Isla Santa Catalina
The first full day of our expedition arrived. No sooner had the sun rose; we heard the early wake-up call “We have Dolphins on the bow!” We rushed out of our rooms, some still in PJ’s, with camera’s in hand and smiles from ear to ear to be greeted not by just a few dozen, but thousands of Common Dolphins. The National Geographic Sea Bird photo experts were on hand to help people with their settings for lighting and shutter speeds to capture the action and help us all “anticipate” the perfect photo. Whether guests had a heavy-duty SLR with an expensive zoom lens, or a simple point and shoot camera, everyone was able to capture the magic of this first morning on the National Geographic Sea Bird.
The National Geographic Sea Bird staff made a special Easter Brunch which was delicious! After brunch, more photo lessons were given on the deck, and one person tried their hand at doing a “Whale Call”. Not 5 minutes later the largest tooth-bearing mammal, the “Sperm Whale” appeared. Not only is this whale a rare find here in the Sea of Cortez, but in this area they are particularly hard to find. Two female Sperm Whales were swimming side-by-side and we had the opportunity for a long viewing of at least 30 minutes at very close range. They are the only whales that have a blow spout to the forward left, so they “spout” at an angle.
Later a sighting of Bottle Nose Dolphins greeted us before our landing on Isla Santa Catalina where we enjoyed snorkeling and nature walks in the arroyo. The Cacti towered upwards of 15-20 feet above us. We saw the Barrel Cactus towering 15 feet, the largest endemic species of cactus on the island.
The day ended with a short Zodiac ride to photograph a rock formation that strangely resembles an African elephant’s profile. Laughter, smiles and great stories of today’s adventures were seen and heard through the dining room. What a great way to start out the week!
