On the first day of our expedition, we cruised through Loreto Bay Marine Reserve on our way south to Isla San Jose. In these productive waters, we saw several cetaceans, including two large groups of dolphins - and a blue whale! At Isla San Jose, first we focused on watersports (swim/snorkel, kayak or stand-up paddleboard), and then we hiked up a beautiful arroyo in the desert.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 08 Jan 2023
Bahia Encantada, Isla San Jose, 1/8/2023, National Geographic Venture
- Aboard the National Geographic Venture
- Baja California
Berit Solstad, Naturalist
Berit grew up on the rocky shores of Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she explored the marine environment through changing tides and seasons, nurturing a love of natural history and marine biology.
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Today we woke with the shining stars and took Zodiacs ashore to meet our coaches for a trip to Chale, a small town on the shores of Magdalena Bay. The goal was to find some wintering gray whales, magnificent leviathans which frequent this coast to give birth before the long migration back to their Arctic feeding grounds. These whales did not disappoint! Spyhopping, breaching, and even a bit of tail flukes. As a result, there were lots of smiles and laughter all around! We returned to the town for lunch and then headed back out on the local boats for a second round. As we returned to the ship, the sun set over La Paz, with glassy waters of gold in the harbor, and pink clouds above. The constellations of Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades shone over our Zodiacs on our way back to dinner aboard National Geographic Venture .