Isla Cerralvo (Friday):
The final stretch
We wake with the boat anchored off Isla Cerralvo, a small island in the Sea of Cortez due east from La Paz. The sea is noticeably choppier than any other day this week. The Safari Voyager, while small, is large enough that the rougher seas don’t really cause it to sway… much… but the whitecaps in the water are numerous.
Up on Aft 400, Mereth leads the last of our morning stretches. It’s a bittersweet session, still taking in the sunrise, and the amazing coastline of the Isla, but knowing this will be the last day on the boat has everyone quiet and reserved. With the last stretch, Mereth thanks everyone for the week, and mentions that morning stretches are usually not this well attended. They don’t know what they’re missing.
Down at breakfast, there’s biscuits and gravy, and sticky buns.
Straight up the arroyo
Come time for morning activities, we meet the Hard Charger group on Aft 300, hiking poles in hand, and head down to the fantail to board the skiff to the beach. Instead of heading straight into shore, as has been usual, Tony takes a long arc in hopes of making the ride a bit smoother through the swells. Once ashore, we find a beach chair to switch out of our water shoes and into our hiking boots, assemble our poles, and check our water bottles. While the sea may be blustery, the weather on the island is calm and already warm.
Josh leads us up the middle of the largest arroyo. The path starts off wide and gradual, but eventually narrows, becoming steeper and steeper, with the sides of the canyon looming high above us. Midway up, Josh finds an amazing bush, growing on the side of the arroyo wall, it’s roots clearly visible as they snake in and around the rocky cliff. He climbs straight up the cliff face to perch near the base of the plant, and points to other plants nearby that are obviously living in something of a parasitic and symbiotic relationship with the master plant. The larger bush has the established root system, which brings up nutrients that the other plants live off of, but the other plants also add certain nutrients that the larger bush can’t find itself. He spends 10 minutes, up in the arroyo wall, excitedly pointing out other plants and animals all counting on each other for survival, before finally climbing back down and leading us on to continue up the main floor of the gorge.
We reach a dryfall, a 10’ sheer climb upwards. Josh expertly helps even us old folks up the wall, and we continue up into the arroyo. Before long, we hear several goats bleating in the brush and cacti a few yards ahead of us. Josh guides us quietly up and around to try to get a good look, but each time we stop, the sound shifts in a different direction, until finally it sounds like the goats are right back where we had been earlier. We never do see our four-legged friends, but we’ve spotted a red-tailed hawk, some turkey vultures, a few humming birds, and more. It’s time to head back down out of the arroyo. Josh helps us back over the dryfall, which seems even higher when you’re trying to climb down. Eventually, the arroyo begins to even out, and open up, and before we know it we’re back out onto the beach from whence we started.
We stay at the beach for the rest of the morning, exploring the area, before returning to the ship for lunch, and to stop by the cashier.
An inventory of animals
After lunch we stop by the ever-present white board that has kept track of wildlife sightings during the cruise. It’s full. We look back fondly on all the outings and adventures over the past week, and try to think of any wildlife we may have neglected to add to the board.
Change of plan
While we’re contemplating the whiteboard, we are intercepted by Terra, who informs us that the afternoon skiff tour has been cancelled. She says she and the Captain just got back from a quick run out around the island, and they came back absolutely soaked. “Trust me, it wouldn’t be an enjoyable ride”. We’re disappointed, since this was the only time we’d chosen a skiff tour activity during the entire trip, but it’s understandable. She says she’ll happily move us to one of the other activities for the afternoon. Margaret signs up for the guided snorkeling, just to get in a little more quality time with her mask, and I decide to hang out at the beach.
The one that got away
Margaret heads out with the snorkeling group around 1:00, and I stay on the boat for another hour or so, before finally hopping on a skiff to the shore. No sooner did I land than I looked back and saw a smaller juvenile whale splashing in the water not 50’ from the Safari Voyager. I’d come to shore too early, and missed the prime view from the ship. But I still walked down the beach and watched the whale swim slowly past in the channel.
There was even more to explore past the end of the beach, but the ground was largely sharp rock, barnacles, and even some coral, and I thought it best I didn’t go trekking lest I shred up the dive booties Daniel so thoughtfully lent me. So I turn back at sands edge, and head toward the tidepools at the other end of the beach where Margy and the others are still snorkeling, with a stop off at Brooke’s cooler to pick up a nice cool drink.
The last supper
Tonight is the Captain’s Dinner, and it’s Prime Rib done right. Delicious! It’s also a chance for Captain Shep to sit with each table to get in some personal 1:1 time (or, technically, 1:6) with the guests. He’s super personable, as he answers questions about everything from his name (short for his last name, Shephard), to his annual itinerary (he spends several months of the year captaining the Alaskan cruises, several months in Baja, and then off for almost 5 months), favorite boat in the Uncruise fleet (the Safari Voyager, because of the actuated fantail, and because the Mexican skiff drivers are second-to-none). He’s also interested in the stories of others, except… our table visit was cut short as the fire alarm bell goes off in the galley. Seems someone got a little too excited about cooking for the Captain, and smoked up the place. Captain Shep is on it like a hawk, making sure there’s no danger, and clearing the alarm. I’m sure there will be paperwork, but no real damage, and not even any smoke in the dining room.
We decide to take it as a call to move the party up to the lounge.
So long and thanks for all the whales
In the lounge, guests are exchanging email addresses and other contact info, toasting with the drink of choice, and talking about departure plans.
Before long, Terra begins a slideshow of pictures the crew has taken during the week. It’s a 20-minute presentation, full of laughs and oohs and aahs. It’s hard to comprehend all of the adventures we’ve all shared over the last 6 days. From the first day of fitting our gear, to the last day of snorkeling and hiking, it’s been an absolute wonder. Cheers and applause throughout the lounge.
And then, to top it all off, the Porthole crew ask if they can show off the first rough cut of their video. Are you kidding?! Absolutely! Guests point as they recognize each other on the giant screen. Bill’s distinctive voice fills the lounge. We smile as we acknowledge when and how each scene was shot. We’re all blown away, particularly by the drone footage; a vantage point that most guests on Uncruise will never get, since drones are typically forbidden on the boat. But there’s no denying that the views, especially of the whales, are amazing.
The video concludes, there’s a brief pause as everyone catches their breath, and then lots of cheering. We officially have the coolest vacation video ever.
Afterwards, Terra visits each table to pass out luggage tags, color-coded for where the bags need to go, with one last confirmation of departure times and a rundown of where the shuttles will take us and when. We’ll all disembark around 8:00am, leaving the Safari Voyager for the last time (at least for this cruise). About half the guests are going straight to the airport for late morning flights, while some are staying in La Paz or Cobo an extra day. Margy and I, and our fellow PNW’ers Sharon and Paul, will be leaving on a late afternoon flight, so we’ll be shuttled to the Solaris Lighthouse for a few hours, before they take us back to the airport.
We stay in the lounge a good while longer, sharing hugs goodbye, and toasting to a vacation well done!
