National Geographic Sea Lion anchored off the eastern shore of San Jose Island long before sunrise and many adventurous and brave photographers boarded our expedition landing craft to take full advantage of the pre-dawn early morning light shining over the beautiful sandstone cliffs at Punta Colorada. Then we all explored the island’s arroyos and snorkeled at the base of the cliff, while we SCUBA divers took underwater video at the neighboring Las Animas Island for everyone to see. We finished the day searching for marine life in the open waters finding mobula rays, numerous marine birds, and even a solitary hammerhead shark.