Our journey began in the most remarkable way, with the sun trumpeting the arrival of the morning with intense color. Just as we were getting our first cups of coffee, a blue whale surfaced nearby and off we went to see it. The immensity of the sleek, blue-gray animal left no doubt that we were seeing the largest animal alive.
After breakfast the day continued with humpback whales breaching, fin whales swimming toward National Geographic Venture and pelicans flying in formation, one after another across the sea.
The afternoon found us in Zodiacs amid a feeding frenzy of pelicans, cormorants, gulls, and boobies, all diving for fish just beneath the surface. Bottlenose dolphins leapt clear out of the water.
Soon we landed on Coronado Island, stretching our legs on a long walk in the desert. The leafless vegetation disguised abundant life just one rainfall away.
It was a remarkable day!
