Loreto Bay National Park, Isla Coronados
We spent a beautiful day full of surprises in the Bahia de Loreto Marine Park. Isla Coronados was our destination for the morning. Here we had the opportunity to explore the island by foot and water. Isla Coronados is a textbook example of a volcanic landscape with lava flows, which restrict the growth of vegetation in certain areas. Hikers chose between some of the different walks. Some walked through the desert, to learn some more about the interesting adaptations of living creatures to this environment. Others decided to challenge themselves, and reach the summit of the old volcano.
With our Zodiacs we navigated along the shorelines of the island. We could admire the Sally Lightfoot crabs on the black volcanic rocks, and the seabirds perched on the water’s edge. Suddenly, a dolphin was seen leaping in the distance. As we approached, a group of bottlenose dolphins dashed towards us to engage in playful interaction with us. The dolphins attempted to ride the bows of our inflatable boats and then leaped alongside, so close that we were lightly splashed by them a few times!
Bahia Salinas was our destination for the afternoon. We were very fortunate to explore this place, since we can only visiting in certain occasions. Isla del Carmen has a fascinating story, due to the salt-works that produce the highest quality salt. In 1987 the salt extractions stopped to turn the island into a hunting preserve. A few individuals of desert bighorn sheep were transplanted from the peninsula to the island, and now there are at least four hundred of them or so.
We walked through what are the remains of the “Salinera del Pacifico,” the company that operated here before the population was vacated. Everyone walked freely through the salt works and around the old buildings. A photographic walk was offered by Linda, our photo instructor, so we all could get the most out of our cameras, while photographing this unusual place.
To say goodbye to 2012 in a very Mexican way, William and Alberto prepared a piñata, and had the kids break it while blindfolded. Shortly after, the oldest person on the ship rang the ship’s bell to say goodbye to the old year, and the youngest did the same to greet 2013.
