At Sea, Isla Santa Catalina
Against the jagged red and black ash layers of the Sierra de la Giganta Mountains, we spot a tall columnar blow. The seas are calm, calm, calm, a rare treat in this unusually windy January in the Sea of Cortes. A closer look and we hold our hopeful and collective breath. And yes! It is a blue whale, the largest animal ever to live on planet earth, and even more, this one throws its flukes every time it dives! Some bottlenose dolphins glide across the glassy water, stopping for a few minutes to play, but seem in a hurry this fine morning. And now there are three blue whales and oh my, a very large white penis as well. What a grand experience to spend the morning with these huge, rare, beautiful and mysterious animals - hoping that a member of a new generation was conceived today.
Isla Santa Catalina….the name conjures up images of black robed padres and Spanish galleons - stories of Mexico’s rich history that our local naturalists William and Adrian have shared with us. Upon this rather small, isolated, granitic island some of the world’s most interesting plants and a few special animals have evolved. Here is the home of the giant barrel cactus as well as the rattleless rattle snake, and both were well represented today. We walked among towering columnar cactus, and trees and plants richly covered in green. Baja California has received above average rainfall this year and the cacti are fat with juice.
What a fine first day aboard the Sea Bird.
Against the jagged red and black ash layers of the Sierra de la Giganta Mountains, we spot a tall columnar blow. The seas are calm, calm, calm, a rare treat in this unusually windy January in the Sea of Cortes. A closer look and we hold our hopeful and collective breath. And yes! It is a blue whale, the largest animal ever to live on planet earth, and even more, this one throws its flukes every time it dives! Some bottlenose dolphins glide across the glassy water, stopping for a few minutes to play, but seem in a hurry this fine morning. And now there are three blue whales and oh my, a very large white penis as well. What a grand experience to spend the morning with these huge, rare, beautiful and mysterious animals - hoping that a member of a new generation was conceived today.
Isla Santa Catalina….the name conjures up images of black robed padres and Spanish galleons - stories of Mexico’s rich history that our local naturalists William and Adrian have shared with us. Upon this rather small, isolated, granitic island some of the world’s most interesting plants and a few special animals have evolved. Here is the home of the giant barrel cactus as well as the rattleless rattle snake, and both were well represented today. We walked among towering columnar cactus, and trees and plants richly covered in green. Baja California has received above average rainfall this year and the cacti are fat with juice.
What a fine first day aboard the Sea Bird.
