Cabo Pulmo and Los Frailes, 12/14/2021, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
Located just 60 miles north of Cabo San Lucas, Cabo Pulmo encompasses over 7,000 acres of marine-protected land that brims with life. Cabo Pulmo houses eight fingers of hard coral reef, providing a habitat for countless invertebrates and fish species within a complex labyrinth of crevices. Corals are composed of numerous polyps living and working together to form the beautiful reef.
This morning, some of us snorkeled with a massive school of bigeye jacks in the rich waters off the coast. Those on pangas (fishing boats) enjoyed watching humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins dancing in the waves.
In the afternoon, we landed on a verdant shoreline for beach walks and birding in Los Frailes, located just outside park boundaries. Birders headed to the estuary for a glimpse of migratory species and local waterfowl.
Kathy Moran is National Geographic magazine’s first senior editor for natural history projects. A 30-year veteran of the Society, Kathy has produced feature stories about terrestrial and underwater ecosystems since 1990, and she has edited more than ...
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In nature,
borders are fluid and transition zones dynamic, as we are discovering on our
voyage along the Pacific Coast. We traveled from the cool temperate waters of
the California Coast to the warm, tropical waters of Baja California Sur. We
have seen communities of fish, including the orange Garibaldi of the northern
kelp forests and the bright reef fishes of the southern coral. As we crossed the
Tropic of Cancer this morning, we moved into the tropics. A warm, humid wind
welcomed us as we rounded the cape of the Baja Peninsula toward the Sea of
Cortez, signaling our official entry into an ecosystem defined by arid desert
mountains, lush freshwater oases, and abundant ocean waters. To begin our
exploration, we landed in the town of San Jose del Cabo, where guests
discovered the natural and cultural history of the peninsula’s southernmost
point. Some walked through the estuary, an oasis in the desert to a huge
diversity of bird life. Others took a historical tour of the town center with
stops at the Catholic mission and an artisan glass blowing factory, both
glimpses into a culture that thrives here in the heat of the desert. The tropics
provide perfect conditions for marine megafauna; humpback whales migrate over
4,000 miles from summer feeding grounds in Alaska to take advantage of warm
ocean waters as they give birth to their young. When we returned to the ship
later in the day, we spotted multiple groups of these gentle giants almost
immediately. A mother and newborn calf calmly swam along the surface while
another group of four adult males tail-slapped and lunged in displays of
competition. Simultaneously, bottlenose dolphins swam beneath the ship. All in all, an
exciting and dramatic welcome to the warmth of the tropics! We will spend the
last two days of the trip breathing it all in.
Today was our second day in the protected waters of the bay. National Geographic Venture lifted the anchor before sunrise, and sailed from Bahia Almejas to Bahia Magdalena. We sailed along Isla Santa Margarita as the sun started to rise, and by daytime we dropped the anchor near Isla Magdalena. Here we had our morning activities, which included walks across the island towards the Pacific side, into the mangroves for bird watching, or simply time to explore on our own. We landed on the south side of the island, not too far from the tiny town of Puerto Magdalena. The beauty of this place is unique. Today we learned about the myriad of creatures that inhabit the sand dunes, from coyotes and jackrabbits to the tiny beetles, mice and lizards. Once at the beach on the Pacific side of Isla Magdalena, everyone enjoyed their experience in a different way. Some sat down in the sand to contemplate the views, and others walked far along Bahia Santa Maria. The bird watchers found over thirty species of birds, while learning about plants and the dune ecosystem as they explored the mangroves. After a very nice morning on Magdalena Island, we sailed away from the bay into the Pacific Ocean once again, bound for the Los Cabos region. On our way out, before even leaving the bay, a humpback whale and its calf breached several times not too far from the ship. As we kept sailing, we had other encounters with several humpbacks and interesting seabirds.
