Today we awoke off Puerto Magdalena, a small community on the southern end of Isla Magdalena. This island is about 50 miles long and is one of the two main barrier islands that creates Bahía Magdalena. While most of the island is beautiful sand dunes, the southern part is full of small mountains and a vegetated desert ecosystem. We got to explore by hiking up an arroyo bed and up to a viewpoint overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Our more leisurely hikers stayed on the bay side, beachcombing and learning about the rich marine ecosystem found here. Some of us even went fat tire biking north of town along the mangroves and sand spit.
After a delightful pozole lunch on board, we listened to our special guest speaker give an excellent talk about the geology of Baja California. From there, we made our way back to shore to take a tour of town guided by Chejos, the unofficial major of the community. Of particular interest was the desalinization plant. To celebrate the day, we all gathered at Chejos’ restaurant for some freshly made guacamole, tostadas, and margaritas. It was the perfect way to top off another beautiful day!
