Everyone is up and ready bright and early, time for a quick coffee and continental breakfast before boarding the skiff Inde at 7. Even though it’s early, the energy is positive and lively, with all of us hopeful for whatever the day will bring….will today be the day the orcas appear?
The sea conditions this morning are incredible. We catch a glimpse of the wing tips of a mobula ray slicing through the surface of the glass calm water. But we’re on a mission this morning so we keep going.
“Fins!” Not the tall black ones we’re hoping for, but a small pod of bottlenose dolphins cruising by holds our attention for a bit. Our spotting skills are just getting warmed up.
The search continues. We spot a small turtle before meeting back up with the Gallant Lady; time for hot breakfast!
With Inde tethered behind, we begin moving north to avoid some strong winds. All day long, there’s always someone aboard searching for whales. After breakfast, everyone finds ways to spend the rest of their morning….napping, reading, sunbathing, processing photos.
After lunch (with a surprise dessert of chocolate covered strawberries!), we have a little more time to relax before getting the announcement that it’s time to board Inde again. Back out, now in the Bay of La Paz, we’re still surrounded by glass calm seas. The landscape is breathtaking, with the striking contrast of the silvery blues of the water and the browns of the land. Soon after getting under way, a small fin is spotted moving through the water….shark! Getting close we can see that it is a hammerhead shark! A little while later someone shouts “whale!”. After a few surfacings, we’re able to identify it as a blue whale. While we’re watching the whale, both the Gallant Lady and the spotter plane are out searching for the orcas. We continue seeing small fins….a few blue marlins and then a silky shark. The afternoon light is fading and we head back to the Gallant Lady where our cocktail hour drinks, the hot tub, and warm showers await. But we have one more surprise sighting on the way back…a humpback whale showing its fluke as it dives!
But wait! Our wildlife sightings weren’t quite done for the day… our dinner is interrupted just before dessert is served with the surprise arrival of dozens of brown pelicans who found a smorgasbord of fish to feast on all around the boat; the fish having been attracted to the bright lights shining from the boat. Among the feeding pelicans is a solitary sea lion zipping around, also gorging on the abundant fish. What a fascinating finale to our 3rd day. We’re all even more excited now about the possibilities that await us tomorrow!
-Heather
