Cabo San Lucas
This morning we awoke just west of Cabo San Lucas after a night of traveling south. We were greeted by the early morning light as well as a fleet of fishing vessels headed out for the day. Cabo San Lucas has always been a hangout of pirates and buccaneers. Francis Drake and Thomas Cavendish, in the 1580's, are among the most famous that set up their fleet there. In the 1920’s Cabo San Lucas was a little fishermen’s village with only 500 inhabitants. Today it has become a tourist mecca, lined with hotels, shops, and a large array of local and private sailing vessels.
After docking in the harbor, we divided into several groups. A number of passengers headed east along the coast to a beach called Playa Chilenos for snorkeling. The beach was beautiful and deserted except for several woodpeckers in the palm trees and turkey vultures drying their wings out in the sun... Despite the cool temperature of the water, many species of fish were encountered including sergeant major fish, parrot fish, convict tang fish, king and Cortez angelfish, triggerfish, and rainbow wrasse. Another group of passengers visited a wetland within the old mission town of San Jose del Cabo to enjoy bird watching. Many birds were seen including blue-winged and cinnamon teal, great blue heron and great egret, tricolored heron, white-faced ibis, and osprey.
After a delicious lunch on board, we went in search of humpback whales. Humpback whales make the longest migration of any mammal, approximating 10,000 miles. These cetaceans are identified by their long flippers. They can weight up to 90,000 lbs and approach 52-56 feet in length. We were surprised to encounter several grey whales breaching, an uncommon sight. As we continued our journey east around the peninsula, we encountered a number of humpback whales, best known for their acrobatic displays and songs. We were delighted over the course of the afternoon to witness several groups of whales finning, fluking, and breaching. Finally, as the sun set over the mountains of the peninsula and white caps began to develop, we began our journey northeast toward the Sea of Cortez.
This morning we awoke just west of Cabo San Lucas after a night of traveling south. We were greeted by the early morning light as well as a fleet of fishing vessels headed out for the day. Cabo San Lucas has always been a hangout of pirates and buccaneers. Francis Drake and Thomas Cavendish, in the 1580's, are among the most famous that set up their fleet there. In the 1920’s Cabo San Lucas was a little fishermen’s village with only 500 inhabitants. Today it has become a tourist mecca, lined with hotels, shops, and a large array of local and private sailing vessels.
After docking in the harbor, we divided into several groups. A number of passengers headed east along the coast to a beach called Playa Chilenos for snorkeling. The beach was beautiful and deserted except for several woodpeckers in the palm trees and turkey vultures drying their wings out in the sun... Despite the cool temperature of the water, many species of fish were encountered including sergeant major fish, parrot fish, convict tang fish, king and Cortez angelfish, triggerfish, and rainbow wrasse. Another group of passengers visited a wetland within the old mission town of San Jose del Cabo to enjoy bird watching. Many birds were seen including blue-winged and cinnamon teal, great blue heron and great egret, tricolored heron, white-faced ibis, and osprey.
After a delicious lunch on board, we went in search of humpback whales. Humpback whales make the longest migration of any mammal, approximating 10,000 miles. These cetaceans are identified by their long flippers. They can weight up to 90,000 lbs and approach 52-56 feet in length. We were surprised to encounter several grey whales breaching, an uncommon sight. As we continued our journey east around the peninsula, we encountered a number of humpback whales, best known for their acrobatic displays and songs. We were delighted over the course of the afternoon to witness several groups of whales finning, fluking, and breaching. Finally, as the sun set over the mountains of the peninsula and white caps began to develop, we began our journey northeast toward the Sea of Cortez.
