National Geographic Venture was anchored off the coast of Espiritu Santo Island this morning. Hikes departed from the beach and traversed the scope of an arroyo. The start was particularly interesting as we walked along an estuary that contained four different species of mangroves: red, black, white, and sweet. Snorkelers spent the morning at a rock reef area amongst schools of various juvenile reef fishes in beautifully clear water. We transitioned to La Paz for the afternoon. There we enjoyed a folkloric dance presentation and mariachi band, followed by a delicious meal on the Malecon, before returning to the ship in the evening.
2/3/2025
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National Geographic Venture
Punta Colorada, Isla San Jose
We started our day with a perfect sunrise tinting the clouds in fading pinks and oranges. We had an all-in-one day starting with snorkeling by the colorful rocky shores of Punta Colorada, a place that is only accessible when we have perfectly calm conditions as we had today. We spotted a humpback whale straight from the dining room during lunch, and right after we headed back out for our arroyo hikes and kayaking. The cove was unbelievably beautiful. Trapped in the sandstone, we found innumerable fossils of shells and even the carapace of a turtle and some whalebones. We also learned of the Baja California desert vegetation and history from our informative naturalist that led the way. We went kayaking which provided a spectacular perspective of the tall pink and yellow walls that line the coves. From Zodiacs we could enjoy the enviable views of this pristine island. We are only on day one of National Geographic Venture’s Among the Great Whales expedition and we have seen and done so much. We feel accomplished yet we’re hungry for more!