THE VERMILION SEA with John and Ted Kipping and Ronn Patterson
March 5 - March 13, 2011
$2260 per person
The Gulf of California is known as both the Sea of Cortez and the Vermilion Sea. As Cortez was not particularly friendly to the natives, I am using the Vermilion Sea. By whatever name this incredible place is called, it is both one of the earth’s youngest and richest seas. As an indicator, both fin whales and Bryde’s whales are full time residents as are thirty- one other cetaceans – one-third of all the cetacean species in the world. These are extreme feeders with blue whales, humpbacks and other cetaceans feeding there during the winter. And a herd of 10,000 common dolphins count for something special. They and at least a dozen other top predators, including orcas, mantas, Humboldt squid, sperm whales, and whale sharks are also present year round.
The Gulf of California gets its name the "Vermilion Sea" due to the super abundance of vast, dense masses of plankton that form the basis of a feeding bonanza, coloring large patches of the sea red. Diving birds, ravenous fish, legions of invertebrates, marauding seals and sea lions, leaping mantas and acrobatic herds of dolphins create interspecies feeding frenzies that are the trade mark of this area.
But it is not just the water that is superlative, but also the islands and the Baja peninsula itself. With it’s over 80 islands, the Gulf of California is a living laboratory of evolution, the equal of the Galapagos. Nearly every island even slightly "out of reach" of the mainland has one or more endemic reptiles – some still being described. Baja and its islands are equally famous for its endemic cactus – and we will visit a special cactus nature reserve – 120 acres of natural coastal habitat augmented with a variety of "only in Baja" species.
The geology is equally interesting as the Sea sits right on top of a huge fault that is splitting Baja from the continent. Numerous violent volcanic events have formed and shaped much of the area, along with metamorphic and granite rocks. It is as if the earth poured out its guts to put them on display – a lively and colorful display that has been further shaped by time, wind and water.