“Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” Thich Nhat Hanh
The National Geographic Sea Bird began bustling with activity at first light: feet climbed ladder rungs to the Lido deck and the crane hummed its melody as Zodiacs swung over the side and descended to the water. People climbed aboard and glided towards Los Islotes, the islets, for sunrise experience of these beautiful geologic formations of compacted volcanic ash, and home to California sea lions, blue-footed and brown boobies, magnificent frigatebirds, brown pelicans, turkey vultures, and Sally Lightfoot crabs. The sun painted the sky and surrounding landscape a dazzling dusty pink, purple, and blue, the air was a balmy 80°F degrees, the water calm and clear, and the “Ark, Ark, Ark” of the sea lions punctuated the scene. The zip, twirl, zoom of the sea lions’ graceful playful antics enticed people to don snorkels, masks and fins for a closer look.
Back on board we gathered in the lounge for a talk on Desert Plant Adaptations while the National Geographic Sea Bird repositioned to anchor off Punta Colorada. The afternoon was spent exploring the stunning sand and rock formations of this northeastern end of Isla San Jose via hiking, kayaking, and Zodiac cruises. While ashore, whale blows were seen beyond the ship, and in the late afternoon the staff and crew began shuttling people out for impromptu Zodiac cruises to get a closer look. Blue whales! At least eight were counted, including two mother/calf pairs. It is hard to describe the privilege and joy of being so close to these magnificent creatures, who would come up for three or four breaths, and then dive deeper for several minutes. There was a particularly magical moment on our boat… awestruck into silence as the whale “pfftt” blew its tall outbreath, and then so elegantly, as if in slow motion, arced its broad back and we watched the curving knobs of the spine, the tiny dorsal fin, the lower back, and then the gentlest flutter of its massive fluke as it hovered just at the surface before tipping upward and descending into the depths. In chorus the whole boat exhaled an exultant sigh from the heart. Eyes were shining, lips curved into smiles, laughs and murmurs and giggles and shouts erupted. The magic of Baja California Sur had captivated us once more.
To top it off, a beach BBQ awaited us back onshore. Many commented on how full they already were from nature’s rich bounty, but we did find room for the tasty morsels. Wow!
