We began the day kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, and enjoying Zodiac cruises amongst the mangroves in the region of El Barril within Magdalena Bay. Red and white mangroves were predominant, with a few dwarfed black mangroves also seen. The birds observed included adult and juvenile white ibis, black-crowned herons, Brandt’s cormorants, and marbled godwits. The song of a meadowlark could also be heard. The stunning scenery, with the brilliant green mangrove forest set next to white sand dunes and towering mountains of desert rising in the distance, was quite the beautiful contrast of color, texture, and habitat.
We were then underway cruising through the narrow and shallow depths of the Canal de Soledad (aka Hull Canal). Again, a great opportunity to view a variety of birds among the mangroves and many sand flats. Even a couple of bottle-nose dolphins came for a quick bow ride.
We finished up the day with another round of gray whale and bottle-nose dolphin watching near Lopez Mateos. Afterward was a fantastic fiesta onboard National Geographic Sea Bird complete with live music and dance by Los Coyotes and the Desert Flowers dancers.
