Cabo San Lucas, Gorda Banks searching for humpback whales
Moisture laden skies greeted the Sea Lion at sunrise as she made her way along the Pacific side of the Baja peninsula. At approximately 7:00am, Captain Martin brought the Sea Lion through the surging waves into Friar Rocks for a closer look at the interesting granite formations adorned with several species of birds. The double-crested cormorants, brown boobies and brown pelicans remained perched in their night roosts, just beginning their daily migration out to sea to greet the first light of day. As we observed the beginning of day for bird life and several California sea lions, many sports fishing boats were also beginning their early morning exit from Cabo San Lucas, heading out to nearby fishing grounds.
This large bustling tourist town, located at the very tip of the Baja peninsula, was once a small, sleepy fishing village where life revolved around the daily catch of fish brought home from the surrounding bountiful waters. In 1927, a fish cannery was constructed in Cabo San Lucas, the first of its kind in Mexico. The cannery processed mackerel and tuna, among other species, thus beginning the first draw of a larger population to this sleepy village. In the 1950s, sports fishing found Cabo San Lucas; this small town felt the first impact of tourism from those brave souls who could stand the grueling journey along hundreds of miles of dirt roads that led to the tip of the Baja peninsula. The Trans Peninsular Highway, completed in the 1970s, made the final necessary link that opened Cabo San Lucas to the rest of the world, leading to the enormous tourist destination that this community is today!
As soon as the Sea Lion had cleared customs, two groups left the crowded port to explore the outer reaches of this part of the Baja peninsula. Both snorkeling and birding had been arranged for those of us who wanted a slightly more remote experience, but within a short distance of the center of Cabo San Lucas. Intrepid shoppers equipped with a detailed map wandered through small streets of t-shirt shops and tequila bars where one could find inconspicuously small gallery quality shops that told the story of richly colored and diverse ethnic history that is the country of Mexico...we felt the spirit and old traditions of Mexico expressed through artwork.
The morning literally flew by, and as we ate lunch the Sea Lion pulled her lines, leaving the hustle and bustle of Cabo San Lucas behind. We sailed towards our afternoon destination, Gorda Banks and the winter mating grounds of humpback whales. Slowing our pace dramatically from our morning, many of us made our way to the bow of the Sea Lion and joined the Natural History staff for an afternoon of whale watching and whale waiting...in the distance, we saw many breeches. In the distance, we saw many dolphins. In the distance, we saw many flukes, as humpback whales continued their courtship behaviors. Finally the staff decided to lower a hydrophone, as if that might call in the whales. Awestruck, we listened as the ship became silent and the whales called to each other underwater and we were gifted with those sounds passing through the P.A. of the Sea Lion and back through the water. The effect attracted several humpback whales, who passed just off the bow and then dove just under the surface, allowing all who remained on the bow the privilege of watching the white pectoral flippers moving slowly as these magnificent animals showed, just for a moment, an interest in the observers floating above them. As the skies turned from pale yellow to orange and then deep pink, our whale companions remained close to the Sea Lion, surfacing, and then diving and then returning to the other side of our vessel all while continuing their underwater songs! As if echoing the same sentiment, the "Sea Lion Players" broke into song during our evening's Recap, serenading us with the Sea Lion Shuffle…
We're stranded on a very hot beach
Will the whale ever breech
One more day in the sun
Could we be having more fun?
We feel so broke up
We don't wanna go home…
Moisture laden skies greeted the Sea Lion at sunrise as she made her way along the Pacific side of the Baja peninsula. At approximately 7:00am, Captain Martin brought the Sea Lion through the surging waves into Friar Rocks for a closer look at the interesting granite formations adorned with several species of birds. The double-crested cormorants, brown boobies and brown pelicans remained perched in their night roosts, just beginning their daily migration out to sea to greet the first light of day. As we observed the beginning of day for bird life and several California sea lions, many sports fishing boats were also beginning their early morning exit from Cabo San Lucas, heading out to nearby fishing grounds.
This large bustling tourist town, located at the very tip of the Baja peninsula, was once a small, sleepy fishing village where life revolved around the daily catch of fish brought home from the surrounding bountiful waters. In 1927, a fish cannery was constructed in Cabo San Lucas, the first of its kind in Mexico. The cannery processed mackerel and tuna, among other species, thus beginning the first draw of a larger population to this sleepy village. In the 1950s, sports fishing found Cabo San Lucas; this small town felt the first impact of tourism from those brave souls who could stand the grueling journey along hundreds of miles of dirt roads that led to the tip of the Baja peninsula. The Trans Peninsular Highway, completed in the 1970s, made the final necessary link that opened Cabo San Lucas to the rest of the world, leading to the enormous tourist destination that this community is today!
As soon as the Sea Lion had cleared customs, two groups left the crowded port to explore the outer reaches of this part of the Baja peninsula. Both snorkeling and birding had been arranged for those of us who wanted a slightly more remote experience, but within a short distance of the center of Cabo San Lucas. Intrepid shoppers equipped with a detailed map wandered through small streets of t-shirt shops and tequila bars where one could find inconspicuously small gallery quality shops that told the story of richly colored and diverse ethnic history that is the country of Mexico...we felt the spirit and old traditions of Mexico expressed through artwork.
The morning literally flew by, and as we ate lunch the Sea Lion pulled her lines, leaving the hustle and bustle of Cabo San Lucas behind. We sailed towards our afternoon destination, Gorda Banks and the winter mating grounds of humpback whales. Slowing our pace dramatically from our morning, many of us made our way to the bow of the Sea Lion and joined the Natural History staff for an afternoon of whale watching and whale waiting...in the distance, we saw many breeches. In the distance, we saw many dolphins. In the distance, we saw many flukes, as humpback whales continued their courtship behaviors. Finally the staff decided to lower a hydrophone, as if that might call in the whales. Awestruck, we listened as the ship became silent and the whales called to each other underwater and we were gifted with those sounds passing through the P.A. of the Sea Lion and back through the water. The effect attracted several humpback whales, who passed just off the bow and then dove just under the surface, allowing all who remained on the bow the privilege of watching the white pectoral flippers moving slowly as these magnificent animals showed, just for a moment, an interest in the observers floating above them. As the skies turned from pale yellow to orange and then deep pink, our whale companions remained close to the Sea Lion, surfacing, and then diving and then returning to the other side of our vessel all while continuing their underwater songs! As if echoing the same sentiment, the "Sea Lion Players" broke into song during our evening's Recap, serenading us with the Sea Lion Shuffle…
We're stranded on a very hot beach
Will the whale ever breech
One more day in the sun
Could we be having more fun?
We feel so broke up
We don't wanna go home…
