The word for the day aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird was dolphins! And lots of them.
The day started with bottlenose dolphins riding our bow just after sunrise. Next we encountered a giant blue whale that raised its massive fluke each time it dove along the colorful rocky coast of Isla del Carmen. After breakfast we dropped our fleet of expedition landing craft and joined a superpod of magnificent (long-beaked common) dolphins in a feeding frenzy. Thrilling!
During the afternoon we snorkeled below Elephant Rock at Isla Santa Catalina, then went ashore and hiked a sandy wash lined with towering cardón cacti where we found not one, but three rattleless rattlesnakes, an endemic species unique to this remote island of granitic rock.
We capped off the day lingering on shore to photograph the sunset and then paint a towering cardón cactus with our flashlights.
Hard to believe that yesterday was one of the best days ever, but today was even better! We are on a roll. What will tomorrow bring?
