Today we explored two islands that are part of the Midriff Islands, a remote set of islands in the Gulf of California, the northernmost point of our voyage. We left the ship after breakfast, made a wet landing on the shore of Isla San Esteban, and explored the island on foot. We hiked up the main arroyo through a beautiful forest of cardon cacti, learned about plant and animal adaptations for life in the desert, and saw a chuckwalla and a spiny-tailed iguana.
The ship was then repositioned for our afternoon Zodiac tours along Isla San Pedro Martir, which sits alone in the middle of the Gulf of California. The island is surrounded by nutrient-rich waters that provide a fantastic ecosystem to support the huge breeding colony of California sea lions, blue-footed boobies, brown boobies, brown pelicans, and red-billed tropicbirds. What a treat to be amongst such an amazing wildlife spectacle!
