My apologies. We have horrible internet on board our ship, the National Geographic Venture. I'm not sure if I will be able to get out any photos. If not, check back in a few days. Thanks for the patience.
Day 1: Arrival in San Jose de Cabo
Our flight to Cabo was quite unremarkable, except for the upgrade that American Airlines gave us on the DFW to Cabo leg. Made the flight a bit more comfortable. Our hotel was only a couple of minutes from the airport, and we were able to clear customs quickly and be in bed by 10:30 (12:30 our time).
The next morning, we had several hours to kill before our transfer from the airport to our ship, so, after a leisurely breakfast, we sat by the pool and read. The sun felt great after our winter in NH.
After checking out, we shuttled back to the airport to meet up with the rest of our fellow travelers. From here, we had a 2 ½ hour bus to La Paz where our ship, the National Geographic Venture, lay at harbor.
The ship is brand new to Lindblad’s fleet, this being only her 2ndvoyage. The cabins are very spacious for a small ship and have great drawer and storage space. The bathroom is well laid out compared to the Venture’s predecessor, the Sea Lion. On the Sea Lion, the bathroom was so small that one could shower, go to the bathroom, and brush one’s teeth, all at the same time. They also have a nice fitness room on board which will be important for keeping off the unwanted poundage. The crew was extremely efficient in transferring our luggage.
The ship is brand new to Lindblad’s fleet, this being only her 2ndvoyage. The cabins are very spacious for a small ship and have great drawer and storage space. The bathroom is well laid out compared to the Venture’s predecessor, the Sea Lion. On the Sea Lion, the bathroom was so small that one could shower, go to the bathroom, and brush one’s teeth, all at the same time. They also have a nice fitness room on board which will be important for keeping off the unwanted poundage. The crew was extremely efficient in transferring our luggage.
We got underway right around sunset, heading north for our first anchorage tomorrow, Isla del Carmen.
Baja California, or Lower California, is the 2ndlargest peninsula (after Italy) in the world. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean, and to the east, the Gulf of California (or, the Sea of Cortez) and then the mainland of Mexico. It extends in along a northwest to southeast axis for about 650 miles and varies in width from 60-100miles. Mountain ranges along the peninsula and the mainland create a wind tunnel that often shoots strong northerlies down the Sea of Cortez, especially when high pressure builds I southern California and Arizona. The mountains also effect the climate. Moist air from the Pacific rises over the Sierra de la Giganta mountains along the Baja, cooling and dumping rains on the west slopes of the mountains, leaving warm dry, desert conditions on the Gulf side. Our cruising grounds get less than 10 inches of rain all year (hopefully not early February!)
Day 2: Isla del Carmen and Puerto Gato
This morning proved to be another warm beautiful day. We got up early to work off last night’s dinner in the gym, and then put it all back on at breakfast. Shortly after breakfast, a large pod of dolphins started playing and bow riding around the ship. They really looked like they were having way too good a time. There were also large numbers of pelagic birds, various types of pelicans, frigate birds, gulls circling with the dramatic backdrop of the Sierra d la Gigantas. Later in the morning, we were getting ready for a lecture by one of the guides when we were all called to the bow for a blue whale sighting! Blue whales are rather rare here making it particularly exciting. The whale was pretty far off, affording us only glimpses. The blue is the largest animal on the planet weighing up to 60 tons! The tongue can weigh as much as a small elephant. They have amazing vocalization capabilities; by using very low frequency sounds they can communicate across ocans. My photo was the best I could do given the animal was at least ½ mile away.
After lunch we arrived at Puerto Gato on Isla Carmen, and made preparations for an afternoon of snorkeling and kayaking. We ferried from the ship via Zodiacs and wet landed on the beach. Jeri had her new wet suit that we’d hoped would keep her toasty. Unfortunately, the water temperature was in the high 60’s, which would have required a dry suit to maintain her body temperature. She wasable to stay in for about 40 minutes, though, so I guess it was very helpful. The snorkeling was ok, not great. Due to the high concentration of plankton (which is necessary for whale feeding and thus the presence of whales), the visibility was limited. But, it was still pretty cool snorkeling 2 days after being in NH during the winter.
After we emerged, Jeri went back to the ship to warm up and get into some dry clothes. While she was on board, I decided to kill some time stand up paddle boarding for the first time. It looks a lot easier than it is. But after struggling to get up from a kneeling position, I was able to maintain my balance and not wind up wet.
Jeri got a private tender on the way back, and we had a bit of time left, so we took out a kayak for a spin around the bay. It was not terribly exciting, so we changed our plans and took a short walk, scrambling up the sandstone cliffs for a nice view of the beach.
Back to the ship for dinner and early to bed. Tomorrow we plan to snorkel with the sealions.
Day 3: Los Islotes and Isla San Francisco
This morning we were on the 2nd wave of boats going to the small islet, Los Isoltes. This islet is a nesting site for blue and brown footed boobies, and a favorite haul out site for sea lions. The Zodiac ride to the Islet was exciting and wet (and cold) due to the high wind and wave action. We didn’t realize until just a bit later how high the winds were. We donned our masks and fins and were just about to go over the side when a call came from the ship advising us to abort the dive! Winds had exceeded 25mph, the cut-off for safe snorkeling in this area. So we turned around, cold, wet, and disappointed (mostly, though the thought of not having to get into the water and getting colder still was somewhat pleasing) and returned to the ship.
After some hot chocolate (awaiting us in the mud room of the ship) and a hot shower, we all felt much better. Then more eating (lunch) while the captain maneuvered the ship to Half Moon Bay on Isla San Francisco.
The raging sea had calmed considerably and the Zodiac ride over to the beach was quite smooth. We spent the afternoon hiking with Ivan, the bird guide, to a vantage point above the beach and on through the salt flats to a huge tidepool. The hike afforded us beautiful beach and ocean views as well as sightings of an osprey feeding its chicks in a nest in the rocks. We spotted several other bird species including the yellow footed gull, endemic to the Baja, a Verdun, a beautiful yellow bird, and a hummingbird. We also came across a skink endemic to the region, and another lizard missing half its tail.
The tidepool was full of crustaceans and echinoderms that we were able to pick up and examine at our leisure. A local pelican was kind enough to demonstrate his eating habits for us.
We returned to the beach and decided to run over to the ship for some warmer clothes then back to the beach in time for the special bbq on the beach that Lindblad had planned. We watched a beautiful sunset, drinking Margheritas and beers and eating fish and chicken. Everything tastes better eaten outside.
Day 4: Gorda Banks and San Jose del Cabo
We awoke this morning to another beautiful day, sunny and calm. We were now near the cape of the peninsula at Gorda Banks, a shallow area off Punta Gorda where upwelling of plankton occurs, creating prime rel estate for humpback whales. We were fortunate to see several groups of whales, males fighting for the affection of a female, a mother and calf, and various and sundry other of these giants. Unlike the blue whale that we saw 2 days ago which have teeth, this is a baleen whale that filters tons of krill per day through keratinaceous filters that grow down from the upper jaw.
One advantage of Lindblad Expeditions is a relationship they have with B&H Photos, affording guests the opportunity to try out lenses and cameras. I was able to use Canon’s new 100mm-400mm zoom lens for 48 hours. It really is a beautiful lens, and this trial might end up expensive. All the photos from today are using that lens.
We continued south until we reached the breakwaters for San Jose Cabo again, ferrying into shore (a dry landing, finally). From the docks, we were bussed to a bird sanctuary for a bird wathching walk with Ivan. There was a huge concentration of waterfowl along a river that flowed through the bird sanctuary. This was featured in a national Geo article about the best places to see birds.
After the walk, we bussed back to the docks. While waiting for our ride, Jeri noticed a leopard puffer fish in the water. Made for a nice photo. The return to the ship was not quite as comfortable as the ride in due to the increase in water and wind action. By the time we got back, we needed another hot shower and dry clothes.
Day 5: At Sea
Today we spent the day sailing into the Pacific north to Laguna Ignacio on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula. The trip was 350 nautical miles in total. We kept busy throughout the day watching for stray humpback’s and gray whales as well as common and bottlenose dolphin. Bow riding dolphin are so much fun to watch. They truly seem to be enjoying themselves.
We also had several lectures, on geology of the area, Mexican foods, and the Crittercam. The Crittercam is an invention of Greg Marshall, a marine biologist associated with Nat Geo aboard the Venture. Greg began working on a method for us to “view the world through the eyes of animals” in the mid 80’s. Sony’s miniaturized video camera (the Handicam) was just what Greg needed to accomplish this. He began with a camera strapped to a turtle at the New England Aquarium, and over the years has branched out to whales, bears, penguins, and the list goes on. His work has been featured in many Nat Geo films, and he is a remarkable speaker. We had the fortune to have him join us for dinner a few nights ago, and had the opportunity to hear some great adventure photography stories.
Tomorrow morning, we will arrive at Laguna San Ignacio for our first up close and personal with the gray whales.
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