San Ignacio Lagoon, 3/20/2018, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Baja California
Another beautiful, calm day welcomed the travelers aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird to San Ignacio Lagoon. Our morning on the water was filled with a variety of experiences. There were quiet moments observing the birdlife overhead, including royal terns and white ibis. Then we were back to splashing and chipper exhalations during our encounters with the friendly gray whales. The day was full and rich, ending on a colorful note with our first blue whale sighting and a green flash at sunset as we headed south toward the tropics.
Since 1995, Rikki Swenson has traveled widely with Lindblad Expeditions–National Geographic, and was a founding member of the Photo Expedition program. A graphic designer for 20 years, Rikki owned a small agency, handling projects for large corporate...
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Our plan for the day was to search for humpback whales in the rich waters of the cape region. Being that National Geographic Venture is an incredible platform for wildlife watching, we were well equipped as we crossed by Cabo San Lucas and steamed towards Gorda Banks. Cruising in calm seas, we spotted whales all around us. Mother and calf humpbacks swam by while larger groups breached repeatedly and slapped their pectoral fins on the water’s surface. To add to the diversity of marine life, several gray whales and common dolphins passed by the bow of our ship along with a suite of seabirds, marlins, and sea turtles. A day at sea well spent, the sun set as we looked towards Cabo Pulmo on the horizon.
Our second full day exploring Baja California was a very successful and pleasant one, starting early in the morning boarding local pangas to look for gray whales at Almejas Bay, located in the southernmost portion of the much larger Magdalena Bay. Just as yesterday, we found not one or two, but literally hundreds of whales! They were particularly active today, and we spent a wonderful time watching as many of them raised their heads vertically out of the water, an intriguing behavior known as spy-hopping. Up to four of five spy-hoppers could be seen at any given time, pretty much in all directions. It was amazing! In the afternoon, we landed at Belcher’s Point on Magdalena Island, where guests went kayaking, beachcombing, or hiking. Everyone had a great time, rounding out another wonderful day in Baja California.
During today’s sunny and breezeless early morning, our guests and staff ventured out in local pangas for whale watching at Almejas Bay, located in the southern section of the Magdalena Bay lagoon complex on the Pacific side of the Baja California Peninsula. With the tide at its highest, our exploration in the heart of the gray whale mating grounds paid off with more than 60 adult whales spotted in the area where our boats were spread out. All the whales were very active, displaying parts of their bodies while spy-hopping, breaching, swimming, diving, and even mating. Several females were seen in a belly-up position, allowing our guests and staff to clearly distinguish genitals and other typically hidden body parts. The whales’ curiosity brought many of them to the sides or underneath the pangas, sometimes pushing or lifting the boats with the tips of their snouts or their bellies. Many of our guests even stretched out their hands to touch the whales! The afternoon was spent exploring the beach and hills around Puerto Magdalena, a quaint fishing community on Magdalena Island. During a hike, our guests had their first encounter with the unique flora of the Baja California Desert, including agave, palo adan, gongylocarpus flowers, prickly pear, galloping cacti, jojoba, and others. From the top of the hills, they were treated to magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean.
