islands region, where several islands—including Mexico’s two biggest—act as a bottleneck for the tidal currents that create strong upwellings. Here, the waters are highly productive and life flourishes everywhere. We had the chance to explore two of those islands, San Esteban and Rasa, each one totally different than the other, encountered several unique and charismatic species, and even met a true environmental heroine. What a wonderful day!