Isla Partida, Ensenada el Cardonal & Isla Espiritu Santo, Bahia Bonanza
We awoke to brilliant blue skies and the ocean surfaced being whipped into a frenzy by winds over twenty knots at the anchorage. As National Geographic Sea Bird poked its nose out of the anchorage, it became clear that our plan for the day had to be changed. Mother Nature was in control here.
After taking some impressive salt spray over the bow that sealed the deal, we altered course to the south and pulled into Ensenada el Cardonal. Our hikers were able to walk across the island to the east side where the wind was really howling. Zodiac cruisers explored the pearl oyster aquaculture ruins and the small mangrove nearby on the shoreline. The aquamarine color of the water was breathtaking. Snorkelers got an eye full in the crystal clear waters of the deeper sections of the anchorage along its rock walls.
In the afternoon, we set sail to the south end of Isla Espiritu Santo just a short 20 miles away. Once anchored at stunningly beautiful Bahia Bonanza, we took to the shore to enjoy the full extent of the over two-mile beach that shimmered in the afternoon sun. Swimming, snorkeling, and interpretive walks with our naturalist experts filled our last hours ashore on these magic islands. Walks or runs on the expansive beach in solitude reminded us of our place in the natural world.
All in all, it was a fitting way to spend our last day enjoying the splendor of the Gulf of California.
