Isla Tiburon area, Isla San Pedro Martir
Sperm whales at sunset – what a finale to our week of exploration! Just after the sun extinguished with a brilliant green flash, an enormous male whale was seen rocking slowly on the surface head to aft. He was apparently waiting for a group of females and young who surfaced from the depths around him. Now incredibly there were eight sperm whales floating in a row next to each other just off our bow. After eight minutes of this remarkable formation, the whales dove in succession with a beautiful barrage of flukes to our utter enjoyment.
Much earlier we had emerged on deck with the sun to find frenzied baitball feeding activity. Clouds of pelicans were freefalling from the sky one after another, nearly spearing the dolphins that were working the moving edges of dense schools of fish. Gulls, terns and shearwaters loitered for leftovers. This frenetic feeding was the first of much evidence today of intense marine productivity occurring right now in this part of the Sea of Cortez.
As we cruised the smooth seas south of Isla Tiburon, we encountered an endless variety and abundance of marine life. Thousands of long-beaked common dolphins were seen throughout the day, groups spread out over vast stretches of ocean, sharing meals with plunge-diving boobies. Crocodile needlefish, flying fish, mackerel jacks and other fish species were spotted near the surface.
More huge manta rays than any of us had ever seen were found in one area, leaping clear up out of the water (like a flying ‘blanket,’ ‘manta’ in Spanish), thrashing the water, gliding in small squadrons just below the surface, or just floating there with wingtips exposed. And another stretch of ocean was full of cannonball jellyfish, these beautiful blue globular jellies. Monstrous and speedy fin whales made appearances as well in the productive seas.
With our Zodiacs we circumnavigated the remote guano fortress of Isla San Pedro Martir, streams of seabirds gliding over the clifftops, sea lions barking from the rocks and caves. Prolific ocean resources in the area support an impressive number of boobies, tropicbirds, frigatebirds and cormorants that have been donating white material to the volcanic island for generations.
As we prepared for farewell cocktails and dinner, we spied puffy blows far towards the setting sun. We redirected course and were soon surprised by yet one more wonderful and unforgettable experience on this voyage, a flotilla of sperm whales at sunset.
Sperm whales at sunset – what a finale to our week of exploration! Just after the sun extinguished with a brilliant green flash, an enormous male whale was seen rocking slowly on the surface head to aft. He was apparently waiting for a group of females and young who surfaced from the depths around him. Now incredibly there were eight sperm whales floating in a row next to each other just off our bow. After eight minutes of this remarkable formation, the whales dove in succession with a beautiful barrage of flukes to our utter enjoyment.
Much earlier we had emerged on deck with the sun to find frenzied baitball feeding activity. Clouds of pelicans were freefalling from the sky one after another, nearly spearing the dolphins that were working the moving edges of dense schools of fish. Gulls, terns and shearwaters loitered for leftovers. This frenetic feeding was the first of much evidence today of intense marine productivity occurring right now in this part of the Sea of Cortez.
As we cruised the smooth seas south of Isla Tiburon, we encountered an endless variety and abundance of marine life. Thousands of long-beaked common dolphins were seen throughout the day, groups spread out over vast stretches of ocean, sharing meals with plunge-diving boobies. Crocodile needlefish, flying fish, mackerel jacks and other fish species were spotted near the surface.
More huge manta rays than any of us had ever seen were found in one area, leaping clear up out of the water (like a flying ‘blanket,’ ‘manta’ in Spanish), thrashing the water, gliding in small squadrons just below the surface, or just floating there with wingtips exposed. And another stretch of ocean was full of cannonball jellyfish, these beautiful blue globular jellies. Monstrous and speedy fin whales made appearances as well in the productive seas.
With our Zodiacs we circumnavigated the remote guano fortress of Isla San Pedro Martir, streams of seabirds gliding over the clifftops, sea lions barking from the rocks and caves. Prolific ocean resources in the area support an impressive number of boobies, tropicbirds, frigatebirds and cormorants that have been donating white material to the volcanic island for generations.
As we prepared for farewell cocktails and dinner, we spied puffy blows far towards the setting sun. We redirected course and were soon surprised by yet one more wonderful and unforgettable experience on this voyage, a flotilla of sperm whales at sunset.
