Every expedition has a few extraordinary moments. Certainly on this expedition aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird we have had more than our share. A great white shark passing literally under our feet on the bow, dolphins filling the horizon in glass flat seas, sunrise amongst thousands of elegant terns and Heermann’s gulls, and a waxing moon illuminating the desert are a few.
Most expeditions also experience a sacred event, the one that defines the expedition. A shared experience that we carry with us long into the future, the one we remember when we look back.
This morning our unexpected gift came in California sea lions at Los Islotes. In glycerin clear water, these sleek pinnipeds first delighted us as we cruised the tiny islets by expedition landing craft. Later in the morning as we donned our snorkel gear and slipped into the clear warm water the sea lions’ curiosity got the best of them. Time and again sea lion pups and younger animals chose to bridge the gap between species. Scientists would say that sea lions are thigmotactic, we would say this morning we were gently embraced by another intelligent, inquisitive and trusting life form.
Afternoon found us in the presence of other playful traveling companions, this time in the form of bottlenose dolphins. As the sun slowly sank over the Baja Peninsula to the west, we managed one last outing in Half Moon Bay on Isla San Francisco. Some chose a final stroll on the white sand beach, while others circumnavigated the island by expedition landing craft, each of us in our own way completing the personal journey that we began only one week ago.
