Beauty above, terror below…I thought I knew the Indian paintbrush…How could it hide this dark side from me? This was one of the day’s revelations aboard National Geographic Sea Bird while hiking with Jon Rebman from the San Diego Natural History Museum, digging into the botany of Santa Cruz Island. One of the intriguing aspects of excursions with Lindblad is the mix of people that come together for a time and the sharing and learning that occurs. Jon provided a unique lens and perspective with which to view the islands plant behaviors and adaptations. One of the hike’s insights was the quasi-parasitic nature of the Indian paintbrush, a beautiful plant that photosynthesizes but also uses its roots to sap nutrients from its neighboring plants: the paintbrushes dark side thus revealed. (Thanks for a great hike, Jon!)
4/30/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands
High swells prevented landing on Anacapa Island this morning, so we anchored off the protected side and enjoyed extended Zodiac cruising through intermittent misty fog. We saw (and heard) many sea lions on the beaches and watched the young ones perform ‘investigative circling’ around the Zodiacs. A pair of harbor seals swam in the kelp canopy and the skies were filled with soaring pelicans and western gulls. We also learned about the giant kelp, and many sampled a piece, generally conceding that it was ‘salty bland’. During brunch, we traveled across gently rolling seas to Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, passing through a large pod of long-beaked dolphins. Some peeled off to ride our bow wave, gracefully rolling and looking up at us while we looked down on them. Afternoon activities consisted of three varieties of hikes, each offering sightings of the endemic island scrub jay and the lovable island fox. Heavy rains during the previous winter created a ’50 Shades of Green’ scene, punctuated with colors of many different flowers. Cloudless skies added to the overall magic. After a final dinner and introduction of the hotel staff, we watched the traditional guest slideshow, reliving precious memories.
