Isla Santa Catalina
This morning, we had a chance to visit my favorite island in the Sea of Cortez…Isla Santa Catalina. Actually, the correct name for this place is Isla Catalana, but when the U.S. maritime charts were made for the gulf waters in the 1850s, they somehow managed to give it the wrong name. Anyway, this island is very special because it has been isolated from both Baja and Sonora longer than any other gulf island, resulting in the highest amount of endemism (that is, unique species of plants and animals) of any island in Mexico. It is truly a land of giants. Here, the cardon cacti tower overhead with incredible numbers of arms reaching for the sky, and they are made all the more spectacular because many of them are now in flower. The giant barrel cacti are so huge, they look more like stacks of barrels rather than the typical single ‘barrel’ shape of similar cacti we’ve seen on other islands. There are ten species of reptiles on the island, and all of them are found nowhere else…including the little endemic desert iguana (see photo) and the endemic rattleless rattlesnake…a living oxymoron.
Lindblad Expeditions has officially adopted Isla Santa Catalina for restoration and has instigated measures to return it to its natural state within a period of five years. There are several species of introduced animals that must first be dealt with, including feral cats, goats, and rats. We’ve recently had remarkable success in removing the cats and scientists are already observing population rebounds among the reptilian and mammalian fauna, including a species of mouse that was long thought to be extinct.
The terrain is primarily composed of granite, so it is obviously a continental island of considerable age, and it appears very heavily eroded and rugged-looking, with numerous small mountain peaks. This makes for some very interesting rock formations, including Elephant Rock (which truly looks like its namesake) located at the southeast region of the island right near where we landed. Apparently, the granitic rocks have formed a good soil matrix for the plants, judging by the lush growth and gigantism found among the various flora. We had a delightful time ashore hiking in an ancient arroyo, admiring the remarkable collection of plants and animals as we made our way inland. At the same time, several of us enjoyed a Zodiac cruise along the rocky shoreline as we explored around the Elephant and poked into small bays and searched the cliffs for boobies, pelicans, and frigate birds.
It’s also worth mentioning that in the afternoon we visited another island in the Gulf of California Biosphere Reserve. At the northern end of Isla del Carmen, we found a very protected little bay surrounded by cave-pocked cliffs and spent the rest of the day there swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and hiking…topped off with a fancy barbecue on the beach. By the light of a half moon, some of us did another hike after the barbecue and enjoyed the eerie glow of the giant white dune behind the beach. And, we accomplished a bit of stargazing before returning to the ship.
This morning, we had a chance to visit my favorite island in the Sea of Cortez…Isla Santa Catalina. Actually, the correct name for this place is Isla Catalana, but when the U.S. maritime charts were made for the gulf waters in the 1850s, they somehow managed to give it the wrong name. Anyway, this island is very special because it has been isolated from both Baja and Sonora longer than any other gulf island, resulting in the highest amount of endemism (that is, unique species of plants and animals) of any island in Mexico. It is truly a land of giants. Here, the cardon cacti tower overhead with incredible numbers of arms reaching for the sky, and they are made all the more spectacular because many of them are now in flower. The giant barrel cacti are so huge, they look more like stacks of barrels rather than the typical single ‘barrel’ shape of similar cacti we’ve seen on other islands. There are ten species of reptiles on the island, and all of them are found nowhere else…including the little endemic desert iguana (see photo) and the endemic rattleless rattlesnake…a living oxymoron.
Lindblad Expeditions has officially adopted Isla Santa Catalina for restoration and has instigated measures to return it to its natural state within a period of five years. There are several species of introduced animals that must first be dealt with, including feral cats, goats, and rats. We’ve recently had remarkable success in removing the cats and scientists are already observing population rebounds among the reptilian and mammalian fauna, including a species of mouse that was long thought to be extinct.
The terrain is primarily composed of granite, so it is obviously a continental island of considerable age, and it appears very heavily eroded and rugged-looking, with numerous small mountain peaks. This makes for some very interesting rock formations, including Elephant Rock (which truly looks like its namesake) located at the southeast region of the island right near where we landed. Apparently, the granitic rocks have formed a good soil matrix for the plants, judging by the lush growth and gigantism found among the various flora. We had a delightful time ashore hiking in an ancient arroyo, admiring the remarkable collection of plants and animals as we made our way inland. At the same time, several of us enjoyed a Zodiac cruise along the rocky shoreline as we explored around the Elephant and poked into small bays and searched the cliffs for boobies, pelicans, and frigate birds.
It’s also worth mentioning that in the afternoon we visited another island in the Gulf of California Biosphere Reserve. At the northern end of Isla del Carmen, we found a very protected little bay surrounded by cave-pocked cliffs and spent the rest of the day there swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and hiking…topped off with a fancy barbecue on the beach. By the light of a half moon, some of us did another hike after the barbecue and enjoyed the eerie glow of the giant white dune behind the beach. And, we accomplished a bit of stargazing before returning to the ship.
