Los Gatos (Sunday):
Our first day on the sea
Worn out from the day (and the week) before, we sleep amazingly well. So well that we missed Early Riser Breakfast at 6:30. But we did make it up to Aft 400 for the morning stretch at 7:30am with Mereth, one of the Expedition Guides. As before, a group stretch, surrounded by the Sea of Cortez, just as the sun is rising, is other-worldly. The calm instructions from Mereth matching exactly the calm of the sea we’re floating on.
Breakfast in the dining room follows quickly at 8:00, providing our second chance to meet all our new friends and learn more about where everyone is from. Breakfasts and lunches are generally buffet affairs. But unlike the resort, no runny eggs or rubber meat here. It’s still the same, high quality food as the sit-down dinners, just in a more “you choose how much you want”-friendly form.
A whale before lunch
We’re just finishing breakfast, when we get some great news over the ship’s PA. Captain has spotted a number of sperm whales off the bow. Everyone grabs a pair of binoculars (found almost everywhere throughout the ship) and heads to the front of the boat - either to the open foredeck on the 200 level, or the higher vantage point of the bench in front of the bridge - to see. Two whales play in the water within view for a little over an hour, slapping their fins and tails, and keeping ahead of us. Mereth mentions that, in their 12 years of oceanography and expedition guiding, it’s only the second time she’s seen sperm whales, so this is indeed quite special. Usually solitary creatures, they tend to be quite elusive at sea.
What's in store for the week?
Around 9:45am, we’re called back into the lounge for our first activity orientation. We’re introduced to the entire team of guides we’ll be spending the week with: Leader Terra, a vivacious young woman with a marked passion for the sea and photography therein, who literally wears her passion on her sleeve - having tattooed several of her favorite oceanic animals on her body; Julie, a young woman from Ohio who’s been an expedition guide for 8 years, with a degree in Interior Design and smile that doesn’t quit; the aforementioned Daniel, with a thick Mexican accent behind gentle jokes and incredible compassion, he’s a scuba instructor and playfully admits his middle name is “troublemaker”; our morning stretch leader Mereth, a kind, sharp-eyed woman from Seward Alaska, with the patience of a saint and those 12 years of experience on the sea, spending her 4th season in Baja; and Josh, a young man from Haines Alaska by way of North Carolina, with degrees in Fire Science and Forestry, and passion for Celestial Mechanics and tides, a bottomless wealth of facts, and an amazing way of conveying them that makes you feel like you’re his best friend.
We also hear from Captain Shep, who tells us he’s expecting amazing weather and little wind the entire week, before Terra gives us a short rundown of possible stops along the cruise. But, of course, as we know, the Uncruise itinerary is simply “the plan from which we’ll deviate”. We’ll just have to see what’s in store. Terra explains that most days will have multiple opportunities for snorkeling, kayaking, “Eco Meanders” (kind of the Baja equivalent of the “Bushwhacks” we did in Alaska), “moderate” and “hard-charger” hikes, and skiff tours, for morning and afternoon activities, plus a few surprises.
The first stop, Los Gatos, will provide a good opportunity to have a Snorkeling 101 class at the beach, as well as some skiff tours and a hike.
We learn that, unlike our Alaska trip - where we had no fewer than 3 separate PFDs for various uses, we’d only have to worry about 1 for all activities (not including the ever-present orange bricks). This is because the kayaks on the Safari Voyager are the more open ocean sit-on type, allowing for a less confining ride. They are also launched from the beach, since this ship lacks the EZ Dock we’d grown so accustomed to on the Wilderness Explorer. Instead, the Safari Voyager has an amazing mechanical aft deck that lowers below water level to allow for the launch and capture of it’s inflatable skiffs, even while the ship is not at anchor, making it invaluable for some operations in the Sea of Cortez.
And finally at the activity orientation, we are also officially introduced to the Porthole Magazine crew: there’s talent and founder of Porthole Magazine Bill Panoff, right-hand man Felipe, editor and drone operator Christian, and videographer Ram.
Gear up!
Once orientation has ended, Terra makes her way around the room to note everyone’s individual preferences for afternoon activities - we sign up for Snorkling 101, to reintroduce ourselves to snorkeling, which neither of us have done in a couple of decades - before directing us to the Aft 400 deck to be fitted with gear.
First comes the slim PFD, which the guides help adjust to just the right fit, then our wetsuits and other snorkeling gear. Wetsuits are necessary because, even though Baja is sunny and hot, the topology and tectonic construction of the gulf, we would learn, means there is tremendous upswell circulating throughout from it’s vast depths, making the waters cooler than you might think. Each of these items - PFD, wetsuit, face mask, snorkel, and fins - are fit-tested then labeled with our room number indicating they are ours alone, even though most of the gear will be stored hanging on Aft 400 (our PFDs will be hung on a convenient hook just outside our cabin).
Around 11:20am, Captain announces another whale at 2 o’clock off the bow. This time it’s a large male Humpback, somewhat more common to see, but certainly no less fascinating to watch. He’s slapping his fins and tail, and blowing a spout 5 stories tall, before he breaks surface for his sounding dive, which means he won’t be back up for 30-45 minutes or more.
So a perfect opportunity to go back downstairs for lunch, while Captain anchors the ship at Los Gatos.
With the announcement for our snorkeling activity, we make our way up to Aft 400 to don our wetsuits and our PFDs, and grab our fins and mask. We meet up with Mereth, who will be our guide for this adventure, and she takes roll call, then radios the fantail to see if they’re ready for us. On the way down to the launch platform, we stop at the 200 level to move our individual magnets on the Aboard/Ashore board to indicate we are leaving the ship, then down to board the skiff. Safety is always a main concern for the crew, and no matter how calm the water, they insist we board one-at-a-time, relying on a strong “viking handshake” to help us onto the zodiac. Even then, depending on what you’re wearing and what gear you’re taking with you, boarding the skiff can range anywhere from awkward-looking to very-awkward-looking to beached-seal-awkward-looking, but the special launch deck makes it as easy as it ever could be.
The deck hands get everyone situated in the skiff, then lower the deck, releasing the skiff gently into the water from underneath. Our skiff driver, Tony, expertly maneuvers the big, outboard engine to pull us away from the ship, and we’re on our way to the beach. Now the thing with the skiffs is, while the ship’s launch platform makes that part easy, there is no such platform on the beach at the other end. As all the guides and crew say, “every landing is a wet landing”. Much of Baja’s beachline is also littered with coral and shells. So water shoes or sandals are highly recommended. Margaret had just purchased new water shoes for the trip. Carl elected to pack his 20-year-old Keen sandals, rather than buy anything new. Remember this. It will come up later in the trip.
A snorkeling we will go
We arrive at the beach, Tony casually drifting in until the bow of the skiff is, well, beached. Tony and Mereth help us off the skiff with firm viking handshakes, and we make our way up to the beach chairs the crew had set up on the sand before we arrived. Mereth eases us back into snorkeling, having us go into the water just with our masks on at first, to test the seal. She tells us that it’s advisable when entering the water from the beach, rather than taking regular steps, to do more of a shuffle. Specifically, the “stringray shuffle”, because stingrays in Baja like to bury themselves in the shallow sand. By shuffling, you will bump into their side, sending them skittering away, rather than stepping down directly ontop of them, which would more likely cause them to try to sting your foot. Baja stingrays generally aren’t potent or aggressive enough to kill you, but as Mereth explains, “it’ll still hurt for a good long while”. We decide this is sage advice, and shuffle our way into the surf like a bunch of penguins.
Once the masks are tested, we do the same with our snorkels, and then finally putting on our fins. And then we’re off, exploring the varied sealife around the rocky point.
The first thing you notice about the water is that it’s cold. Not Alaskan Polar Plunge frigid, but… chilly. This flies in the face of wisdom when you pop your head out of the water and take in the desert-like topology surrounding you and the air temp in the high 80’s. As mentioned before, this is because the Sea of Cortez was created mainly through plate tectonics, rather than glaciers or erosion. This means it’s deep, and the cold water from the depths is constantly being circulated upward to the surface. While wetsuits likely aren’t mandatory for more intrepid divers and swimmers, for those of us more casual snorkelers, they are a welcome barrier against the coldness. They also provide an even more welcome barrier against the millions of very-present tiny stinging jellyfish and hydrozoans in these waters.
If you’ve never worn a wetsuit, it’s worth explaining that the idea is not to keep you dry - that would be a Dry Suit. The wetsuit lets in water, and it’s this thin layer of water between the suit and your skin that traps and retains your body heat. This means it takes a little for that water to heat up and for you to feel “warm”. For the first 5 or 10 minutes in the waters of the Sea of Cortez, you’re just cold no matter what.
The second thing you notice about the water is that it’s salty. Very salty. More salty than our Pacific Ocean. Again, largely due to how nutrients are circulated up from the bottom. And salty means buoyancy, especially in a wetsuit.
The third thing you notice about the water is just how non-plussed the sea life are that you’re there. The fish don’t dart and hide. In fact, as long as you’re not thrashing wildly, they’re more than happy to non-chalantly swim alongside you, just as they would if you weren’t there.
We explore for over 2 hours, taking in extraordinary coral and lots of sea life large and small; many large spiney and spineless pufferfish, colorful Sergeant Major damselfish, bright angelfish, glittery sardines, and many more. Mereth declares that we’ve all successfully passed Snorkeling 101, and just like that it’s time to load back into the skiff for the ride back to the boat.
A couple of viking handshakes later, we’re standing back on the fantail of the Safari Voyager, heading up to the 200 deck to move our magnets back to “aboard”, and washing the sand off our feet using the outdoor showers, then it’s all the way up to Aft 400 to strip out of our wetsuits, rinse the masks and fins, and back to our cabin to dry off.
Happy Hour and the 6'o'clock News
Every afternoon before the full happy hour, there is cookie time in the lounge. A giant platter full of the cookie-of-the-day, fresh from the galley, made minutes before by Kira the ship’s pastry chef. They are sooooo good and warm and gooey, always with dietary-friendly versions held separately behind the bar, including dairy-free for Margy. Reminder: vacation calories don’t count.
We start happy hour a bit early, with some light mojitos from Brooke the bartender, and sit out on the lanai behind the lounge, as many of our new friends filter up from their own cabins, and we all discuss our day’s adventures. The weather is impeccable; warm, sunny, but the shade of the lanai makes for a perfect place for good conversation. The only question being… do we need another mojito now that real happy hour is here?
Eventually Terra is on the loudspeaker, summoning us into the lounge for our first official 6 o’clock news, and already there’s excitement to hear what the next day will bring for activities. We learn the next stop is Agua Verde, a short 90 minutes north. The passage is so short, in fact, and the weather so good, that for only the second time in Terra’s career as expedition leader she’s planned a special, third, early morning skiff tour ahead of full morning activities. Then, there will be morning and afternoon kayaking, morning hard-charger hike, medium hikes, snorkeling, burro rides, and more skiff tours.
When Terra makes her way to our table, we’re both still feeling like we’re in recovery mode, from the travel and still getting our sea legs, so don’t opt for the early morning skiff ride (since it would also mean no morning stretch or breakfast), but for the first time ever, Margy and Carl choose different regular morning activities; Margy decided on the hard-charger hike up the mountain and around the valley about Agua Verde, and Carl the kayaking. We would then join up again for the afternoon burro rides.
Before we know it, it’s dinner time. Tonight’s selections are short ribs, sea bass, or stuffed mushrooms. We eat, we talk, we laugh. The boat's engines fire up and we make the short trip north to Agua Verde.
… And learn something to boot
As with our Alaskan cruise, every night one of the expedition guides gives a brief presentation in the lounge on a subject they’re personally passionate about. Part nightcap, and part education, these presentations offer insight into something you may have not otherwise known anything about, but also give us a glimpse into our guides as people. Tonight's presentation is by Julie, titled “Adaptations for Survival - The Desert Meets the Sea”, where she talks about the unique challenges the native plant and animal species of Baja California face due to the desert heat, and the upswell of cold water in the Sea of Cortez.
Did you know that the outer skin, or cuticle, of many cacti is largely water-tight? Tiny pores called stomata close tightly during daytime and the heat of the sun, preventing evaporation, but they open during the night to facilitate photosynthesis, when the cactus will lose less water. Now you know.
