Below and Above the Deep Blue Sea

Yesterday, our group of amateur but enthusiastic marine biologists motored to Isla de la Jorge on the boat Sirena de la Noche for snorkeling and scuba.  The cruise was a slow but steady three hours from Puerto Penasco on very calm seas.

The several very small rocky outcroppings which make up the island host a multitude of sea birds, who have made the rocks white with guano.  The birds' calls were loud, but overwhelmed by the barking and baying of the many sea lions.  Snorkeling was in murky conditions, but still a startling adventure made so by the sudden zoom-bys of the sea lion pups, who are very curious.  Good thing no appearances were made by any belligerent males.

Today, we were off to transect the high tide/low tide expanse of beach at Estero Mauro, adding to the ongoing census of nests of the least tern and plover.  The nests blend in well with the colors of the beach, but we were successful in finding about a dozen or so with unhatched eggs, all told.  Katie also conducted a fearless necropsy on a dead grebe to see if there were remnants of plastics in its gullet, but none were seen.

Tomorrow we're out the front door of Cedo to the beach investigate the creatures of the rocky intertidal zone.