San Jose del Cabo, 12/20/2019, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
In past days, we have been sailing southbound along the Pacific Coast of the Baja Peninsula and exploring the region’s islands and bays. Today, we finally reached the furthest extent of Baja and turned east towards San Jose del Cabo. The town is part of the collective region of Los Cabos, including Cabo San Lucas and the East Cape. Among these different areas, San Jose is the cultural epicenter, with art galleries and historical architecture prominently featured. We took the opportunity to explore the streets and the stories of the town throughout the morning, following historical walking tours, locally guided naturalist walks through the protected estuary, and photo tours in the central plaza and ended our day by continuing the journey east and north into the Sea of Cortez.
A childhood surrounded by the woods and streams of Pennsylvania initially sparked Alex’s curiosity about nature. That curiosity eventually led him to pursue degrees in biology and environmental studies at Boston College. During his time there he cond...
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.
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.
