The first true day of our expedition began with a gloriously calm morning on the east side of Isla Carmen. We joined the staff in morning light to witness a feeding frenzy of dolphins, pelicans, gulls, billfish, and boobies. After breakfast, we met the expedition team and were given snorkeling equipment for the trip. Unfortunately, the briefings and staff intros were slightly upstaged by an incredible sighting of several very relaxed and accommodating blue whales! We got amazing looks at the Earth’s largest (ever) animal. The afternoon saw us test out the snorkel gear at the beautiful natural Amphitheatre of Punta Colorado on Isla San Jose. Later, we took to land to explore some of the arroyo dry washes, becoming acquainted with the environs of Baja California Sur.
2/3/2025
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National Geographic Venture
Punta Colorada, Isla San Jose
We started our day with a perfect sunrise tinting the clouds in fading pinks and oranges. We had an all-in-one day starting with snorkeling by the colorful rocky shores of Punta Colorada, a place that is only accessible when we have perfectly calm conditions as we had today. We spotted a humpback whale straight from the dining room during lunch, and right after we headed back out for our arroyo hikes and kayaking. The cove was unbelievably beautiful. Trapped in the sandstone, we found innumerable fossils of shells and even the carapace of a turtle and some whalebones. We also learned of the Baja California desert vegetation and history from our informative naturalist that led the way. We went kayaking which provided a spectacular perspective of the tall pink and yellow walls that line the coves. From Zodiacs we could enjoy the enviable views of this pristine island. We are only on day one of National Geographic Venture’s Among the Great Whales expedition and we have seen and done so much. We feel accomplished yet we’re hungry for more!
