Los Islotes and Isla Espiritu Santo
Dawn broke into clear skies over rolling water. Waves smashed into Los Islotes from the North, sending spray high into the air. Brown and blue-footed boobies soared past yellow-footed gulls and under the bat-like magnificent frigatebird. And beneath them all, reclining on the guano encrusted volcanic rocks, were the sea lions. Barking, burping, stretching, bumping, leaping, roaring, and best of all, swimming.
California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) are found in the lower Californian and Baja Californian coastlines as well as the Gulf of California. Sea lions are agile swimmers who seem to fly through the water propelled by their long flippers. Their adaptations to the marine lifestyle include a thick layer of blubber, dense fur, light sensitive eyes, and a tremendous capacity to store oxygen in their blood and tissues. They may dive several hundred feet beneath the surface and stay below for up to 20 minutes. They exhale before they dive, storing all the oxygen they need in the hemoglobin in their blood and the myoglobin in their muscles. It also helps that they have twice the blood volume to weight ratio of most mammals! To compensate for our lack of such adaptations we donned insulating wetsuits and snorkeling gear to take a peek at their underwater world. The water may have been a little chilly, but these agile and playful creatures made it well worth taking the plunge.
After lunch we enjoyed Linda Burback’s presentation on plant and animal adaptations to another environment – the hot and arid Sonoran desert. From amphibians estivating in holes to yucca moths exchanging pollination for procreation, the desert is truly a marvel of living relationships. And what better place to explore this wonder one last time than Dispensa Cove on Isla Espiritu Santo. The sun was high, the kayaks were low and life was really, really good.
As with every other day, the sun went down, the table was set and we feasted on friendship, memories and conversation…and a little gourmet food from the galley staff! The Captain hosted a marvelous farewell party, but when the naturalists started singing their adaptation of a Mexican ranchero we knew it was really time to go. Now the journey continues on the other side of the Gulf in the spectacular Copper Canyon. Best wishes to all from the crew and staff of the Sea Bird.
Dawn broke into clear skies over rolling water. Waves smashed into Los Islotes from the North, sending spray high into the air. Brown and blue-footed boobies soared past yellow-footed gulls and under the bat-like magnificent frigatebird. And beneath them all, reclining on the guano encrusted volcanic rocks, were the sea lions. Barking, burping, stretching, bumping, leaping, roaring, and best of all, swimming.
California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) are found in the lower Californian and Baja Californian coastlines as well as the Gulf of California. Sea lions are agile swimmers who seem to fly through the water propelled by their long flippers. Their adaptations to the marine lifestyle include a thick layer of blubber, dense fur, light sensitive eyes, and a tremendous capacity to store oxygen in their blood and tissues. They may dive several hundred feet beneath the surface and stay below for up to 20 minutes. They exhale before they dive, storing all the oxygen they need in the hemoglobin in their blood and the myoglobin in their muscles. It also helps that they have twice the blood volume to weight ratio of most mammals! To compensate for our lack of such adaptations we donned insulating wetsuits and snorkeling gear to take a peek at their underwater world. The water may have been a little chilly, but these agile and playful creatures made it well worth taking the plunge.
After lunch we enjoyed Linda Burback’s presentation on plant and animal adaptations to another environment – the hot and arid Sonoran desert. From amphibians estivating in holes to yucca moths exchanging pollination for procreation, the desert is truly a marvel of living relationships. And what better place to explore this wonder one last time than Dispensa Cove on Isla Espiritu Santo. The sun was high, the kayaks were low and life was really, really good.
As with every other day, the sun went down, the table was set and we feasted on friendship, memories and conversation…and a little gourmet food from the galley staff! The Captain hosted a marvelous farewell party, but when the naturalists started singing their adaptation of a Mexican ranchero we knew it was really time to go. Now the journey continues on the other side of the Gulf in the spectacular Copper Canyon. Best wishes to all from the crew and staff of the Sea Bird.
