Canal de Ballenas & Isla Angel de la Guarda
Our day began with a spectacular sunrise as dappled clouds with red and orange edges stretched from the eastern skyline to far overhead. The waters around us were calm, reflecting the immense fiery glow of the sky. The Sea Bird rounded the southern end of Isla Angel de la Guarda, and turned northward in the Canal de Ballenas (“Whale Canal”). It was a stunning morning with nary a ripple to disturb the mirrored sea. Heermann’s gulls and Craveri’s murrelets, both known as “quasi-endemic” to the gulf, dotted the still waters we plied. As they took flight, each was accompanied across the water by its reflection.
At the northern end of Angel de la Guarda we passed through a narrow entrance between the reddish hills of several islets, and into a harbored area known as Puerto Refugio. Although quite scenic, there were too many “bobitos” to linger in this place. We exited out the northern entrance, and soon spotted a large group of long-beaked dolphins. With gentle positioning of the ship, we were soon surrounded by several hundred dolphins surfacing in the glassy green water around us. It was as if the dolphins were quite content with us joining along in their journey northward. We traveled with them for several miles as they rode on the ship’s bow wave, and leapt from the ocean all around us. Eventually we pulled away, and it was then only lunchtime.
In the afternoon we cruised back southward in the Canal de Ballenas. Although we found no “ballenas,” we had a lovely smooth ride. Rikki Swenson presented us with instruction and tips on using PhotoShop software for working with digital images. By late afternoon we anchored at the entrance to a tiny harbor, called “Este Ton,” tucked cryptically along the western shore of Isla Angel de la Guarda. The harbor was carved as a circular arc with a narrow entrance. Around it the desert hills sloped up to colored mountains of ochre, rust and burgundy hues. As the sun drifted below the fringing hills many of us enjoyed a cold beer on the beach. We then leapt back into the Zodiacs and headed out of the harbor into the open waters of the gulf, lingering to marvel at a magnificent and ripening sunset on our way back to the ship. Others enjoyed the sunset show from the ship’s decks. Bands of brightly colored clouds draped the sky above the distant Baja California peninsula. A painted sea danced around the silhouettes of our Zodiacs (photo).
The “red sky at morning” gave us no warning as to the calm and utterly splendid day that would follow. This day was a marvelous delight, from dawn until our “red sky at night.”
Our day began with a spectacular sunrise as dappled clouds with red and orange edges stretched from the eastern skyline to far overhead. The waters around us were calm, reflecting the immense fiery glow of the sky. The Sea Bird rounded the southern end of Isla Angel de la Guarda, and turned northward in the Canal de Ballenas (“Whale Canal”). It was a stunning morning with nary a ripple to disturb the mirrored sea. Heermann’s gulls and Craveri’s murrelets, both known as “quasi-endemic” to the gulf, dotted the still waters we plied. As they took flight, each was accompanied across the water by its reflection.
At the northern end of Angel de la Guarda we passed through a narrow entrance between the reddish hills of several islets, and into a harbored area known as Puerto Refugio. Although quite scenic, there were too many “bobitos” to linger in this place. We exited out the northern entrance, and soon spotted a large group of long-beaked dolphins. With gentle positioning of the ship, we were soon surrounded by several hundred dolphins surfacing in the glassy green water around us. It was as if the dolphins were quite content with us joining along in their journey northward. We traveled with them for several miles as they rode on the ship’s bow wave, and leapt from the ocean all around us. Eventually we pulled away, and it was then only lunchtime.
In the afternoon we cruised back southward in the Canal de Ballenas. Although we found no “ballenas,” we had a lovely smooth ride. Rikki Swenson presented us with instruction and tips on using PhotoShop software for working with digital images. By late afternoon we anchored at the entrance to a tiny harbor, called “Este Ton,” tucked cryptically along the western shore of Isla Angel de la Guarda. The harbor was carved as a circular arc with a narrow entrance. Around it the desert hills sloped up to colored mountains of ochre, rust and burgundy hues. As the sun drifted below the fringing hills many of us enjoyed a cold beer on the beach. We then leapt back into the Zodiacs and headed out of the harbor into the open waters of the gulf, lingering to marvel at a magnificent and ripening sunset on our way back to the ship. Others enjoyed the sunset show from the ship’s decks. Bands of brightly colored clouds draped the sky above the distant Baja California peninsula. A painted sea danced around the silhouettes of our Zodiacs (photo).
The “red sky at morning” gave us no warning as to the calm and utterly splendid day that would follow. This day was a marvelous delight, from dawn until our “red sky at night.”
