Isla Santa Catalina
A distant hazy horizon deprived us of the sought-after green flash this morning, but it surely delighted us with a beautiful sun "burning the water" as it came out of the ocean. It is easy to understand why the ancient Mexicans conceived the beginning and the end of all things as the "Atl-Tlachinolli," which means in the native language, nahuatl, "the water that burns."
The Sea Lion dropped the hook at the southern end of Isla Santa Catalina, where we spent all day. The north wind picked up while we were nicely protected on leeward side of the island. Our day was full of activities. We all kept ourselves dry during the morning hiking through the arroyos. Bird enthusiasts were not disappointed at all. The abundant mistletoe blooms provided us with the perfect conditions to watch the male, female and immature Costa's hummingbirds. This morning offered us an especially diverse repertoire of birds, ranging from ospreys, kestrels, loggerhead shrikes and mockingbirds, to the more elusive verdins, cardinals and gnatcatchers.
Undersea specialist, Dennis, led the long walkers to higher places of the island seeking picturesque landscapes, while Pete ,Gretchen, and myself led shorter hikes highlighting the uniqueness of the plant life of this remote island. Al, "our friendly shipboard geologist," was happy to answer all the interesting questions about the origin and the geological contrasts between Isla Santa Catalina, the peninsula and the rest of the islands.
After enjoying lunch on the sun deck, the snorkel boat, Zodiac cruises and kayaks awaited us. We were ready to continue our adventure in the Gulf of California. Some of us chose to get wet and discover the undersea life that thrives near the island. Granitic rocks underwater were covered with marine life. Brown urchins were especially numerous, and a great variety of fish, including giant damselfish, king angelfish, and porcupine fish.
Kayakers had the opportunity to get a better look at the cliffs and beaches while enjoying the exercise, and Zodiac cruisers had a different approach to the island's coastline while Pete and Gretchen pointed out some of the biological highlights of the place, like this American oystercatcher.
A distant hazy horizon deprived us of the sought-after green flash this morning, but it surely delighted us with a beautiful sun "burning the water" as it came out of the ocean. It is easy to understand why the ancient Mexicans conceived the beginning and the end of all things as the "Atl-Tlachinolli," which means in the native language, nahuatl, "the water that burns."
The Sea Lion dropped the hook at the southern end of Isla Santa Catalina, where we spent all day. The north wind picked up while we were nicely protected on leeward side of the island. Our day was full of activities. We all kept ourselves dry during the morning hiking through the arroyos. Bird enthusiasts were not disappointed at all. The abundant mistletoe blooms provided us with the perfect conditions to watch the male, female and immature Costa's hummingbirds. This morning offered us an especially diverse repertoire of birds, ranging from ospreys, kestrels, loggerhead shrikes and mockingbirds, to the more elusive verdins, cardinals and gnatcatchers.
Undersea specialist, Dennis, led the long walkers to higher places of the island seeking picturesque landscapes, while Pete ,Gretchen, and myself led shorter hikes highlighting the uniqueness of the plant life of this remote island. Al, "our friendly shipboard geologist," was happy to answer all the interesting questions about the origin and the geological contrasts between Isla Santa Catalina, the peninsula and the rest of the islands.
After enjoying lunch on the sun deck, the snorkel boat, Zodiac cruises and kayaks awaited us. We were ready to continue our adventure in the Gulf of California. Some of us chose to get wet and discover the undersea life that thrives near the island. Granitic rocks underwater were covered with marine life. Brown urchins were especially numerous, and a great variety of fish, including giant damselfish, king angelfish, and porcupine fish.
Kayakers had the opportunity to get a better look at the cliffs and beaches while enjoying the exercise, and Zodiac cruisers had a different approach to the island's coastline while Pete and Gretchen pointed out some of the biological highlights of the place, like this American oystercatcher.
