After sailing during the night, we woke up to a surreal landscape where mangroves meet sand dunes. This combination of ecosystems is rarely found. As the day started, we got the water toys out. Guests spent a couple hours exploring the inner channels of El Barril, a mangrove forest, by kayak and standup paddleboard. Local pilot Sergio Camacho then got on board to help us navigate through Canal de Soledad, which is famous for being shallow and narrow. During our transit of the canal, we spotted many varieties of shorebirds. While cruising, a pod of bottlenose dolphins joined us and gave us a show as they rode the bow of the ship. When the channel opened, we got to see our first gray whale calf and its mom. The mom breached several times as we passed. After dropping anchor, we headed to Isla Magdalena, a very long and narrow barrier island that separates Bahia Magdalena from the Pacific Ocean. When we came back to the ship, we were greeted by the talented musicians of Los Coyotes from Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos. They helped set the rhythm for our Mexican fiesta. The music, the mezcal, and the food were the soul of the fiesta.
2/24/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Boca de la Soledad and Sand Dollar Beach
We welcomed our day with an early whale search. On our way to Boca de la Soledad, we observed double-crested cormorants, magnificent frigatebirds, white ibis, and great and snowy egrets perched on the white mangroves at the north end of Isla Magdalena. Our panguero, Carlos, pointed out a massive bald eagle nest where an adult was guarding the surroundings. As we passed in front of Isla Pelícano, we saw a large flock of American white pelicans standing out among dozens of brown pelicans. As we got closer to La Boca, we spotted gray whale rainblows, spy hops, and a female with its calf. On our way back to National Geographic Sea Bird , Carlos took us to visit the oyster farm by the abandoned phosphorite mine facilities where we found three osprey nests, and one was active with a chick and an adult. We ended our ride observing a pod of bottlenose dolphins. In the afternoon, we hiked the dunes towards Sand Dollar Beach. Our guests enjoyed the beauty of the landscape. We found tracks of different creatures like coyotes, dune bugs, and birds. After dinner we enjoyed the traditional guest slide show. It was a perfect end to a great day.
