Isla Monserrat
Today, we were led to a place which we rarely visit, Isla Monserrat. The winds guided us to a protected anchorage, a gorgeous little bay where we landed to explore the island by foot. We found interesting geology, a mixture of uplifted ocean floor and volcanic ashes. An entire story unfolded before our eyes when we found fossilized shells and sand dollars, evidence that the place looked very different from what we see today. Sand dollars are creatures that usually live on sandy bottoms on long continental shelves, features which we don’t see anywhere near Monserrat any longer.
For the afternoon, we had the opportunity to submerge ourselves, to take a close look at the living creatures of the Gulf of California. The abundance of fish was really impressive. Hundreds of blue and gold snappers and scissor-tail chromis, among others, covered the ocean floor. Giant damsels and king angels, together with the giant hawk-fish, were especially popular among the snorkelers.
Exploring the tide pools was one of the day’s highlights. Everyone found interesting creatures that patiently waited for the next high tide. Colorful nudibranchs, sea stars, brittle stars and many other really interesting animals, like the endangered Cortez conch, attracted everyone’s attention. Across the rocks, at regular intervals, somebody else would exclaim, “Hey, you've got to check this out! I found something really cool!”
Today, we were led to a place which we rarely visit, Isla Monserrat. The winds guided us to a protected anchorage, a gorgeous little bay where we landed to explore the island by foot. We found interesting geology, a mixture of uplifted ocean floor and volcanic ashes. An entire story unfolded before our eyes when we found fossilized shells and sand dollars, evidence that the place looked very different from what we see today. Sand dollars are creatures that usually live on sandy bottoms on long continental shelves, features which we don’t see anywhere near Monserrat any longer.
For the afternoon, we had the opportunity to submerge ourselves, to take a close look at the living creatures of the Gulf of California. The abundance of fish was really impressive. Hundreds of blue and gold snappers and scissor-tail chromis, among others, covered the ocean floor. Giant damsels and king angels, together with the giant hawk-fish, were especially popular among the snorkelers.
Exploring the tide pools was one of the day’s highlights. Everyone found interesting creatures that patiently waited for the next high tide. Colorful nudibranchs, sea stars, brittle stars and many other really interesting animals, like the endangered Cortez conch, attracted everyone’s attention. Across the rocks, at regular intervals, somebody else would exclaim, “Hey, you've got to check this out! I found something really cool!”
