Hull Canal / El Barril
The last gray whales of our trip bid us farewell this morning as Sea Lion raised anchor in Boca de Soledad bound for El Barril. We sailed once again through the picturesque landscape of “Hull Canal,” or “Canal de Soledad,” where once again we enjoyed the diverse birdlife, the presence of the gentle gray leviathans and bottlenose dolphins. A brazen coyote was visible for a few moments, caring little about the ship and our presence.
Once at El Barril, some of us went kayaking through the intricate channels that are formed by the mangrove forests and the action of the tides. With occasional glimpses of fish under the surface, we paddled gracefully through these green labyrinths. Others took Zodiac cruises through the complex mangrove ecosystem. Here, naturalists explained the importance of these wetlands as nurseries for marine organisms ranging from small invertebrates to big game fish. The different species of mangrove also give shelter to a number of birds which roost and nest here. As the tide went out, hundreds of shorebirds gathered near the water to feed. Our Zodiacs could get fairly close to some of these birds, letting us take great looks at them. One of these big flocks of marbled godwits and willets became anxious about a couple peregrine falcons flying over them. We also spotted several long billed curlews, apparently a family consisting of an adult and seven young. Long billed curlews have a nine-inch bill, the right tool to catch large worms that live under the sand. Juveniles usually have considerably smaller bills, as we can appreciate in the picture above.
After the morning activities of cruising and kayaking were finished, we had a barbeque lunch on the sun deck. After our lunch on deck, I had the chance to introduce the guests a little more to my country with my slide presentation “Mexico Lindo,” highlighting the biological and cultural diversity of Mexico. Shortly after my talk, we went ashore at Sand Dollar Beach. Some crossed Isla Magdalena through the dunes to the Pacific side to body surf, and others hiked while some just enjoyed moments of solitude. No matter how far we travel from Baja California, I am sure we are all taking a part of it home in our hearts.
The last gray whales of our trip bid us farewell this morning as Sea Lion raised anchor in Boca de Soledad bound for El Barril. We sailed once again through the picturesque landscape of “Hull Canal,” or “Canal de Soledad,” where once again we enjoyed the diverse birdlife, the presence of the gentle gray leviathans and bottlenose dolphins. A brazen coyote was visible for a few moments, caring little about the ship and our presence.
Once at El Barril, some of us went kayaking through the intricate channels that are formed by the mangrove forests and the action of the tides. With occasional glimpses of fish under the surface, we paddled gracefully through these green labyrinths. Others took Zodiac cruises through the complex mangrove ecosystem. Here, naturalists explained the importance of these wetlands as nurseries for marine organisms ranging from small invertebrates to big game fish. The different species of mangrove also give shelter to a number of birds which roost and nest here. As the tide went out, hundreds of shorebirds gathered near the water to feed. Our Zodiacs could get fairly close to some of these birds, letting us take great looks at them. One of these big flocks of marbled godwits and willets became anxious about a couple peregrine falcons flying over them. We also spotted several long billed curlews, apparently a family consisting of an adult and seven young. Long billed curlews have a nine-inch bill, the right tool to catch large worms that live under the sand. Juveniles usually have considerably smaller bills, as we can appreciate in the picture above.
After the morning activities of cruising and kayaking were finished, we had a barbeque lunch on the sun deck. After our lunch on deck, I had the chance to introduce the guests a little more to my country with my slide presentation “Mexico Lindo,” highlighting the biological and cultural diversity of Mexico. Shortly after my talk, we went ashore at Sand Dollar Beach. Some crossed Isla Magdalena through the dunes to the Pacific side to body surf, and others hiked while some just enjoyed moments of solitude. No matter how far we travel from Baja California, I am sure we are all taking a part of it home in our hearts.
