2 updates January 29, 2026

This collage shows some of the photographs I captured last week in Loreto Mexico, of both the Blue Whales' and Humpbacks Whales' flukes. The left and right fluke make up a whale's tail, which are used for propulsion and steering. I learned when I whale watched in Victoria last October that each whale's flukes have unique marks that are used for identification.  When the whale lifts its tail in the air just before it is ready to do a deep dive, it is called fluking.  While seeing the whales was exciting, seeing them do their deep dive was the most exciting! These photos were my inspiration for a seaglass project using the seaglass collection from the Sea of Cortez. I have an update on my progress so I hope you will stay tuned to see the completed project! 

With pretty much all the snow melted in the city, there is nothing but brown and grey shades to please the eyes.  The beauty I find in those shades does not come by way of landscape scenery, rather by way of the birds and ducks at Carburn Park.  They were plentiful this morning, they were active and boisterous too.  I searched for the Great Horned Owls and also the Glaucous Gull but they were no where to be seen.  What I did see was this Male Hooded Merganser. 

This Female Ring-necked Duck was sitting like this when I arrived. 

Two hours lates when on the way to my vehicle she was still sitting there like that.  

This Trumpeter Swan veered off from the dozen or so others and went flying solo! Another birder I was standing with told me when the group takes off in flight, this one always heads in another direction by itself. 

Some one left seeds for the birds. 

This Black-capped Chickadee threw away a bad seed!

One of these things is not like the other!

I have an update on the Carburn Bald Eagles!  Twice I spent about twenty minutes watching them during this visit to the Park. Only once did the one in the nest fly away for a couple of minutes then come back to sit there again.  It rearranged a few branches while it sat there. In conversations with other birders, the Bald Eagles appear to have chosen this nest, out of the two they were building, to be their home.  Another birder said they should be mating by now. 

It pleases me that you stayed tuned and now get to see my completed seaglass project! It's a whale preparing to do a deep dive into the sea. I used pretty much all the seaglass I collected from the Sea of Cortez.  I needed to include numerous pieces from the collection I already had from other beach locations.  The water was created using white pieces which I painted with various shades of blue.  If you look closely, you will see one piece of green seaglass shaped like a heart.  Do you see it? This now sits on a fern table in my living area. 

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to "carry on north" looks like this! January 28, 2026

Thank You everyone for all the lovely comments you left on my Loreto Mexico posts! Now that I am back home and settling into reality, I will once again continue to add my responses to your comments in my new posts going forward. I enjoy replying as it gives me the feel as if we are having a conversation and bringing our worlds closer together.    

This was my view on Monday morning as I walked the Malecon along side the Sea of Cortez with trees wrapped in lights to welcome you this way. In my last post, near the end, I said it was time to carry on north.  Well, I'm back up north!

Fifty hours after the above photo was taken, this was my view!  This was my view this morning as I skated the Ice Trail along side the Bow River with trees wrapped in lights to welcome you this way.  

35 second video

While I loved being in Loreto last week, I unfortunately missed a cold snap that offered up great ice conditions. With a long stretch of warm weather now upon us, I thought I better get skating while the skating is good.  As I drove into the park, I glanced over at The Lagoon and The Canal. The Canal is closed, I could probably kayak along it, and The Lagoon does not look inviting at all.  I hoped The Ice Trail would be good, and it was!  The lady just finished flooding it as I laced up my skates.  

I like seeing the boulders and rocks covered in a layer of snow as I skate by.

While the ice was smooth, it was not as thick and leaves were showing through. I am not so sure the ice conditions will hold up this week so I was very thankful to get eleven kilometres completed on my blades.  

from ice to glass

During that walk on the beach two mornings ago, I gathered up a few more pieces of seaglass  This photo shows my complete collection from the Sea of Cortex.  I know what I want to make with it!  This will not be enough to make the project so I will have to dip into the seaglass I already have from other locations.  STAY TUNED!

Loreto Mexico on the Baja Peninsula January 26, 2026

 

The short cut I took this morning down to the Sea of Cortez to see the sunrise ended up being a long cut!  The distractions were plentiful!  My inner voice was saying "don't stop" but I wasn't listening, here a stop there a stop everywhere a stop stop!  All the while I did watch my watch to see I had some time on my side.

The sign said stop so I had to stop!

I reached the archway to where the beauty began!

This was my view after walking under the archway then crossing the street to the walkway along the Sea of Cortez. Now it was all about stopping, taking in the sights and breathing in the sea breezes.  The breeze was gentle enough, the temperature was perfect, this packaged together with the breathtakingly sunrise scene created a wonderful gift! 

the view in front of me of Isla del Carmen

the view behind me of Isla del Coronado

the day dawns on this little piece of paradise called Loreto

view over my shoulder from the sandbar 

I joined lots of people on the sandbar, all of us accepting this gift and just being present.  No one spoke!  I could only here the gentle ripples, each breathe I took and oh all the shore birds doing their morning thing.   I enjoyed seeing their reflections!  This is a Snowy Egret. 

Great Blue Heron

Sanderling

Yellow-footed Gull

Royal Tern

Least Sandpiper

Little Blue Heron

Tricolored Heron

Belted Kingfisher

Tropical Kingbird

Now back at the walkway, it was time to carry on north!

today's collection of seaglass from the Sea of Cortez

Loreto Mexico on the Baja Peninsula January 25, 2026

 

I just had to go again, whale watching that is! It was forecasted to be perfect today so there was no doubt the pangas could head out.  Here comes my panga with Carlos the Captain.  There were five of us this time plus Carlos. Instead of walking to the marina this morning, the tour company picked me up, Jesus was the driver.  He picked up the four others after me.

In no time at all, we were on the panga, life jackets on and ready for the adventure. 

We’re off! 

That little white tower in the background to the right of the motor is the Loreto Airport.

We headed south just like we did on Wednesday.  

As I was admiring Nopolo Rock, a whale appeared!  It was a Humpback Whale! 

As it turned out, there were four Humpbacks.  They were frolicking about in the vicinity, not staying under water for very long and were not as far away. Carlos moved the panga every now and then so we had various views of the whales around us.  I was not able to get the four Humpbacks together in the sane photo.

Carlos got word a Blue Whale was sighted near the northern end of Isla del Carmen. As the panga was turning to head north, we spotted a sea lion. We admired it for only a few seconds.  As we began to speed away…..

…..the Humpback Whales popped up again so we stayed and watched!

eventually we sped away!

This was our view as we approached Isla del Carmen. A few pangas were already there.  Supposedly the Blue Whale was hanging out here.  Then…..

…..this popped up!  It was the Blue Whale!  It looked more blue than the ones I saw on Wednesday. The lighting makes a big difference.  

It looks like the panga is sitting on top of the Blue Whale but it is no where near the whale.

Another Blue Whale was sighted even more north and a bit west so once again, off we went. 

No sooner did we get to the general area, a Blue Whale surfaced. 

After watching it come up twice, we watched it go down one last time.

Four hours of whale watching flys by so quickly. It was time to motor back to the marina.  It was a twenty minute trip at a great clip.  All the while, this Brown Pelican stayed with us.

coming in for a landing as we slowed down to enter the dock 

When I got back to my home away from home, I had a local beer to celebrate. 

 Later I went out for dinner and celebrated again yet this time with a glass of wine.

I brought my painting supplies with me on this trip.  

I painted this from one of my photos.  

It’s a Blue Whale in front of Isla del Coronado.