Isla Espiritu Santo, Punta Dispensa & Puerto Ballena
Punta Dispensa is located at the South end of Isla Espiritu Santo. Here is where we experienced a fantastic sunrise at anchor before we started our morning activities. The entire morning was dedicated to exploring the island by foot. Different length hikes were offered, in which some of us made it to the top of a mountain and others decided to take a relaxed walk along the sandy beach. Many of us were looking for the endemic and almost mythical jack rabbit, which exists only on this island and nowhere else. Looking hard, some got lucky and found the shy jackrabbits running out of their hiding places as we approached.
On our way back on one of the long hikes, still expecting to find another Jackrabbit, a western patch-nosed snake was seen. This diurnal reptile is widely distributed on the Baja California Peninsula and some of its islands. It was interesting to see this harmless and shy reptile stick its head out of the bushes looking out for its unexpected visitors.
For the afternoon, the National Geographic Sea Lion repositioned to another nearby bay on the West side of Espiritu Santo Island. Here we kayaked and enjoyed the turquoise waters surrounded by a majestic desert landscape. Snorkelers also had the chance to take a last look at the underwater world, which swarms with life. Thousands of sergeant majors and juvenile grunts dominated the marine landscape. By taking a closer view, we could find a wide variety of other fish and even an octopus, which was captured in video changing colors. During recap everyone in the lounge wowed while watching the cephalopod moving through the rocks and changing shapes, textures and colors.
Punta Dispensa is located at the South end of Isla Espiritu Santo. Here is where we experienced a fantastic sunrise at anchor before we started our morning activities. The entire morning was dedicated to exploring the island by foot. Different length hikes were offered, in which some of us made it to the top of a mountain and others decided to take a relaxed walk along the sandy beach. Many of us were looking for the endemic and almost mythical jack rabbit, which exists only on this island and nowhere else. Looking hard, some got lucky and found the shy jackrabbits running out of their hiding places as we approached.
On our way back on one of the long hikes, still expecting to find another Jackrabbit, a western patch-nosed snake was seen. This diurnal reptile is widely distributed on the Baja California Peninsula and some of its islands. It was interesting to see this harmless and shy reptile stick its head out of the bushes looking out for its unexpected visitors.
For the afternoon, the National Geographic Sea Lion repositioned to another nearby bay on the West side of Espiritu Santo Island. Here we kayaked and enjoyed the turquoise waters surrounded by a majestic desert landscape. Snorkelers also had the chance to take a last look at the underwater world, which swarms with life. Thousands of sergeant majors and juvenile grunts dominated the marine landscape. By taking a closer view, we could find a wide variety of other fish and even an octopus, which was captured in video changing colors. During recap everyone in the lounge wowed while watching the cephalopod moving through the rocks and changing shapes, textures and colors.
