Bahia Magdalena and Hull Canal
“Good morning… good morning. It’s 7:00 a.m. and we are anchored in Bahia Magdalena.” Thus began Day 1 of our trip among the great whales of Baja California aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird. The deck was wet with foggy dew, and a look across the water to shore where we would explore this morning revealed a misty ribbon among the dunes. I couldn’t help but quip to myself, “where the desert meets the sea.”
The crew dropped Zodiacs from the Lido deck and we climbed aboard for our morning adventures on Sand Dollar Beach. Moving from sea to desert, we bathed our feet in the refreshing bay waters, and “post-holed” through heavy wet sand to the talcum-powder-fine sand of the dunes. Naturalists led walks across this narrow barrier strip of land to the Pacific Ocean on the other side, pointing out signs of the amazing life here… bones, feathers, shells and animal tracks revealed the presence of coyotes, jackrabbits, mice, beetles, ants and other insects. Pelicans, gulls, and frigatebirds flew overhead. The sand was alive with geometric patterns from the wind. Huge beautiful shell middens indicated human activity from centuries ago. The crashing of the Pacific pulled us over the last dune, and lured some of us in for a refreshing surf-dodging dip. All around our feet were the sand dollars that give this beach its name. What a glorious morning, with sun sparkling off sea and sand and shells!
Once back onboard, we picked up our local pilot Alejandro and sailed north through Hull Canal, enjoying the sights of birds nesting in the mangroves and waterfowl along the way. And… pfffttt…. Ppffftttt… ppffftttt…. gray whales! Many gray whales, breathing and moving and playing in the waters around us. We anchored near Boca de Soledad, where we will spend the next two days observing these fascinating creatures. Underwater Sea Specialist Carlos Navarro further whet our appetites with a presentation on the mammals of the Sea of Cortez. What a beautiful introduction to this rich and diverse part of the world.
