Bahia Magdalena

After a brief layover in Bahia Santa Maria we sailed a little further down the coast and into a large bay named Bahia Magdalena, or Mag Bay for short. This area is a Gray Whale Sanctuary from January to March each year while the mother whales give birth to their calves. Gray whales are migratory mammals, traveling thousands of miles across the ocean, and protected due to their limited population. Once abundant worldwide, these magnificent creatures were hunted to extinction in the Atlantic ocean and severely threatened elsewhere. Scientists believe that some Gray whales may now be migrating to their ancestral grounds once again since the pressure from whaling has been reduced (except for waters near Japan where whales are still heavily hunted.)

Thar she blows!

Whale Tail

Mag Bay

That night we anchored in Man Of War Cove next to a tiny fishing village. The local Port Captain, Senior Gregorio pulled double duty as the local fuel supplier, bringing large jugs of fuel out to our boat so we would not have to tie up to the dilapidated dock used by the large fishing vessels.

It was here we saw our first Frigate bird of the voyage. With a wingspan over 7 feet long these tropical birds are able to fly for days and can be found far offshore in their hunt for fish and squid.

February 05, 2016 saw us sailing out of Mag Bay with a nice 15 knots wind on our tail and sunny, blue sky. Shortly after sunset the wind picked up and we played dodge 'em with the fishing boats trolling offshore on our way to Cabo San Lucas. The sea was rolling and uncomfortable, but nothing like the Gale we encountered, so we pressed on through the night, taking turns on watch. Morning brought calmer wind and sea as we approached Cabo San Lucas.