Today we arrived at Puerto Magdalena with very good conditions. We had two hikes offered for our guests, a strenuous hike and a photo hike. Both hikes went splendidly and guests were very happy with their experiences. As they arrived back to the ship guests were already excited to return to land and experience more of this rural village. In the afternoon, we returned to the village and guests were able to tour the water desalination plant; some also supported a local artist by purchasing handmade jewelry. Afterwards we visited a beachside restaurant owned by Jose Chejos where our guests enjoyed ceviche and guacamole. Then we returned to the ship, as we are heading to our next anchorage this evening.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 24 Feb 2024
Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico, 2/24/2024, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Baja California
Walter Pisco Limones, Naturalist
Walter Pisco's life has been intimately connected to the grandeur of nature since his days in the Galapagos Islands, a corner of the world that ignited his deep love and passion for the natural environment. At the age of 18, Walter decided to embark ...
Read MoreKimberly Wood, Staff
Kimberly A. Wood is a Hawaii based international marine researcher, photographer, filmmaker, boat captain and educator. Her research focus is often based in population distribution, diversity and habitat usage of cetacean species, however, she has al...
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Wild Baja California Escape: The Whales of Magdalena Bay
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3/21/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Isla Magdalena, Hull Canal, and Boca la Soledad
What a full day of richness and birding galore! Our day started off with early morning hikes on Isla Magdalena, taking in the impressive desert plant life of this exotic terrane, filled with whale skeletons and osprey nests. A stunning midday journey through Hull Canal brought with it enough herons, egrets, terns, gulls, frigatebirds, cormorants, shorebirds, and camera shutter clicks to last a lifetime. After anchoring at Lopez Mateos, we boarded pangas for a late afternoon of wildlife watching and a lovely little beach landing. We found a bald eagle’s nest, some of the southernmost nesting bald eagles (!), and examined incredible shells and beautiful sand. To top off our wonderful day, we enjoyed live music from Los Coyotes and dancing from The Desert Flowers! It was another spectacular day here in Baja California Sur.
3/20/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Puerto Magdalena
We weighed anchor shortly after breakfast and traveled to Puerto Magdalena, a small fishing village (population 85) and the only inhabited area of Isla Magdalena. Enroute, presentations by naturalists were offered in the lounge in addition to wildlife watching from the bow. After anchoring, we embarked on a late morning hike through a desert harboring several plant species unique to Isla Magdalena and along a mangrove forest between the desert and adjacent Bahia Magdalena. After lunch, some guests toured a part of the island on fat-tire bikes then joined the rest of us for a mid-afternoon tour of Puerto Magdalena and the all-important desalination plant. As there is virtually no potable water on the island, drinking water must be brought over by panga from the mainland. Water used for other purposes is obtained from the desalination plant, which produces ~1000 liters per hour for up to 40 hours of operation per week. After the tour we relaxed at Chejos’s, a classic open-air cantina. We enjoyed light beverages and avocado tostados, listening to Chejos’s oral rendition of the village’s history, and playing fetch with Lola, a beloved ‘guardian’ dog at Chejos. The day concluded with an after-dinner assembly on the sundeck for constellation identification and viewing.