Los Islotes and Ensenada Grande
Shortly after sunrise of the first day of our expedition into the Sea of Cortez we were close to Los Islotes and, sure enough, we soon were able to hear the cacophony made by the resident colony of California sea lions. Their continuous barking and calling enticed us to eat breakfast in a hurry and get ready to go snorkeling with them. Many of us marveled at their grace and maneuverability underwater and some got very close up views of their furry heads and whiskered muzzles! I went SCUBA diving in order to get some underwater footage of the marine life, but the sea lions were not very interested on me, favoring more the snorkelers above. This was ok with me, as that gave me the chance to concentrate on the myriad of fish and invertebrate species around. Big schools of Mexican goatfish, blue-and-gold snapper, Graybar grunt and Limbaugh’s chromis added a touch of life to the coralline algae-covered rocks; numerous yellow-tailed surgeonfish, giant hawkfish and even the huge bumphead parrotfish traveled among the big boulders. But what really made my day was a shy and inconspicuous inhabitant of the reef, a truly beautiful starry moray eel (see photo). With a reticulated pattern of black markings and bars over a white body and golden spots, I realized how apt its name is, and the image of Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry night” immediately came into my mind. That two and a half feet long moray truly was one of the prettiest fish I have ever seen!
Later on, the Sea Voyager sailed towards Ensenada Grande, on the west coast of Partida Norte Island. Suddenly, a medium-sized blow in front of the ship caused everyone to rush outside to watch a humpback whale! Many photographs were taken as the lone whale did a series of dives, presumably with feeding purposes. After a while, we followed her example and moved into the dinning room to have lunch ourselves. Memories were recollected and great food enjoyed. And then, just as we were getting ready for a siesta, the largest animal ever to live on the planet showed itself! Rushing outside again, we watched in awe as an enormous blue whale cruised slowly nearby. After following it for almost half an hour, we sailed into the protected cove at Ensenada Grande, were we brave explorers engaged into some more snorkeling, kayaking, hiking or Zodiac cruising. The afternoon soon came to an end, and I once again felt privileged by the many wonderful creatures and places we experienced today. Not bad for a first day, huh?
Shortly after sunrise of the first day of our expedition into the Sea of Cortez we were close to Los Islotes and, sure enough, we soon were able to hear the cacophony made by the resident colony of California sea lions. Their continuous barking and calling enticed us to eat breakfast in a hurry and get ready to go snorkeling with them. Many of us marveled at their grace and maneuverability underwater and some got very close up views of their furry heads and whiskered muzzles! I went SCUBA diving in order to get some underwater footage of the marine life, but the sea lions were not very interested on me, favoring more the snorkelers above. This was ok with me, as that gave me the chance to concentrate on the myriad of fish and invertebrate species around. Big schools of Mexican goatfish, blue-and-gold snapper, Graybar grunt and Limbaugh’s chromis added a touch of life to the coralline algae-covered rocks; numerous yellow-tailed surgeonfish, giant hawkfish and even the huge bumphead parrotfish traveled among the big boulders. But what really made my day was a shy and inconspicuous inhabitant of the reef, a truly beautiful starry moray eel (see photo). With a reticulated pattern of black markings and bars over a white body and golden spots, I realized how apt its name is, and the image of Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry night” immediately came into my mind. That two and a half feet long moray truly was one of the prettiest fish I have ever seen!
Later on, the Sea Voyager sailed towards Ensenada Grande, on the west coast of Partida Norte Island. Suddenly, a medium-sized blow in front of the ship caused everyone to rush outside to watch a humpback whale! Many photographs were taken as the lone whale did a series of dives, presumably with feeding purposes. After a while, we followed her example and moved into the dinning room to have lunch ourselves. Memories were recollected and great food enjoyed. And then, just as we were getting ready for a siesta, the largest animal ever to live on the planet showed itself! Rushing outside again, we watched in awe as an enormous blue whale cruised slowly nearby. After following it for almost half an hour, we sailed into the protected cove at Ensenada Grande, were we brave explorers engaged into some more snorkeling, kayaking, hiking or Zodiac cruising. The afternoon soon came to an end, and I once again felt privileged by the many wonderful creatures and places we experienced today. Not bad for a first day, huh?
