A select few restless early risers reaped the benefits of rising before the sun as bow-riding dolphins illuminated by bioluminescence fed on schools of fish. Among those early risers was our very own Undersea Specialist Patrick Webster, who later gave a recap on bioluminescence.
As the sun slowly rose and the ship approached its morning anchorage, we were greeted by another fantastic Baja sunrise. Along the rocky shoreline of our landing beach, California sea lions announced their presence and patrolled their homeland. As groups of guests took Zodiacs ashore for hikes and morning walks, divers set out for a spectacular dive. The morning included photo walks, as well as a reptile hunt with Mauro Butron and his crew of Global Explorers.
As the ship moved twenty-four nautical miles to our afternoon destination, guests enjoyed a much needed refuel at lunch. After lunch, everyone headed out for two rounds of Zodiac cruising to Isla San Pedro Martir, a fascinating island that is incredibly important for its blue-footed booby nesting cliffs. The large bird populations made the island a hotspot for mining guano before the island was declared a biosphere reserve in 2002. The true highlight of the day was the huge shoal of bottlenose dolphins that escorted each of the Zodiacs to their cruise spot. Dolphins launched themselves high into the air with such ease. Guests and their naturalists were amazed by such a close and exciting wildlife encounter.
The afternoon continued with a presentation on desert plants and their adaptations and importance to Mexico, which led right into cocktail hour. Recap was full of interactive and unique talks by the natural history team, and dinner followed shortly. We wrapped up the night with an after-dinner presentation by Patrick on diving in Baja. The presentation featured some incredible footage and some admittedly entertaining puns.
