The biggest challenge of the Loreto Islands Challenge, Part 1, was keeping cool.
We snorkeled a lot! Seargent Majors are everywhere, but this is the first I’ve seen a cormorant under water.
Calm weather also gave us opportunity to explore Coronados, Carmen, and Danzante Islands in intimate detail including caves, arches, and graceful rockhopping.
Dynamic geology reminded us that we ride on a living planet. In this case, the dynamic was primarily erosion, but the colorful and unique formations tell a tale of volcanoes past, and of ancient sea floors raised up. Personally, I’m happy to be a close witness to the occasional erosion instead of the other options. In Ballandra, a cove, this used to be a beach backed by a sandy dry arroyo. The rains blasted out a channel that we could paddle for half a kilometer.
Where the dark water line stops, a section of this wall has fallen into the sea.
Cormorant Swimming
Seargent Major
