Following the footsteps of coyote, jackrabbit, mice, ravens, and lizards we traipsed across the dunes of Isla Magdalena this morning. Resilient sea purslane and sand verbena held precious water in their swollen leaves. Twining stems of milkweed ended in clusters of waxy white blossoms. Papery balloons of locoweed seedpods hung from the leafy grey mounds while their vertical spikes of lavender flowers stood swaying in the morning breeze.
Upon reaching the western side of the island we cooled our feet in the gentle lapping swells of the Pacific Ocean. Some chose to do a little body surfing as well. Our treasure trove turned from tracks to flotsam and jetsam tossed ashore by the sea; the vertebrae of dolphin, the shell of a sea turtle, the skull of a sea lion, tun and fig shells, and dozens upon dozens of sand dollars.
The tide was quite low for our navigation north through the Canal de Magdalena. Expanses of exposed mudflats became impromptu dining rooms for scores of shorebirds while the shallow pools became convenient bistros for egrets and heron looking for fishy morsels.
Our exuberance expressed upon seeing our first gray whales gushed across the bow of the ship, leaving us giggling and anxious for the next whale sighting, and there were plenty. While we had considered making a sunset landing on the island, the slalom course of numerous gray whale cow-calf pairs we slowly navigated through thwarted those plans. It was a good swap.
With calm breezes and a glowing sunset, day lapsed into night and we traded sunshine for starlight. The constant was the sporadic breaths of whales, swimming by in the sparkling night.
