After traveling south all night, we awoke today just off of the town of Santa Rosalia. We continued on a bit a farther to the island of San Marcos, our destination for the morning. Here, it was time again to divide and explore. Many of us went ashore and hiked up an incredibly lush arroyo. We had been here in previous years, but the rains of past hurricanes had really made the vegetation dense and glorious. Many plants were in flower with bees buzzing around, butterflies flitting by, and even some cacti were bearing fruit. Birds were active and vocal, including many osprey! Others of us went for a Zodiac cruise and enjoyed the rocky shoreline. Many nooks and crannies were explored with lots of photo opportunities. And finally, many of us enjoyed the peace and quiet of a paddle in our fleet of kayaks.
As we headed towards our afternoon destination, we came upon a massive feeding frenzy of birds and dolphins. At least one thousand common dolphins were scattered about and driving fish up towards the surface. When the fish, probably something like an anchovy, neared the surface, they were attacked from above by the birds. Boobies were diving from high, rocketing into the ocean leaving trails of bubbles behind. Terns and gulls joined in, creating quite an impressive sight. It continued on and on, in one of the largest congregation most of us had ever seen.
In the afternoon, it was time for a bit of urban life with a visit to the small town of Santa Rosalia. Here, we strolled the streets, enjoying a typical Mexican town. This town has a long history of mining, and we visited the museum documenting the story of the copper mine and smelter. A church, surprisingly designed by Gustave Eiffel, was nice to see as well. But certainly a highlight for many was the incredible bakery. With a great diversity of choices, we all left Santa Rosalia a bit happier!
