Isla San Ildefonso & Caleta San Juanico
There was barely a hint of sunrise when a number of us boarded Zodiacs for an early-morning cruise around Isla San Ildefonso. The air was crisp and a sharp wind blew from the north. Fortunately, the National Geographic Sea Bird was anchored on the lee side of the island, and our Zodiac ride would be fairly calm.
As we approached this small island, the eastern sky began to glow pink and gold. Scores of silhouetted seabirds hung in the inky blue sky…a bright waning moon smiled down on us. The serious photographers in our group boosted their camera’s ISOs and opened their apertures wide open. Still the dim light only allowed some “creative blur” shots…think Monet with an oceanic theme.
But soon, the sun rose, slightly veiled by distant clouds, and a soft light flooded the island, revealing its rugged guano-dappled facade. Clinging precariously to steep cliffs were dozens of brown boobies, and scattered here and there were a few of their relatives, the blue-footed boobies. Lines of prehistoric-looking brown pelicans glided by us; some were carrying sticks destined to become nests on the rocky slopes. Several pelican pairs were already displaying at each other…a little courtship behavior. Magnificent frigatebirds soared high over the summit of the island while endemic yellow-footed gulls waddled slowly across emergent rocks. A pair of surprisingly quiet oystercatchers waded along the base of a cliff, and a peregrine falcon zoomed overhead. In the sea, a few eared grebes bobbed around us, occasionally diving out of view.
During lunch, our ship repositioned to the large bay of Caleta San Juanico on the Baja Peninsula for afternoon activities. The wind stayed with us, and the sky became overcast in steel gray, but we were game to get ashore. Some of us went on a nice, long walk past a lagoon into the desert, where it was discovered that conditions here were much more parched compared to the relative lushness of yesterday’s Isla Santa Catalina. Others took a leisurely stroll along the long beach. And some followed our National Geographic Photographer, Susan Seubert, to absorb more photo tips. A rare desert sprinkle freshened the air but only lasted a few minutes and was soon forgotten.
After an enjoyably full, busy day, we returned to our pleasant little ship for a shower, a drink in the lounge, and another lovely dinner. But just before bedtime, we were tempted to shop in the Global Market that magically appeared in the lounge. Then it was off to bed and dreaming about tomorrow’s adventures.
