Los Islotos and La Paz , 1/18/2024, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
This morning we had the opportunity to swim with sea lions. They were so curious that some even jumped up onto the Zodiac. The island of Los Islotos is home to 16 sea lion colonies, called rafts. In the afternoon we made our way to La Paz. There we enjoyed dancing and singing, as well as a wonderful feast.
It was a day filled with culture and wildlife and everyone was thrilled.
Sierra Phillips is a United Nations Youth Delegate and National Geographic Educator who received a master's degree in Exploration Sciences. Her training includes extensive work in marine biology/ecology, nautical archaeology, marine mammal care, shar...
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Our first full day together exploring the waters of the beautiful Sea of Cortez could not have been better. Shortly after sunrise we spotted several tall whale blows in the distance just south of Danzante Island, one of the five islands of the Loreto Bay National Park. Upon closer examination, we realized that the blows belonged to no regular whales, but to the largest animal on our planet, blue whales! We watched them against the magnificent background of the La Giganta mountain range, whose rich colors really made for a spectacular scene. National Geographic Venture continued sailing south and entered the San Jose Channel. Soon we found not one or two but literally dozens of sperm whales in all directions. Their distinctive blows could be seen all around us and several groups made some close passes, the same as some bottlenose dolphins swimming with the much larger whales. What a way to start our time exploring the waters around the peninsula of Baja California!
We enjoyed another amazing sunrise this morning, with the addition of multiple sightings of sperm whales just before breakfast — what a way to start our last day in Baja on National Geographic Venture ! After breakfast we had a landing at Punta Gato, in an area with a lovely long sand beach and incredible sandstone formations, for walks through Baja’s unique desert landscape. A number of guests enjoyed a refreshing dip in the ocean, while others just relaxed on their last landing of the voyage! All afternoon we cruised the rich Sea of Cortez waters looking for more marine life, and we were finally rewarded with a sunset encounter with multiple blue whales, the largest creatures on our wonderful planet. Another perfect day in Baja!
A breathtaking sunrise of pink, gold, and blue greeted the guests of National Geographic Venture upon their arrival at Los Islotes. A small, protected rock of an island, Los Islotes is famous for its colony of playful California sea lions. They more than delivered, with leaping acrobatics and up-close greetings for our snorkelers. Our birders were delighted with several yellow-footed gulls, a peregrine falcon, magnificent frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, Cocos boobies, and of course turkey vultures, all among the rocks of the islands. The bow was filled multiple times as our guests gazed upon the breaching humpbacks along the way to La Paz. And once we arrived, what a tremendous fiesta awaited us! After a rousing cultural dance performance, we crossed the street to the restaurant, which was fully booked just for our guests. What a great way to experience the capital of Baja.
