We all look with countenance towards the sighting of marine megafauna. Even though our first sighting of the day, an elusive humpback whale, led to more “whale waiting” than whale watching, we still scramble to the decks when whale sightings are announced. Most of the time. It happened the next announcement was for a group of common dolphins feeding. Since we were moments away from the breakfast announcement, the thrill of a dolphin sighting came in direct competition with the aroma of bacon. Sizzle won over cetacean. You can watch leaping dolphins from many different vantage points, including the dining room.
Our morning continued with sightings of additional blows towards the horizon. Uber-awesome blue whales were sighted for the second time during our voyage. Counting blows across the sea we ended up tracing a circuitous route in the process of viewing at least four different blue whales. Two whales surfaced at opposite points on our bow clock, leaving us with an enviable dilemma amongst whale watchers of which whale to watch.
The afternoon had a different focus and pace. Santa Rosalia, a town formed in 1888 with the discovery of a copper deposit, was our destination. Many of us moseyed the malecón and collected images of colorful pangas along the harbor. In town we were enchanted by sprays of bougainvillea draping off of porch roofs and adding accents of fuchsia, raspberry, and magenta. A popular and delicious destination was the El Bolero Bakery. The symmetry of rows of fresh baked breads spoke to eye of the photographer and the aroma enveloping the bakery spoke to the palate of the hungry. A tasty time was had by all.
Upon return to National Geographic Sea Bird we enjoyed a festive gathering on deck with watermelon margaritas, fresh guacamole, and homemade salsa. We bade farewell to Santa Rosalia and continue north tonight into the midriff islands, looking forward to a new day and more opportunities view the rich sea life calling the Gulf of California home.
