Bahia Magdalena with visit to Sand Dollar beach & transit of Hull Canal
The National Geographic Sea Bird remained at anchor throughout the evening, just off the southeast side of Isla Magdalena. As the sun rose in the east, activity began aboard our floating home. Stretching class started at 7:00 a.m., followed by breakfast, where our Expedition Leader prepared us all for our first day inside the protection of Isla Magdalena, a barrier island helping create the calm waters of Bahia Magdalena. Zodiacs began shuttling everyone ashore, and groups divided on shore for the short crossing to the island’s west side and the Pacific Ocean. The National Geographic Sea Bird was anchored approximately three fourths of a mile from Bahia Santa Maria located on the southwestern side of Isla Magdalena.
Once ashore, everyone was divided into groups of aerobic, fast, moderate, moderate/photo and leisure hikes. The goal was to reach the Pacific Ocean and/or explore the dune ecosystem. Our hikes began early enough in the morning to show off shadows on the dunes, morning dew remaining on some plants and many, many tracks revealing some of the inhabitants of this unusual environment. The unseen world of Isla Magdalena’s sand dunes revealed in tracks showed many white-footed mousy highways, large desert hares, coyotes, beetles and the strange angled toes of many a lizard.
Each group traveled through a variety of plant groupings, up a very large last sand dune, reaching a crest, where we had a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean, overlooking Sand dollar Beach. The out- going tide created quite a surf and left a long and wide open beach, ready for exploration. On the exposed beach we found a rather well dressed, enormous hermit crab inside a wonderfully flamboyant shell. If we were patient, and did not allow our shadows to pass over the shell of the Hermit crab we had the chance to get down in the sand and be eye to eye with a very curious crustacean. Hikers, swimmers, and people who wanted to take in the view and smell of the Pacific remained at Bahia Santa Maria for the next couple of hours before returning east for a Zodiac shuttle back to the waiting National Geographic Sea Bird and a lovely warm lunch.
While we were at lunch, a local pilot, Alejandro Camacho arrived from the fishing community of Lopez Mateos, ready to guide the National Geographic Sea Bird though the Hull Canal. After lunch, we moved to the bow for an afternoon of observations as our ship made the narrow passage to the north end of Bahia Magdalena. The transit was approximately 40 miles and four and a half hours in length. The bow of the National Geographic Sea Bird remained filled with naturalists and guests, all enjoying the inhabitants of this mangrove channel and all its activity during low tide.
In the late afternoon, our first California grey whale blows were spotted! The northwest wind was coming across the bow in a steady, strong force, but the site of whale blows brought everyone back out on the bow and slowly we all entered the winter birthing and mating world of grey whales. Blows were everywhere; the National Geographic Sea Bird slowed for some views, but remained on course, heading for her evening anchorage. The sun was moving rapidly to the west, giving strong, shadowy definition to the sand dunes and back lighting to the grey whale blows, as these baleen whales continued to cruise, breath and occupy their winter grounds. This unusual ecosystem, a desert by the sea, has only begun to open our eyes to its mysteries….the sea, tracks in the sand dunes, diamonds of dew on plants, migrating birds and whales, it is still only the beginning of visiting a place where the natural world is the dominating force.
