Isla Santa Catalina
The rugged outline of Santa Catalina Island lay beneath Venus, Mars, and Jupiter in the dawn light. This jewel of the gulf islands was our destination for the day. Because of its isolation, many plants and animals here are endemic, found nowhere else in the world.
Our first steps on shore led across cobbles of granodiorite, tumbled smooth by waves, then onto the sandy floor of an arroyo, or dry river canyon rich with desert life. At the water's edge the yellow-footed gull in the photo carefully watched our arrival. Although not unique to Santa Catalina, this species is found only in the Gulf of California, only rarely reaching the Salton Sea within the United States. The red dot on its lower bill is a target that newly hatched chicks will peck at to induce the parent to regurgitate a meal. Immense cardons rose beside the giant barrel cactuses, endemic to this and a few adjacent islands. Ravens foraged on the slopes, grabbing the soft yellow fruits ripening on the tops of the sagging barrel cactus columns. Santa Catalina side-blotched lizards, endemic to this island, posed in the sun before dashing under prickly shrubs, their blue-emerald tails so bright they almost seemed unreal.
Some hikers reached the crest of the island with its expansive view of the sea stretching away to the east, while others wandered in the lower reaches, glimpsing tiny hummingbirds feeding on the scarlet blossoms of the desert mistletoe. Shrubs green from recent rains and twining vines covered the landscape in defiance of the arid environment. Our walks provided a wonderful introduction to the Sonoran Desert that characterizes so much of Baja California and the southwestern United States.
Following an afternoon of snorkeling, the ship set sail. The sun set behind the craggy skyline of the Sierra Giganta, the mountains of the giants. The sky was ablaze in orange and rosy peach when the announcement came over the P.A. that long-beaked common dolphins were just ahead. They caught the pressure wave at the bow for a free ride and jumped clear of the water in the sunset. What a perfect end to our first day in this very special part of the world!
The rugged outline of Santa Catalina Island lay beneath Venus, Mars, and Jupiter in the dawn light. This jewel of the gulf islands was our destination for the day. Because of its isolation, many plants and animals here are endemic, found nowhere else in the world.
Our first steps on shore led across cobbles of granodiorite, tumbled smooth by waves, then onto the sandy floor of an arroyo, or dry river canyon rich with desert life. At the water's edge the yellow-footed gull in the photo carefully watched our arrival. Although not unique to Santa Catalina, this species is found only in the Gulf of California, only rarely reaching the Salton Sea within the United States. The red dot on its lower bill is a target that newly hatched chicks will peck at to induce the parent to regurgitate a meal. Immense cardons rose beside the giant barrel cactuses, endemic to this and a few adjacent islands. Ravens foraged on the slopes, grabbing the soft yellow fruits ripening on the tops of the sagging barrel cactus columns. Santa Catalina side-blotched lizards, endemic to this island, posed in the sun before dashing under prickly shrubs, their blue-emerald tails so bright they almost seemed unreal.
Some hikers reached the crest of the island with its expansive view of the sea stretching away to the east, while others wandered in the lower reaches, glimpsing tiny hummingbirds feeding on the scarlet blossoms of the desert mistletoe. Shrubs green from recent rains and twining vines covered the landscape in defiance of the arid environment. Our walks provided a wonderful introduction to the Sonoran Desert that characterizes so much of Baja California and the southwestern United States.
Following an afternoon of snorkeling, the ship set sail. The sun set behind the craggy skyline of the Sierra Giganta, the mountains of the giants. The sky was ablaze in orange and rosy peach when the announcement came over the P.A. that long-beaked common dolphins were just ahead. They caught the pressure wave at the bow for a free ride and jumped clear of the water in the sunset. What a perfect end to our first day in this very special part of the world!
