Isla Santa Catalina
The sun broke the crest of Isla San Jose as the National Geographic Sea Bird sailed north between the mountainous island and the impressive escarpment of the peninsula. A few moments later, a sperm whale surfaced just in front of the ship! This is not an everyday experience. Everyone rushed to the bow to watch a massive male floating at the surface. Everything about these animals is strange. The skin of the main body looks like that of a giant wrinkled prune. The blowhole is off-center and the spout angles to the left and forward of the squared-off head. We were able to observe it for some time before it arched its back, lifted its stiff tail high into the air and submerged for a deeper dive. It was not yet breakfast time when a different marine mammal appeared. It was a Bryde’s or tropical whale. We were very lucky to have such excellent sightings, especially this time of year.
Throughout most of the morning our vessel carried us farther north to the afternoon anchorage at Isla Santa Catalina. Once there, we ate lunch outside on deck before climbing into Zodiacs for the opportunity to snorkel nearby. We entered an undersea wonderland where sea urchins and sea stars clung to the encrusted rocks. An amazing array of fish swirled through the clear sunlit water. Brilliant blue damselfish and tiny red-headed gobies added flashes of color to the rocky reef, while a hawksbill turtle flapped its large front limbs as it swam lazily past.
Hiking was the priority for the remainder of the day. One group climbed to crest of the island for spectacular views of the water far below. Others meandered along a sandy wash lined with giant barrel cacti and towering cardons. The desert landscape was fairly green, an indication of previous rainfall. Red-flowering mistletoe lured in jeweled hummingbirds. Coyote melons laden with juicy orange fruits draped across the woodier plants. By late afternoon, shadows had enveloped the canyon, and it was time to return to the National Geographic Sea Bird.
The sun broke the crest of Isla San Jose as the National Geographic Sea Bird sailed north between the mountainous island and the impressive escarpment of the peninsula. A few moments later, a sperm whale surfaced just in front of the ship! This is not an everyday experience. Everyone rushed to the bow to watch a massive male floating at the surface. Everything about these animals is strange. The skin of the main body looks like that of a giant wrinkled prune. The blowhole is off-center and the spout angles to the left and forward of the squared-off head. We were able to observe it for some time before it arched its back, lifted its stiff tail high into the air and submerged for a deeper dive. It was not yet breakfast time when a different marine mammal appeared. It was a Bryde’s or tropical whale. We were very lucky to have such excellent sightings, especially this time of year.
Throughout most of the morning our vessel carried us farther north to the afternoon anchorage at Isla Santa Catalina. Once there, we ate lunch outside on deck before climbing into Zodiacs for the opportunity to snorkel nearby. We entered an undersea wonderland where sea urchins and sea stars clung to the encrusted rocks. An amazing array of fish swirled through the clear sunlit water. Brilliant blue damselfish and tiny red-headed gobies added flashes of color to the rocky reef, while a hawksbill turtle flapped its large front limbs as it swam lazily past.
Hiking was the priority for the remainder of the day. One group climbed to crest of the island for spectacular views of the water far below. Others meandered along a sandy wash lined with giant barrel cacti and towering cardons. The desert landscape was fairly green, an indication of previous rainfall. Red-flowering mistletoe lured in jeweled hummingbirds. Coyote melons laden with juicy orange fruits draped across the woodier plants. By late afternoon, shadows had enveloped the canyon, and it was time to return to the National Geographic Sea Bird.
