At Sea & Isla Santa Catalina
Clear skies and calm seas greeted us on our first morning in Baja California. No matter how each traveler started the day – peering through binoculars, stretching on a yoga mat, sipping coffee at the rail – we soon found everyone gathered on the bow. Captain Kalbach and Expedition Leader Jim Kelley had spotted a blow in the distance. Within a few minutes the news became clear: a blue whale, the largest animal on the planet, was just ahead. We watched as its sleek back broke the water’s surface and its dorsal fin appeared.
Not long after this fitting start to the expedition, a group of nearly 30 pilot whales surrounded the ship. Breathing loudly at the water’s surface and shimmering in the morning sunshine, these toothed cetaceans demanded, and received, our attention for much of the morning. Thus began our Sea Bird voyage “Among the Great Whales.”
In the afternoon, we headed out to explore the Sonoran desert landscape on foot. Some opted for a challenging hike to a peak, encountering the endemic rattleless rattlesnake on the way to the top. Others stayed closer to sea level, venturing up the arroyo to learn about the island’s natural history and the many kinds of cactus dotting the landscape: galloping, cardon, barrel, and cholla. A few guests feeling more aquatically inclined snorkeled in the cool water near Elephant Rock and took Zodiacs along the coastline.
Soon after the last Zodiac returned to the ship this evening, the sun sank behind the mountains, leaving a triple “green flash” as it passed through a cloud in the darkening Baja California sky.
Clear skies and calm seas greeted us on our first morning in Baja California. No matter how each traveler started the day – peering through binoculars, stretching on a yoga mat, sipping coffee at the rail – we soon found everyone gathered on the bow. Captain Kalbach and Expedition Leader Jim Kelley had spotted a blow in the distance. Within a few minutes the news became clear: a blue whale, the largest animal on the planet, was just ahead. We watched as its sleek back broke the water’s surface and its dorsal fin appeared.
Not long after this fitting start to the expedition, a group of nearly 30 pilot whales surrounded the ship. Breathing loudly at the water’s surface and shimmering in the morning sunshine, these toothed cetaceans demanded, and received, our attention for much of the morning. Thus began our Sea Bird voyage “Among the Great Whales.”
In the afternoon, we headed out to explore the Sonoran desert landscape on foot. Some opted for a challenging hike to a peak, encountering the endemic rattleless rattlesnake on the way to the top. Others stayed closer to sea level, venturing up the arroyo to learn about the island’s natural history and the many kinds of cactus dotting the landscape: galloping, cardon, barrel, and cholla. A few guests feeling more aquatically inclined snorkeled in the cool water near Elephant Rock and took Zodiacs along the coastline.
Soon after the last Zodiac returned to the ship this evening, the sun sank behind the mountains, leaving a triple “green flash” as it passed through a cloud in the darkening Baja California sky.
