San Pedro Martir Island and search for marine mammals
After a long navigation in a choppy sea at night, we woke up this morning in the proximity of San Pedro Martir Island. Once anchored, we boarded our Zodiacs and explored the northern side of this very remote and isolated island. We observed hundreds of California sea lions, many exhausted after a prolonged breeding season. In fact, the two-month old puppies are now swimming and exploring their surroundings, sometimes in groups, and most females are already pregnant again. Also, here were brown pelicans and blue-footed and brown boobies. They were present in great numbers as this island is an important breeding colony for them. Guano was mined here, and we still can see the man-made structures used to accumulate the sacs filled with this rich fertilizer.
We left San Pedro Martir by noon in order to explore the sea and find other marine mammals. Just after starting lunch, a group of about seven orcas or killer whales was encountered south of the island. There were two adult females with their calves, one big male and two young individuals whose sex was undetermined. They were traveling fast, possibly feeding on dorado fish as they progressed in their erratic way. Orcas are not seen very often in the Gulf of California, but this year the encounters with them have increased. The approach of these predators was probably detected by a group of common dolphins that literally disappeared as soon as they noted them. The Sea Voyager followed the orcas for a time, and everybody on board had an opportunity to observe the tiny babies many times.
A short time later, sperm whales were seen at the distance. Nobody could believe that two of the most impressive marine mammals, and also the largest toothed whales, the orcas and sperm whales, were seen in the same day. The answer is: such an event only happens in the Gulf of California.
After a long navigation in a choppy sea at night, we woke up this morning in the proximity of San Pedro Martir Island. Once anchored, we boarded our Zodiacs and explored the northern side of this very remote and isolated island. We observed hundreds of California sea lions, many exhausted after a prolonged breeding season. In fact, the two-month old puppies are now swimming and exploring their surroundings, sometimes in groups, and most females are already pregnant again. Also, here were brown pelicans and blue-footed and brown boobies. They were present in great numbers as this island is an important breeding colony for them. Guano was mined here, and we still can see the man-made structures used to accumulate the sacs filled with this rich fertilizer.
We left San Pedro Martir by noon in order to explore the sea and find other marine mammals. Just after starting lunch, a group of about seven orcas or killer whales was encountered south of the island. There were two adult females with their calves, one big male and two young individuals whose sex was undetermined. They were traveling fast, possibly feeding on dorado fish as they progressed in their erratic way. Orcas are not seen very often in the Gulf of California, but this year the encounters with them have increased. The approach of these predators was probably detected by a group of common dolphins that literally disappeared as soon as they noted them. The Sea Voyager followed the orcas for a time, and everybody on board had an opportunity to observe the tiny babies many times.
A short time later, sperm whales were seen at the distance. Nobody could believe that two of the most impressive marine mammals, and also the largest toothed whales, the orcas and sperm whales, were seen in the same day. The answer is: such an event only happens in the Gulf of California.
