Our first full day brimmed with stunning scenery, magnificent whales, and opportunities for a lovely island offshore from the coastal town of Loreto. A green flash shone for an instant just as the rim of the sun broke the horizon and moments later, the first rays reached the Sierra de la Giganta mountains. What a start to a glorious morning!
The sea calmed to smooth, deep blue, perfect conditions for spotting marine mammals. We located several fin whales and stayed with a cow and her calf for some time. Breaths exploded from the paired blowholes as their sleek backs rose from the water and rolled forward and then down, back into the hidden depths. A group of long-beaked common dolphins, and later several bottlenose dolphins leaped beside the ship. Human bodies draped over the rail to watch as a few of these animals caught the bow wave and cruised effortlessly beneath us.
Kayaks of all colors set forth from the rocky beach at Isla del Carmen to skirt the ragged shoreline of red volcanic rocks and white bluffs, while hikers traveled up a steep-walled canyon. The Sonoran desert that dominates here is perhaps one of the most beautiful types of desert in the world, with immense cacti and an abundance of shrubs and small trees. Recent rains had caused a luxuriant flush of growth. It seemed that the plants were rushing to put out as many leaves, flowers, and seeds as they could. That is, of course, exactly what they were doing, because draught will definitely return.
One might think that all this activity would be enough for a single day, but the weather was so perfect that the crew had moved dinner to the beach. We feasted and lingered around the fire, then headed back by Zodiac. Brilliant stars blanketed the sky overhead, and the water sparkled with bioluminescence in the moonlight. The boats aimed for Orion, and soon all were back aboard our warm, cozy ship.
