National Geographic Venture arrived and anchored just off the southernmost limit of Cabo Pulmo, a protected area for today’s morning activities. There were many of us eager to board the local pangas for guided snorkeling over the coral reef that makes this place famous worldwide. While snorkeling, guests and naturalists enjoyed multiple sightings of marine invertebrates and enormous schools of different reef fish. Some guests observed sea turtles resting in the shallow water. The temperature and wind could not have been better!
Other guests preferred to undertake tours on pangas and encountered a beautiful pair, mother and calf humpback whales. The baby breeched more than 40 times! They played very close to the pangas and did not seem to mind their presence. Video was the best way to capture the events, and screenshots allowed us to freeze some of these extraordinary moments!
The afternoon was spent sailing around Gorda Bank, a shallow seamount that promotes high productivity in the ocean and is a favorite spot for humpback whales, especially those that come to mate. We observed several individuals of this species showing varied behaviors. Our undersea specialists, Megan and Ayla, dropped a hydrophone into the sea, so we finished the afternoon listening to the magical songs of the male humpback whales!
