Isla San José and Puerto Gato
At daybreak the National Geographic Sea Bird was cruising in the vicinity of Islas San Francisco and San José. The rising sun illuminated the multicolored layers of volcanic ash of the mountains along the eastern shore of the Baja California Peninsula. We navigated northward in the San José Channel and anchored along the western shore of Isla San José.
We spent a pleasant morning ashore on Isla San José, walking in the narrow, meandering arroyo and exploring along the beach. Unfortunately, this large island harbors some feral inhabitants and some domesticated animals have been brought over to graze. This is devastating to the native plants and animals. We saw much evidence of both native and non-native animals. Tracks from a ring-tailed cat and a great blue heron were seen on the beach as we arrived. We met a couple of sheep along our pathway, and we found both a small night snake and a scorpion sharing shelter under a cow patty! A few patient people were rewarded with views of the endemic Xantus’s hummingbird that came in to sip nectar from a native flowering plant. Looking out from the shore, a breaching humpback whale surprised and delighted people walking on the beach.
We continued northward in the San José Channel and then crossed westward to an anchorage along the eastern shore of the peninsula – a place called Puerto Gato. In the late afternoon we had an opportunity to snorkel, kayak, and walk before culminating our day with a barbecue on the beach. A scrumptious meal of ribs, fish, salad, vegetables, watermelon and brownies was served in a beautiful setting. There were stories around the bonfire, bright constellations lit up the sky, and s’mores added a nostalgic touch to the evening.
