With an early start this morning, snorkelers headed into the protected waters of San Evaristo to explore the world beneath the surface. Gorgonian corals were found on the rocks beneath us, along with massive brown urchins and venomous crown of thorns sea stars. Cortez wrasse swam close to the tops of the rocks, while giant damselfish scared off any fish daring enough to invade their territory. The area had plenty of intertidal creatures along the rocks, just waiting to be found.
Between rounds, a pod of dolphins passed by the boats and the Zodiac tours went out in search of them. After traveling south in Zodiacs for only a mile, the small boats were surrounded by the pod of dolphins. Some dolphins swam alongside the boats, while others decided to bow-ride. Everywhere we looked, dorsal fins appeared out of the water, tails slapped against the surface, or dolphins leapt out of the water. Just as the Zodiacs were turning to leave the dolphins and head back to the vessel, one broke the surface and performed a backflip – truly a dramatic farewell.
After a delicious brunch, we cruised south to the bay of La Paz, covering a little over 50 nautical miles of the Sea of Cortez. After a bit of time exploring the beautiful Malecon area, we met at a pavilion to enjoy a performance of traditional dances representative of various regions of Mexico by local students of La Paz. After dinner, we were serenaded by an incredible opera singer and a pianist from Mexico City. This evening was a spectacular end to an incredible day in Baja California.
