The Best of the Sea of Cortez

We have just brought Indigo back to La Paz. Our tourist visas are about to expire, the weather is getting hot, and we are wrapping up our cruising season.  But the past few weeks have been some of the best we have spent in the Sea of Cortez. Lots of encounters with whales and dolphins, including this very large group off the north end of Isla San Jose. Look carefully past the  dolphins leaping in the foreground, and you can see that there are literally hundreds more churning up the water in the distance. There must have been a great big school of fish under the surface.

We also had a string of sunny days, perfect for hiking and snorkeling.  The Captain spent some long hours in the water, and came back each time to look up the new fish he had seen in our entirely inadequate fish book. We hiked dozens of shorelines near anchorages; we've discovered the pleasure of getting up high and looking down on the sea, understanding better the geography, the lay of the land, and the barren grandeur of this desert country.

We also had a string of great anchorages - forty five nights, at more than a dozen different anchorages. Oyster Catchers, like this little fellow, are almost always hanging around the shorelines and rocks of these bays. They have a distinctive, slightly strident cry - some people say they always sound slightly anxious. Since they seem to always occur in pairs, they fly and vocalize as if there is a continuous domestic squabble going on, but the good natured kind that doesn't mean much and doesn't interfere with the business of exploring and pecking for food. They are really entertaining neighbors!

We are now spending a few days cleaning up  the boat, and getting it ready for the five or six months until we return. We are looking forward to reunions with family and friends, and to summer in the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains. But we will really miss the Oyster Catchers!