Los Islotes and Ensenada Grande
Sunrise found the National Geographic Sea Bird continuing her journey south towards her morning destination of Los Islotes. Just before 7:00am an early wake-up call was made, drawing attention to yet another spectacular sunrise. The eastern sky was filled with red-orange light painted across sky and water. The decks of the National Geographic Sea Bird were filled with sunrise photographers, all capturing auspicious beginning to our last day in Baja California Sur.
Los Islotes is the most southern haul-out for California sea lions in the Gulf of California. The highlight of the morning was taking advantage of the opportunity to snorkel with sea lions! Two Zodiacs were anchored to one of the mooring buoys that protect the haul-out area in the center of Los Islotes. Just after breakfast a good-sized group of intrepid snorkelers were ferried to our waiting snorkeling platform. Once in the water a whole new world opened up to all! We were immediately surrounded by a large school of Panamic sergeant majors, feeding close to the surface and checking out many a snorkeler by nosing our masks! The sea lions were playful and curious – diving, watching, occasionally nibbling on flippers and generally enjoying a rather clumsy group of water companions.
Our snorkeling experience was followed by Zodiac tours around the tiny islets called Los Islotes. Sea lions on rocks, huge numbers of turkey vultures waiting for warm land currents to take flight and many, many blue-footed booby couples enjoying the first stages of spring courtship...sky points, high whistles and circling birds everywhere.
All too soon it was time to return to the National Geographic Sea Bird and make ready for departure towards our afternoon destination. First on the list was a scientific research stop a short distance into deeper waters just off of Los Islotes. The National Geographic Sea Bird positioned in 1,787 feet of water and from the bow of the ship prepared to measure the oxygen saturation levels in the sea water to a depth of about 1,500 feet. During the last four years Lindblad Expeditions has been the scientific platform for a continuing study, measuring oxygen levels in several locations during the winter trips in the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortez. Once the testing was complete the National Geographic Sea Bird continued south, down the west side of Espiritu Santo, heading for a lovely, protected bay called Ensedada Grande.
Our afternoon would be spent either hiking or kayaking in the quiet waters, exploring the unusual volcanic rock formations that make up this bay on the island of Espiritu Santo. On shore, the wonderfully sculpted and naturally planted gardens of the steep arroyo of Ensenada Grande opened up to all hikers. Reddish-brown rocks surrounded by a myriad of unusual desert plants struggling to survive the arid environment, the battering of sun, wind and sea. Hikers divided into several groups, heading out to climb either to the top of the arroyo for a fabulous view of the Gulf of California or just a medium/short wander along the walls of the arroyo, listening to canyon wrens and watching the allusive black jack rabbit...which, a small group of very lucky hikers found hunkered down under a well-leafed shrub.
Whatever the means, everyone enjoyed the last afternoon of our trip exploring Baja, California, its land and people. The islands, the mainland peninsula, the missions and breath of elders at pictographs, the whales, dolphins, sea lions, the unusual desert plants, people of villages and towns and one lone black jack rabbit...all these inhabitants are critical parts of a whole affectionately called “a desert by the sea.”
