The rising sun merely an incandescent orb in the distance, we awoke to the ethereal sound of nearby gray whales breathing in the distance as a mild fog rolled in to greet our night weary eyes. Various gulls, pelicans, and cormorants flew past, using the cloak of fog to aid in their hunt for food. Eager whale watchers boarded our expedition landing craft for our final outing to seek these magnificent creatures from water level. Spouts broke the glassy surface, aiding us in our early morning search for these leviathans. We were not disappointed, as soon a calf and its mother joined us to frolic amongst us and playfully tease each of our inflatable boats. Soon the sun burned of the early morning fog, and we were greeted by other cow/calf pairs. The time flew by, and by late morning our local pilot had boarded the ship in readiness for our transit back to Magdalena Bay. Departing after carefully negotiating the narrow and shallow channel, the National Geographic Sea Bird continued towards the opening between Isla Magdalena, our home for the past few days, and Isla Santa Margarita.
By late afternoon we entered the open Pacific and were happy that it lived up to its given name. As we passed Punta Tosca, the southernmost tip of Isla Santa Margerita several humpback whale spouts and flukes were seen in the distance. At sunset, as we were escorted by bow-riding dolphins, all gathered on the bow to see a vivid green flash over a mildly ocean horizon. As twilight dimmed, we continued south for our overnight passage at Land’s End for sunrise and to continue our journey among the great whales in the Gulf of California.
