Boca de Soledad, Bahia Magdalena
The National Geographic Sea Bird remained anchored throughout the night in Boca de Soledad, in the northern end of Bahia Magdalena. We awakened to calm waters, a light breeze, dew on the deck, and a cooler temperature than on the eastern side of the peninsula, 55 degrees F. On the Aft-100 deck we shook and stretched our bodies under clear blue skies, tinged orange, pink and golden. Our breathing was echoed from near and far by the sound… pffttt….
Our plan for the day: to spend time exploring the many treasures here by land and sea.
By Sea: In addition to our knowledgeable and enthusiastic naturalists and highly-skilled ship officers, each Zodiac was staffed by a local pangero, specially licensed to take us whale-watching in the bay. We departed from the Sea Bird into bright sunshine and calm waters. Our morning excursions were a great introduction to the beauty, art and exhilaration of whale-watching from small boats. Almost immediately our boat came upon a tranquil cow/calf pair. They seemed to be having a relaxed morning stroll, whale-style… moving very slowly, coming up for breaths… baby’s two or three breaths to every one of mom’s… pfffttt….PPFFFTTTT, pffftttt…. pfffttttt…. I noticed that my initial excitement and anticipation gradually shifted to deeper breathing, and my heart softened and filled with joy and contentment. To be in the company of these huge intelligent creatures is not something I can quite describe. I felt blessed, happy, full.
By Land: Our land explorations were no less dramatic. Zodiacs dropped us on the shoreline of silky sand which opened into rolling sand dunes patterned in wind-swept and animal/insect-tracked patterns. So much life here in the desert! Birds nesting along shoreline mangroves, butterflies flitting among low-lying plants and flowers. People wandered in all directions, climbing dunes, jumping off cliffs, walking along the shore or across dunes to the other side of the spit to greet the Pacific once again. I got half-way up a large dune and – PLUNK! – lay on my back. Ahhh…the combination of hot sun and sand with the slightly cool breeze made me drowsy and, instinctively, I slid my hat from my head and placed it over my face… siesta, Mexican-style.
Afternoon found us back on water and desert, continuing our sensory delights. Many more cow/calf pairs in the northern end of the Boca, nicknamed “the nursery.” Some of us were fortunate enough to see spy-hopping and have more close encounters with these amazing giants. We came back onboard for an evening Mexican fiesta, complete with live music from los Coyotes de Magdalena and our very own Alberto. I had fun playing with a local Mexican scarf purchased from the Global Market the previous day. Que rica! What an amazingly rich day in Baja California Sur.
