After sailing during the night, we woke up to a surreal landscape where mangroves meet sand dunes. This combination of ecosystems is rarely found. As the day started, we got the water toys out. Guests spent a couple hours exploring the inner channels of El Barril, a mangrove forest, by kayak and standup paddleboard. Local pilot Sergio Camacho then got on board to help us navigate through Canal de Soledad, which is famous for being shallow and narrow. During our transit of the canal, we spotted many varieties of shorebirds. While cruising, a pod of bottlenose dolphins joined us and gave us a show as they rode the bow of the ship. When the channel opened, we got to see our first gray whale calf and its mom. The mom breached several times as we passed. After dropping anchor, we headed to Isla Magdalena, a very long and narrow barrier island that separates Bahia Magdalena from the Pacific Ocean. When we came back to the ship, we were greeted by the talented musicians of Los Coyotes from Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos. They helped set the rhythm for our Mexican fiesta. The music, the mezcal, and the food were the soul of the fiesta.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 11 Feb 2023
El Barril and Canal de Soledad , 2/11/2023, National Geographic Sea Bird
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird
- Baja California
Hiro Kawashima, Naturalist
Born and raised in Ensenada, Baja California, México, Hiro´s heritage can be traced around the world, from Japanese immigrants to adventurous Finnish sailors, French entrepreneurs, and Spanish roots going back to the first settlers of the Peninsula.
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Baja California: Observing the Whales of Magdalena Bay
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