Los Islotes and Espiritu Santo, 12/25/2024, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
Merry Christmas from the staff and crew of National Geographic Venture! Our morning aboard the ship began early with a spectacular snorkel along Los Islotes, where a California sea lion colony resides. Guests enjoyed snorkeling with the sea lions, followed by a Zodiac cruise around the islands.
After a hardy brunch, guests enjoyed listening to a presentation on pinnipeds, followed by hikes on Espiritu Santo. The day concluded with a wonderful beach barbeque, where guests enjoyed eating dinner on Espiritu Santo.
Today was definitely a special holiday aboard National Geographic Venture.
Melissa Heres is a diver, captain, marine biologist, and hydrographer. Growing up on a farm in a landlocked portion of Germany, she explored the natural world surrounding her which translated into a fascination with the sea and travel.
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We had an outing at Los Islotes, one of the largest California sea lion breeding colonies in the Gulf of California. Dozens of curios pups came to swim around our guests, as well as an incredible variety of tropical fish and invertebrates. After we started cruising in search of wildlife, we were greeted with plenty to see and were not disappointed. First, we had an encounter with a playful family of common dolphins that joined us for some bow riding near Santa Catalina Island. And if this wasn’t enough, we had a sighting of a blue whale! To finish the day, we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset surrounded by a large group of sperm whales at Monserrat Island. It was a perfect way to end an amazing expedition in Baja California.
We had a beautiful day in the turquoise waters off Espiritu Santos. Some people kayaked and explored a mangrove forest while others did a challenging boulder hike to a gorgeous view. We saw a rare oarfish and mobula rays before deciding to don our snorkels and fins to go for a swim. Those not keen on getting in the water went for a Zodiac cruise. It was a wonderful day of exploration!
What a fantastic way to kick off 2025 aboard National Geographic Venture. Today we awoke anchored at Puerto Los Gatos and as the sun rose, everyone knew we were in for a treat as we saw the light shining on the red rocks of the petrified sandstone cliffs ashore. We shuttled ashore where guests chose from a variety of activities including kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, and hikes ranging from casual to strenuous. Back on board, we made a short move over lunch to Isla San Jose where we anchored the ship at a protected beach called Playa Encantada and went ashore to explore the arroyo and slot canyon. We beach combed the area, also investigating various bones from trigger fish, porcupine fish, moray eels and even feral goats. After the hikes, guests were amazed at the incredible service from our hotel team when they set up a beach BBQ, campfire, and even a s’more station!! To top it off, one of the guests, Elizabeth, put on a three-song show showcasing her incredible voice. Back on board, we ended the day with an evening of board games, stargazing with Sharyn and Tim, and were even treated to an amazing show of feeding fish off the stern. Wow, this trip is only 2/3 of the way through and we have had so many incredible experiences!!! Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
