Los títeres and El barril, 3/1/2020, National Geographic Sea Lion
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Lion
Baja California
During the night Captain David Sinclair and officers, repositioned National Geographic Sea Lion to the inner part of the canal at Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos, a place locally known as Los Titeres (“the puppets”), where we could have the opportunity to observe more mothers and calves. We went out early in the morning in two groups, and we had good experiences with some of the whales in the area. For the afternoon, we finished our activities doing kayaks and Zodiac tours at El Barril, another lagoon surrounded by mangroves, inside the Bay of Magdalena where these migratory gray whales thrive.
Octavio was born in Mexico City and moved to La Paz at age 19, to study Marine Biology at the Baja California Sur State University. He began his field research on California sea lions, working at Los Islotes, a small rookery close to La Paz City. Lat...
Dexter grew up in England where a love for exploring the countryside ignited a lifelong passion for discovering natural history and embarking on adventure. As a teenager, two trips to India sparked a fascination with insects and a desire to share a “...
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Today was the last day of the Baja California season for National Geographic Sea Bird . We had a very nice day of whale-watching. The weather was pleasant, and grey whales were getting ready for their long migration north. Some of today’s highlights were the birds we found as we headed towards Canal de Rehusa, where we encountered California grey whales. Among the birds, we observed a majestic juvenile bald eagle, apparently in its third year of age. We spotted an immature peregrine falcon just behind a myriad of pelicans, gulls, and cormorants. We can certainly see a lot when we stop to look!
We awoke in Boca de Soledad to a clear and sunny day. With high winds and large swells, morning whale-watching trips were challenging. We ventured forth and finally spotted a whale. It spyhopped near one of our pangas and then slowly approached so we could get an up-close-and-personal view. It was magical. The whale led us on a merry game of hide-and-seek, popping up here and there for the next hour. Of course, the whale was destined to win this game! We returned to National Geographic Sea Bird via a calm mangrove area. We viewed several species of wading birds and the skeletal elements of a long-dead whale that were partially buried in the shallow sediments. During our whale-watching, some of us went ashore to the nearby beach to ride fat-tire bikes and/or to walk among the dunes. It was a special treat to watch two eaglets attempt their first flight under the watchful eyes of their parents. It was obvious that the lessons would continue tomorrow, and perhaps for another day or so! After lunch, we went back to the Boca for another round of whale-watching in challenging conditions, but we did not see any whales. No matter…it was relaxing to simply bounce around in a panga. Again, we watched for birds on the way back to the ship. We saw large numbers of terns, brown and white pelicans, juvenile gulls, and cormorants on a sandbank. In a different mangrove area, we were able to get very close to juvenile and adult (male and female) frigatebirds. After returning from our whale watch, we went ashore. Some of us walked among the dunes or along the beach, either with or without a naturalist. Others rode the fat-tire bikes on the hard-packed intertidal sand. The wind and swells forced us to relocate the traditional beach BBQ to the ship’s dining room, where we were entertained by Los Coyotes de Magdalena. A guest and a crewmember celebrated their birthdays by bashing the traditional piñata. The treasure trove of goodies within elicited a wild scramble! After dinner, most of us went to the beach. We enjoyed a final walk and a traditional bonfire with s’mores. Another day drew to a close with memories burned into our minds.
When someone says, “I think today was the best day of my life,” you tend to think the trip is off to a good start. Today we spent our first day by immersing ourselves in the vibrant beauty of Mexico. We explored via kayaks, paddleboards, motorboats, by ship, and on foot. I gave a talk about travel photography, and then guests were able to put tips into practice while hiking across the island to the Pacific Ocean.
