Baja California & the Sea of Cortez

BAJA CALIFORNIA & THE SEA OF CORTEZ:

AMONG THE GREAT WHALES

JANUARY 19–27, 2018

Humpback Whale © Michael O’Brien

LEADER: MICHAEL O’BRIEN LIST COMPILED BY: MICHAEL O’BRIEN

VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM BAJA CALIFORNIA & THE SEA OF CORTEZ: AMONG THE GREAT WHALES January 19–27, 2018

By Michael O’Brien

Amazing natural beauty, delightful weather, and spectacular sunrises and sunsets were hallmarks of our 2018 Baja cruise aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird . With fascinating wildlife sightings at every turn, and an accomplished and friendly team of naturalists on board, our group had a fun-filled, relaxing, and educational vacation.

Our adventure began among massive white sand dunes, mangrove thickets, and tranquil waters of Magdalena Bay on the Pacific side of the peninsula. The shallow bays and waterways here are famous for their concentrations of Gray Whales, which gather here in winter to raise their calves, protected from Killer Whales, which stay in deeper offshore waters. We found several mothers with newborn calves and had many wonderful encounters, sometimes just a few feet from our Zodiacs! Although newborn Gray Whales average sixteen feet long and weigh a full ton, they are comical to watch as they learn how to swim, often surfacing awkwardly and tumbling in the process. Aside from Gray Whales, Magdalena Bay offered an amazing abundance and diversity of birdlife. A walk along the dune-mangrove interface yielded an interesting array of land birds, including “Mangrove” Yellow Warbler, Lark Bunting, and both “Belding’s” and “Large-billed” Savannah Sparrows (two subspecies that occur primarily in southern California and Baja). The shores of Magdalena Island were packed with sandpipers and plovers, offering a wonderful class on shorebird ID. Some highlights included American Oystercatcher, Snowy and Wilson’s plovers, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, and every “peep” in the book! Ever-present pelicans and frigatebirds, and a nice variety of herons, loons, grebes, and cormorants rounded out a very birdy first segment to our cruise.

Gray Whale © Michael O’Brien

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 Upon entering the Pacific at La Entrada, we immediately encountered a different mix of birds. The gull population switched from mainly Westerns in Magdalena Bay to mainly Californias offshore. A Parasitic Jaeger chasing a Royal Tern right off the bow was our first clue that habitats were changing. Soon we ran into numerous Black-vented Shearwaters, a species that breeds only in Baja. As we headed south, we also saw several Red Phalaropes and a cooperative pair of Craveri’s Murrelets, another Baja endemic breeder. The following morning, we watched a spectacular green flash sunrise at Land’s End, and spent the afternoon continuing to explore the Pacific at Gorda Banks. The main attraction here was Humpback Whales, and we had fabulous encounters with them as they breeched, lunged, and pectoral slapped right in front of the boat! When our attention wasn’t focused on whales, we found a few more seabirds including Red-billed Tropicbird.

Craveri’s Murrelet © Michael O’Brien

Our birdiest outing on land was a morning walk at Estero San Jose, a small estuary running through San Jose Del Cabo. This is one of the premier birding localities in southern Baja, and is famous for attracting a wide diversity of migrants, including more than its share of rarities. The star attraction of our visit was the endemic Belding’s Yellowthroat, which we saw well as it peered out of the reeds alongside the more numerous Common Yellowthroats. The estuary also held numerous waterbirds including Blue-winged and Cinnamon teal, several species of herons and egrets, and several species of shorebirds. But much of our time was spent sifting through flocks of wintering songbirds, including Palm Warbler and Orchard Oriole (both local rarities) among more expected Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, and Wilson’s warblers, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Hooded Oriole. We were also particularly pleased to find Gilded Flicker, a range-restricted species occurring only in northwest Mexico and southwest U.S.

The last segment of our cruise was an exploration of the Sea of Cortez and its numerous offshore islands. When we awoke in flat calm waters off Isla Espiritu Santo, we had our

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 first encounters with Yellow-footed Gull, another endemic Baja breeder, practically confined to the Sea of Cortez. In addition to a new mix of gulls, we found ourselves surrounded by Eared Grebes, packed tightly into large rafts of 50+ birds. Our walks on this island gave us a nice snapshot of the flora and fauna of the Baja desert. Among giant cardon cacti (the largest cactus in the world), we found Gila and Ladder-backed woodpeckers, Gray and Ash-throated flycatchers, California Gnatcatcher (a near-endemic to Baja), Green-tailed Towhee, and Black-throated Sparrow. A beach barbecue under star-filled skies couldn’t have been a more pleasant way to end our day on this beautiful island. We found a similar mix of birds the next morning at Isla San Francisco, plus unusually high numbers of Craveri’s Murrelets offshore. Our last afternoon was spent at Los Islotes, a pair of tiny islands that attract good numbers of seabirds and many California Sea Lions. Snorkeling here brought us up-close to the playful sea lions and a whole world of tropical fish. Cruising in Zodiacs proved a great way to see seabirds, including Red-billed Tropicbird, Blue-footed and Brown boobies, and many frigatebirds, pelicans, Yellow-footed Gulls, and a pair of Wandering Tattlers. As a grand finale, we finished our cruise at sunset among dozens of Chilean Eagle Rays repeatedly leaping out of the water—just spectacular!

Baja sunrise © Michael O’Brien

ITINERARY: Jan 19: Arrivals in Cabo San Lucas and transfer to La Paz; night at CostaBaja Resort & Spa.

Jan 20: CostaBaja Resort & Spa; lunch at Il Rustico in La Paz; transfer to San Carlos and board the Sea Bird .

Jan 21: Morning in Magdalena Bay including a walk at Sand Dollar Beach; transit north through Hull Canal to Estero los Titeres.

Jan 22: All day anchored in Hull Canal at Estero los Titeres; Zodiac cruises to view Gray Whales; hikes on Magdalena Island.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 Jan 23: Morning Zodiac cruises to view Gray Whales at Estero los Titeres; transit south through Hull Canal to Magdalena Bay; exit La Entrada about 3:30 pm and continue southeast into the Pacific Ocean off Santa Margarita Island.

Jan 24: Sunrise (w/green flash!) off tip of Baja at Land’s End; morning docked at La Playa; bus ride to shopping at San Jose del Cabo and birding at Estero San Jose; afternoon cruising around the Gorda Banks sea mount to view Humpback Whales.

Jan 25: All day at Isla Ispiritu Santo: morning walks, kayaking, and snorkeling at Punta Dispensa; afternoon hikes and evening beach barbecue at Bahia Bonanza.

Jan 26: Another green flash sunrise! Morning walks, kayaking, and paddle boarding at Isla San Francisco; afternoon snorkeling, kayaking, and Zodiac cruises at Los Islotes.

Jan 27: Early morning docked at La Paz; 8 am disembark and transfer to airport at Cabo San Lucas for departing flights.

Isla Ispiritu Santo © Michael O’Brien

KEY TO SPECIES LISTS: Estero=Estero San José MB=Magdalena Bay Regional specialties are underlined Regional rarities are in ALL CAPS

BIRDS WATERFOWL (Anatidae) Brant (Branta bernicla ) – Several small groups in Hull Canal; these were of Pacific coast “Black” Brant ( B. b. nigricans ). Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors ) – Numerous at Estero. Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera ) – Numerous at Estero. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator ) – Several at Hull Canal.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 GREBES (Podicipedidae) Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis ) – Seen at several locations including large rafts near La Entrada and off Espiritu Santo. Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis ) – A few in Hull Canal.

PIGEONS & DOVES (Columbidae) Rock Pigeon (Columba livia ) – Numerous in La Paz and Constitucion. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto ) – Numerous around La Paz. White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica ) – Numerous around San Jose del Cabo and La Paz. Common Ground-Dove (Columbina passerina ) – Several at Estero and La Paz. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura ) – Four at Estero.

HUMMINGBIRDS (Trochilidae) Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae ) – A few seen any time we were in desert habitat, including at La Paz, Estero, Punta Dispensa, and Isla San Francisco.

RAILS, GALLINULES, & COOTS (Rallidae) American Coot (Fulica americana ) – Several at Estero.

OYSTERCATCHERS (Haematopodidae) American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus ) – Seen at several locations, including La Paz, Sand Dollar Beach, Isla Espiritu Santo, and Isla San Francisco.

PLOVERS & LAPWINGS (Charadriidae) Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola ) – Several flocks between Sand Dollar Beach and Hull Canal. Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus ) – One at Magdalena Island. Wilson’s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia ) – 12 at Magdalena Island.

Wilson’s Plover © Michael O’Brien

Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus ) – Several at San Carlos and Estero. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus ) – Two at Estero.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 SANDPIPERS & ALLIES (Scolopacidae) Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus ) – A few at La Paz and Sand Dollar Beach; numerous along Hull Canal. Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus ) – Several around MB and Hull Canal.

Long-billed Curlew © Michael O’Brien

Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa ) – A few in La Paz and numerous around MB. Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres ) – One at Sand Dollar Beach. Red Knot (Calidris canutus ) – One at Sand Dollar Beach. Sanderling (Calidris alba ) – Large flocks at Sand Dollar Beach. Dunlin (Calidris alpina ) – Small numbers at Sand Dollar Beach and Hull Canal. Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla ) – Small numbers at Sand Dollar Beach (including one perched in mangroves); numerous at Estero. Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri ) – Large flock at Sand Dollar Beach. Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus ) – Numerous at Sand Dollar Beach. Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius ) – Small numbers at several locations. Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana ) – Two at Los Islotes. Willet (Tringa semipalmata ) – Numerous around MB and Hull Canal; all of these were of the interior subspecies, “Western Willet” ( T. s. inornata ). Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca ) – A few around MB, and 15 at Estero. Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius ) – Three off La Entrada and one at Gorda Banks.

SKUAS & JAEGERS (Stercorariidae) Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus ) – One chasing a Royal Tern at La Entrada.

AUKS, MURRES, & PUFFINS (Alcidae) Craveri's Murrelet (Synthliboramphus craveri ) – Pair off La Entrada, and 26 off Isla San Francisco. This species is an endemic breeder on islands in the Sea of Cortez and off the Baja coast, some dispersing northward to U.S. waters in fall.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018

GULLS, TERNS, & SKIMMERS (Laridae) Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia ) – Seen at La Playa, Estero, and Gorda Banks. Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla ) – Singles at MB and La Paz. Heerman's Gull (Larus heermanni ) – Numerous around La Paz and San Carlos; a few elsewhere. This species breeds mainly in the Sea of Cortez. Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis ) – Numerous in La Paz; a few at MB. Western Gull (Larus occidentalis ) – Abundant from MB to Hull Canal; very few in the Pacific, none in the Sea of Cortez. Yellow-footed Gull (Larus livens ) – Common in Sea of Cortez from about La Paz northward; This species is virtually confined to the Sea of Cortez though a few wander out into the Pacific and others disperse northward in late summer to the Salton Sea in California.

Yellow-footed Gull © Michael O’Brien

California Gull (Larus californicus ) – Relatively uncommon in Sea of Cortez but abundant from Gorda Banks northward along the Pacific Coast. Herring Gull (Larus argentatus ) – A few around MB. Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia ) – A few around MB. Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus ) – Numerous around MB; a few elsewhere.

TROPICBIRDS (Phaethontidae) Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus ) – Three at Gorda Banks, one at Los Islotes.

LOONS (Gaviidae) Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica ) – A few at MB. Common Loon (Gavia immer ) – A few at MB.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 8 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 SHEARWATERS & PETRELS (Procellariidae) Black-vented Shearwater (Puffinus opisthomelas ) – Numerous off La Entrada; a few at Gorda Banks. This species is an endemic breeder off the coast of Baja, though non-breeders disperse widely.

FRIGATEBIRDS (Fregatidae) Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens ) – Common everywhere, and seen daily.

BOOBIES & GANNETS (Sulidae) Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii ) – Numerous at Los Islotes where they nest. Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster ) – Four at Los Islotes.

CORMORANTS (Phalacrocoracidae) Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus ) – Abundant in MB, particularly near La Entrada; small numbers in Sea of Cortez. Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus ) – Two at Hull Canal. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus ) – Abundant in Hull Canal; small numbers elsewhere.

PELICANS (Pelecanidae) Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis ) – Numerous throughout and seen daily. The bright red throat (gulur pouch) on adult birds is typical of the widespread Pacific subspecies, P. o. californicus .

Magnificent Frigatebird chasing Brown Pelican © Michael O’Brien

HERONS, EGRETS, & BITTERNS (Ardeidae) Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias ) – At least one seen every day; numerous along Hull Canal.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 9 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 Great Egret (Ardea alba ) – Seen at Hull Canal and Estero. Snowy Egret (Egretta thula ) – Small numbers seen in La Paz, Hull Canal, and Estero. Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea ) – A few along Hull Canal. Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor ) – A few around La Paz and Hull Canal. Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens ) – A few around La Paz and Hull Canal.

Reddish Egret © Michael O’Brien

Green Heron (Butorides virescens ) – Singles at Hull Canal and Estero. Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax ) – One at San Carlos. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea ) – A few at Hull Canal and Estero.

IBISES & SPOONBILLS (Threskiornithidae) White Ibis (Eudocimus albus ) – Numerous at Hull Canal; a few at La Paz. White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi ) – One at Estero.

NEW WORLD VULTURES (Cathartidae) Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura ) – Numerous and seen daily; seemingly at home equally over the mainland and offshore islands.

OSPREY (Pandionidae) Osprey (Pandion haliaetus ) – Common at MB, particularly around San Carlos where we saw many sitting on nests; a few elsewhere.

HAWKS, EAGLES, & KITES (Accipitridae) GOLDEN EAGLE (Aquila chrysaetos ) – It was surprising to see a juvenile of this large raptor species soaring above Los Islotes, being mobbed by Yellow-footed Gulls and a pair of Red-tailed Hawks. Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius ) – One at Hull Canal. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus ) – One at Estero. Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii ) – Seen at La Paz, Constitucion, and Estero.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 10 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus ) – A few seen along the highway during our transfers. between Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, and San Carlos. Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus ) – Two in La Paz. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis ) – Small numbers seen at many locations.

KINGFISHERS (Alcedinidae) Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon ) – Singles at la Paz, Hull Canal, and Estero.

WOODPECKERS (Picidae) Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis ) – Numerous at La Paz and Estero. Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris ) – Seen at Estero and Punta Dispensa. Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides ) – Two at Estero.

FALCONS & CARACARAS (Falconidae) Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway ) – Numerous along the highway during our transfers, particularly between Constitucion and San Carlos. American Kestrel (Falco sparverius ) – Nice views of two at Estero; otherwise, numerous throughout the desert during our highway transfers. Merlin (Falco columbarius ) – One at Hull Canal. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus ) – Seen at Hull Canal, Land’s End, and Isla San Francisco.

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS (Tyrannidae) Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii ) – One at Punta Dispensa. Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans ) – Heard at Estero. Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus ) – One at Estero. Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens ) – Two at Playa Bonanza.

SHRIKES (Laniidae) Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus ) – Seen at MB, Playa Bonanza, and Isla San Francisco.

Loggerhead Shrike © Michael O’Brien

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 11 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 CROWS & JAYS (Corvidae) California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica ) – A few seen on our bus transfer between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas. These birds are of the relatively small s. Baja subspecies, A. c. hypoleuca , the “Xantus’s Scrub-Jay”. Common Raven (Corvus corax ) – A few seen almost every day.

LARKS (Alaudidae) Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris ) – One at Sand Dollar Beach.

SWALLOWS (Hirundinidae) Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina ) – A few in La Paz.

PENDULINE-TITS (Remizidae) Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps ) – A few seen at several locations.

WRENS (Troglodytidae) Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus ) – Heard at Punta Dispensa. Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus ) – Three at Estero.

GNATCATCHERS (Polioptilidae) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea ) – Seen at Estero and Isla San Francisco. California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica ) – Several on Isla Espiritu Santo. A near- endemic to the Baja peninsula, this species also occurs locally in southern California.

MOCKINGBIRDS & THRASHERS (Mimidae) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos ) – Small numbers seen most days.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 12 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 STARLINGS (Sturnidae) European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris ) – Seen at La Paz, San Carlos, and Estero.

SILKY-FLYCATCHERS (Ptiliogonatidae) Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens ) – Singles in La Paz and Estero.

OLD WORLD SPARROWS (Passeridae) House Sparrow (Passer domesticus ) – Numerous in La Paz and Cabo San Lucas.

SISKINS, CROSSBILLS, & ALLIES (Fringillidae) House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus ) – Small numbers at La Paz and Estero. Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria ) – One in La Paz.

NEW WORLD SPARROWS (Passerellidae) Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus ) – Singles at Estero and Punta Dispensa. Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri ) – Two at Sand Dollar Beach, one at Playa Bonanza. Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata ) – Several at Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla San Francisco.

Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys ) – Four at Sand Dollar Beach. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis ) – Several at Sand Dollar Beach and Isla San Francisco. One bird at Sand Dollar Beach was of the very dark “Belding’s” subspecies (P. s. guttatus group), a resident of s. California and Baja; all others appeared to be of the “Large-billed” subspecies ( P. s. rostratus ), primarily a Baja resident that just barely makes it to s. California.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 13 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys ) – Several at Sand Dollar Beach, including two subspecies: Z. l. oriantha (dark-lored birds breeding in the Rocky Mountains) and Z. l. gambelii (pale-lored birds breeding in the western taiga).

TROUPIALS & ALLIES (Icteridae) Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta ) – Two at Sand Dollar Beach. ORCHARD ORIOLE (Icterus spurius ) – One female at Estero was an unusual find. Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus ) – Several at La Paz and Estero.

NEW WORLD WARBLERS (Parulidae) Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis ) – One heard at Sand Dollar Beach. Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata ) – Numerous at Estero, and a few at several other locations; all of these were of the relatively bright Pacific breeding population ( D. c. lutescens ). Belding's Yellowthroat (Geothlypis beldingi ) – We saw several of this Baja endemic at Estero. Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas ) – Several at Estero. Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia ) – One at Sand Dollar Beach was of the local resident “Mangrove” group ( S. p. erithachorides group), and another at Estero was of the migrant “Northern” group ( S. p. petechia group). PALM WARBLER (Setophaga palmarum ) – One of the western subspecies ( S. p. palmarum) at Estero. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata ) – A few at La Paz and numerous at Estero; most of these were of the Rocky Mountain subspecies, “Audubon’s” Warbler (D. c. auduboni ); two in La Paz were of the northern subspecies, “Myrtle” Warbler ( D. c. coronata ). Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla ) – Several at Estero.

CARDINALS & ALLIES (Cardinalidae) Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana ) – Three at Estero. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis ) – One at Estero. Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus ) – One at Estero.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 14 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018

MAMMALS Espiritu Santo Antelope-Squirrel (Ammospermophilus insularis ) – Several of these endemic squirrels were seen on Isla Espiritu Santo. Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus ) – One at at Sand Dollar Beach. Black Jackrabbit (Lepus insularis ) – Another endemic seen at Isla Espiritu Santo. Coyote (Canis latrans ) – Several along Hull Canal. California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus ) – Seen at several locations, but particularly numerous around Los Islotes, where snorkelers had some very close encounters with playful yearlings. Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae ) – Numerous around Land’s End and Gorda Banks, where we had some fantastic views of several animals breeching, lunging, and pectoral slapping.

Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus ) – A real centerpiece of this cruise was having close encounters with several females with newborn calves in the Magdalena Bay area. These animals were unconcerned as we cruised in our zodiacs, and some approached to within a few feet of us! Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus ) – We saw a few of these animals almost every day, though never in large numbers. Some of them rode our bow as we were cruising out of Magdalena Bay. All of the animals we saw were of the smaller, paler inshore form.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 15 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018 REPTILES Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta ) – Good views of one off La Entrada; other sea turtles seen more briefly were not identified to species. Baja California Slider (Trachemys nebulosa ) – several at Estero. Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides ) – Seen on Espiritu Santo Island. Hunsaker’s Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus hunsakeri ) – One at Bahia Bonanza. Common Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana ) – Seen on Magdalena Island.

BUTTERFLIES Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor ) Howarth’s White (Ganyra howarthi ) Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae ) Orange-barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea ) Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe ) Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa ) Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe ) Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole ) Leda Ministreak (Ministrymon leda )

Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis ) Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus ) Queen (Danaus gilippus ) Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae ) Mexican Fritillary (Euptoieta hegesia ) Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui ) Mangrove Buckeye (Junonia genoveva ) White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae )

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 16 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018

FISH King Angelfish (Holacanthus passer ) Razor (Yellow-tailed) Surgeonfish (Prionurus laticlavius ) Whitecheek Tang (Gold-rimmed Surgeonfish) (Acanthurus nigricans ) Yellowfin (Cuvier’s) Surgeonfish (Acanthurus xanthopterus ) Amarillo (Yellow) Snapper (Lutjanus argentivrntris ) Giant Damselfish (Microspathodon dorsalis ) Cortez Damselfish (Stegastes rectifraenum ) Panamic Sergeant Major (Abudefduf troschelii ) Scissortail Chromis (Chromis atrilobata ) Leather Bass (Dermatolepis dermatolepis ) Pacific Creolefish (Paranthias colonus ) Blue-chin Parrotfish (Scarus ghobban ) Bicolor Parrotfish (Scarus rubroviolaceus ) Cortez Rainbow Wrasse (Thalassoma lucasanum ) Mexican Hogfish (Bodianus diplotaenia ) Panamic Fanged Blenny (Ophioblennius steindachneri ) Pacific Spotted (Stone) Scorpionfish (Scorpaena mystes ) Giant Hawkfish (Cirrhitius rivulatus ) Balloonfish (Diodon holocanthus ) Orangeside (Yellow-bellied) Triggerfish (Sufflamen verves ) Finescale Triggerfish (Balistes polylepis ) Blue-spotted (Reef) Cornetfish (Fistularia commersonii ) Panamic Green Moray (Gymnothorax castaneus ) Jewel Moray (Muraena lentiginosa ) Starry Moray (Echidna nebulosa ) Chilean (Sicklefin) Devil Ray (Mobula tarapacana ) – We had an amazing experience watching these rays repeatedly leap out of the water during our sunset zodiac cruise at Los Islotes. Smaller relatives of the more familiar Manta rays, these are among the deepest-diving of all ocean animals, sometimes diving up to 6000 feet!

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 17 Baja California & Sea of Cortez, 2018