Exploring the Sea of Cortez – Day 7

Sea Lion
The day started Ensenada Grande, one of the beautiful bays on the west side of Isla Espiritu Santo.

Breakfast was wonderful cold items and Chef’s Choice Scrambled Eggs, Blueberry Pancakes and Bacon.

This morning we will have the opportunity to take naturalist-led hikes and go kayaking.

Kayak
We chose to kayak along the edge of the bay next to these amazing volcanic flows.
Clifts
Jelly Fish
Clifts
Jelly Fish
Not everything is friendly. The blue spot in the middle of the picture on the left is looks like a very blue drop of oil in the water but is indeed is a jellyfish. The picture on the right is also a jellyfish but has a large air sack to keep it afloat.
Walk
Cactus
Cactus
After kayaking we went for a hike.
Red BugAlong the walk we stopped at a prickly pears cactus. Naturalist Sharon Grainer pulled out a small woven cloth and proceeded to describe a small scaled insect (Dactylopius coccus) that lives under the cacti skin and produces carminic acid. The carminic acid can be extracted from the dried insect to produce a red dye.Now the rest of the story. At his point Sharon pulls out a small plastic bag of dried insets, a water bottle and demonstrates the intense red dye produced by hydrating the small scaled insect. The red in woven cloth was produced by this dye.

This is a example of the quality of the naturalist’s presentations on Lindblad Expeditions.

Back to the ship for a Lunch of Organic Mixed Green Salad, Black Bean Cakes and Mexican Pozole with Oatmeal Spice Cookies for dessert.

During lunch the ship repositioned to spend the afternoon at the small rocky islet knows as Los Islotes. These islets are both a seabird nesting colony and a haul-out for California seal lions. Mid-afternoon, the crew anchored a snorkel boat and offered snorkeling with the sea lions.

Birds
Birds

From the Zodiacs we were able to watch the birds in the rocks.

Haul Out
Haul Out
Haul Out
Haul Out
Looking at the rocks of Los Islotes is a little like where’s Waldo, the more you look the more seal lions you see. Observing where the Sea Lions rest on the rocks it appears that the are agile at climbing rock then they appear.
Sea Lion Zodiac
Sea Lion Zodiac
Sea Lion Zodiac
Sea Lion Zodiac
Not all sea lions were napping. The Zodiac boats got a visit from a Sea Lion who thought the thought they were a great plaything and gave him a chance to visit Dimitri (in yellow).
Sea Lion Ship Animal
After our Sea Lion encounter in the afternoon we returned to the ship for Tequila testing in the lounge. Dinner tonight was the Captain’s Farewell Dinner of Caesar Salad, Roast Rid Eye with caramelized onion – red wine reduction OR Pacific Halibut with sun dried tomato-basil fondue OR Vegetable Ragout over Pasta. Dessert was Chocolate Decadence Cake with raspberry coulis.

After dinner we returned to our cabins to pack. For some reason, our “stuff” never fits into the luggage the way it did when we packed for the trip.

Last light fading over the broken red volcanic rocks of Los Islotes, last evening of the voyage and the National Geographic Sea Lion is rocking gently at anchor. In the lounge, we sip fine tequilas and contemplate the treasures in the form of memories and images we have accumulated over the last week. John Steinbeck, in The Log From the Sea of Cortez, says, “we shall take something with us, but we will leave something too.”

Day six > Day seven > Day eight