We woke up to a beautiful sunrise as we dropped anchor near Ensenada el Cardonal for an activity-packed day! After breakfast, we snorkeled along a shallow reef below a volcanic rock wall. Next, we had the option for kayaking or Zodiac tours of the bay. We then returned to the ship for a tasty lunch. Afterwards, we hiked along an arroyo, a dry riverbed. We saw at least four different types of cacti: cardon, organ pipe, galloping, and cholla. On the way back to the ship, we observed birds diving into the water and a sea turtle. We ended the day with a wonderful presentation from undersea specialist Sierra Phillips. She showed us highlights of footage from a scuba dive. What an amazing day!
3/20/2025
Read
National Geographic Venture
Magdalena Bay
Today we woke with the shining stars and took Zodiacs ashore to meet our coaches for a trip to Chale, a small town on the shores of Magdalena Bay. The goal was to find some wintering gray whales, magnificent leviathans which frequent this coast to give birth before the long migration back to their Arctic feeding grounds. These whales did not disappoint! Spyhopping, breaching, and even a bit of tail flukes. As a result, there were lots of smiles and laughter all around! We returned to the town for lunch and then headed back out on the local boats for a second round. As we returned to the ship, the sun set over La Paz, with glassy waters of gold in the harbor, and pink clouds above. The constellations of Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades shone over our Zodiacs on our way back to dinner aboard National Geographic Venture .
