Harris Happenings: Nature Cruise to Los Coronados Islands

Last Sunday we boarded a tour boat at 10am and didn't get off of it until 5pm. My friend Shanna was going to take her daughter Evie on this tour and asked us if we wanted to join. I was super excited, because I wanted to do it last year, but we just couldn't manage to get it on the calendar.

Just before we boarded

The boat

Shanna and her daughter Evie and Shanna's friend Jerry (in town from Chicago)

The tour went out to the Los Coronados Islands. It is a group of 4 islands off the northwest coast of Baja California, Mexico. They are largely infertile and uninhabited except for a small military detachment, a few lighthouse keepers, numerous seals and birds. The captain was very knowledgeable and had a lot of history to share with us including stories about pirates, rum running, an old casino/resort that drew the Hollywood crowd and a decline in the brown pelican population that was eventually discovered to be caused by a large inbred domestic cat family. The speculation is that someone dumped some cats on the Island and since apparently pelicans are not very smart, they would just stand by and let the cats eat their eggs.

We had had a huge storm in addition to a Tsunami warning the day before due to the earthquake in Chile, so the waters were rough. There were 12 foot swells! Tre and I had taken motion sickness medicine, just to be safe and THANK GOODNESS we did. Upon arriving at the Islands (about a 2 hr trip), we were all feeling a little bit queasy, but once the captain cut the power and sat still in the water to observe the Harbor seals and Sea lions, most of us were able to get through it. However, unfortunately for Tre, he couldn't quite shake it and was uncomfortable for the many, many remaining hours. He didn't get "sick", but it definitely could have been more enjoyable for him. An interesting note... Many of the passengers were couples and by the time we reached the islands, most of the males were on the lower deck laying down. Not the best thing to do when you are sea sick, but I think one thinks they'll feel better.

Aside from that, the trip was awesome. I had no idea we had turquoise waters so close to San Diego. It was so picturesque. I know my pictures don't do it justice, so you might have to take the trip for yourself one day. The weather was perfect and most of the animals were out for viewing. As I already mentioned, we saw Harbor seals (the ones that move by flopping around on their belly), Sea lions (the ones that walk on their 2 fins), one dolphin (the captain said that because the ocean was so churned up, that they had probably moved out into much deeper waters), numerous different kinds of birds including some magnificent brown pelicans and several whales (one even swam right under the boat on our way back to port).

Leaving the Harbor - the "real" lighthouse on Point Loma

The eastern most Island (I can't remember what the captain called it). The dark spot on the left side of the Island is called Pirate's Cove. This is where the resort/casino once stood.

Moving west, this is the 2nd island

Moving west, this is the 3rd island. The captain called it Bird Rock. As the name implies it houses many birds and it has a white color to it from all the bird poop.