Inspecting blueschist rocks in an arroyo on Isla Cedros, Baja California
We pulled anchor in the middle of the night and made the crossing during the wee hours of the morning from Islas San Benitos to nearby Isla Cedros. Isla Cedros, which was named after the junipers (cedars) that abound on the higher ridgelines of the island, is about 20 miles long with peaks that approach 4000 feet in elevation. As dawn broke, we maneuvered north along the east side of the island in search of a good anchorage. Unfortunately, the north wind had picked up and frustrated our efforts in locating a safe landing. However, the unusual geology of the island, which is composed of a melange (mixture) of volcanic rocks from the deep sea floor and associated marine and volcanic sediments, was particularly well exposed in the early morning light. In addition, a few sea lions and elephant seals on the beach and bow-riding common dolphins added to the festive atmosphere.
During breakfast we continued down the eastern side of the island in hopes of finding safe anchorage. Unfortunately, none of the locations proved to be worthy of a landing site. We cruised past the large permanent fishing community and the active salt loading operation where the evaporated sea salt from Scammon’s Lagoon on the peninsula is loaded from barges onto large ocean-going vessels. We continued around to the southernmost portion of the island, which provided a wind break and good anchorage near a fishing village for the afternoon’s shore activities.
After lunch, we went ashore for hikes along the flat, uplifted marine terraces and we also ventured up various arroyos (dry washes). Some species of cacti were in bloom, as were other desert plants, most likely from the recent rains. A few tarantulas were even found. The varied geology was quite apparent with interesting rocks of nearly every color. Some of the rocks, in fact, have telltale names like blueschist, serpentine, and red chert. Some of the more fractured and contorted rocks show evidence of their upheaval from the sea floor to land. In all, it was quite a treat to inspect the unique geologic mixture of rock types and there were many rocks collected for our shipboard geologist to identify.
We pulled anchor in the middle of the night and made the crossing during the wee hours of the morning from Islas San Benitos to nearby Isla Cedros. Isla Cedros, which was named after the junipers (cedars) that abound on the higher ridgelines of the island, is about 20 miles long with peaks that approach 4000 feet in elevation. As dawn broke, we maneuvered north along the east side of the island in search of a good anchorage. Unfortunately, the north wind had picked up and frustrated our efforts in locating a safe landing. However, the unusual geology of the island, which is composed of a melange (mixture) of volcanic rocks from the deep sea floor and associated marine and volcanic sediments, was particularly well exposed in the early morning light. In addition, a few sea lions and elephant seals on the beach and bow-riding common dolphins added to the festive atmosphere.
During breakfast we continued down the eastern side of the island in hopes of finding safe anchorage. Unfortunately, none of the locations proved to be worthy of a landing site. We cruised past the large permanent fishing community and the active salt loading operation where the evaporated sea salt from Scammon’s Lagoon on the peninsula is loaded from barges onto large ocean-going vessels. We continued around to the southernmost portion of the island, which provided a wind break and good anchorage near a fishing village for the afternoon’s shore activities.
After lunch, we went ashore for hikes along the flat, uplifted marine terraces and we also ventured up various arroyos (dry washes). Some species of cacti were in bloom, as were other desert plants, most likely from the recent rains. A few tarantulas were even found. The varied geology was quite apparent with interesting rocks of nearly every color. Some of the rocks, in fact, have telltale names like blueschist, serpentine, and red chert. Some of the more fractured and contorted rocks show evidence of their upheaval from the sea floor to land. In all, it was quite a treat to inspect the unique geologic mixture of rock types and there were many rocks collected for our shipboard geologist to identify.
