Los Islotes & Bahía Bonanza
It wasn’t long after sunrise when the first guttural sounds were clearly heard; those of us on the bow soon discovered the dark forms lying on and swimming around the rocky islets known as Los Islotes: California sea lions! This small place is part of the Espíritu Santo complex Biosphere Reserve, a Mexican federally protected area located in the northern portion of the large La Paz Bay and a favorite haul-out and breeding site of sea lions.
Their barking and cavorting got us all excited and immediately after breakfast we boarded the Zodiacs to get close-up views of these most charismatic members of the marine fauna. We all observed and photographed large sub adult males play-fighting in preparation for more serious matches in the near future, females nursing their over-grown offspring and young pups endlessly looking for something fun to do. The California sea lion is the only pinniped (meaning “fin-footed” in Latin) resident in the Sea of Cortez, where more than 30,000 individuals live. They usually spend a couple of days at sea, fishing for small schooling fish like sardines, anchovies and mackerels before going back to land for a day or two of rest. Their agility, speed and grace underwater must be seen in order to fully understand how perfectly adapted to the marine realm they are, and that is exactly what we did.
Many of us grabbed fins, mask and snorkels and enjoyed a wonderful time swimming with the sea lions; capable of outmaneuvering any fish, they raced all around, “playing chicken” with some, and never failing to make us realize how inefficient and slow we are underwater. I always get jealous when I see a sea lion swimming around me! We also got the chance to admire many more creatures, including colorful Panamic sea stars, yellowtail surgeon fishes, bicolor parrot fishes and wounded wrasses (named after a bright-red color spot on their sides, not as the result of an unfortunate encounter with a predator). A huge school of young sardines made for a most dramatic background, a living wall that opened and closed as sea lions moved around.
After a wonderful morning at Los Islotes, the National Geographic Sea Bird sailed south towards Bahía Bonanza, where we spent the afternoon; kayaking, snorkeling and hiking made everyone hungry again and ready for a delicious dinner ashore. S’mores, storytelling, guitar playing and singing under the stars marked the end of another great day in the Sea of Cortez.
