Los Islotes meaning the islets or small islands is a place near and dear to our hearts. We went here two years ago an just fell in love with the location (despite the awful overcast lighting.) It is not very far from the city of La Paz and will be a life changing experience for you. Los Islotes is a haul out for California sea lions. The way the walls of the islands are formed they reverberate the sound into a loud chorus of barking. It is one of those few magical places where you can get engulfed in the surf, life, and even smells of these animals. We started the morning out with Zodiac tours of the area in the early morning sun. These islands are also guano covered as the area is rich in sardines and other small fish that venture through the area. One of the main reasons life is abundant here. One of the most exciting and main reason for visiting Los Islotes is the ability to go snorkeling with the sea lions. As long as you keep your fingers to yourself you will get to have a pleasurable experience. The sea lions feel with their teeth and unless you want to offer up your fingers as play toys hold them close and enjoy the experience.
After Los Islotes we spent our final full day exploring a near by island either with the local naturalist or on our own. A more laid back way to cap off the week. A week that had us up at or before dawn and busy way past dusk. Taking a vacation from a vacation as I and others like to describe it. With photos organized and now time to play I headed to shore solo and debated what to do. I contemplated kayaking, but one of our naturalists Gretchen Pederson had alluded to some of the wildlife that could be found. I didn’t find the illusive black jack rabbit, but I did have fun with some lizards along the desert floor. Got so close I was wearing a cactus. By wearing I mean I got some pretty nice thorns in my knee. Didn’t feel it going in, but you could feel the length as it came out. Glad their spines/spikes aren’t poisonous. As long as the infection is treated. It’s amazing how you can walk some of this desert locations and come back with cuts or stab marks and not even realize you have been hit by them. Part of the experience, and it all heals anyway.
This is just a fraction of what you can experience at Los Islotes. It may not be a large area, but they sure know how to congregate.
Sleeping California sea lions laying upon one another magically clinging to those rocks. They never sease to ever be photographed without an aww factor.
Guano may be a super nutrient to plant life, but get too much of it and it can kill off plant life as well. A lesson in life about greed there. This is a sole cardon cactus that is alive on this island. All the other guano suppresses them making it difficult to grow.
Location Location Location. How important have we heard this item can be? It’s been found that although males appear to be defending the females and seem most impressive, it is the location they seek to defend. Females aren’t seeking out the most robust male; they are concerned with prime real estate for giving birth to their pups. Who ever happens to patrol and own this territory gets the mates. Usually many more then one.
This is one of those images I am most proud of. Not only to I love the shot, but it has my beautiful photographer in training in it (part of Los Islotes in the background.) Due to the unfortunate demise of her Sony HD DVD Handycam in the first day of our trip she has decided to pick up an older Nikon D70 and give it a whirl. Not only did she try it, but she loves it. She took my favorite Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens and won’t give it up, but that is another story 
. I am just so proud and how much it warms my heart to see her share the passion that I do for digital photography and nature. What happens to really take the cake is the images she has been able to produce. She is able to find compositional elements in scenes and capture those powerful moments in time that help tell the story to our whole adventure. I can’t wait to see what she will come out with next!
The punk worth pricking my knee for. Getting low to the ground and using the shallow depth of field to capture this image I believe was key. This was shot with the Nikon 80-400mm believe it or not. One of the many reasons I love the versitility of the lens. Given the chance you can get some great upclose images. This male was presenting his chest as a sign of dominance to show me who’s boss. You can tell he won as all I walked away with was his picture. The result of an exchange I am happy to live by.
Great sunsetting backlight on the galloping cactus caught my eye. Bringing in that black point really made the image pop (one of these suckers ends pieces on the ground is what I removed from my knee.)
This last and final image to the post is actually a 21 image composite. I shot it horizontally working from the top down. When stitching I had to rotate my picture 90 degrees for it to stitch properly. Now this may look like a crop to you so rather then add the fullsize version in the post I have put the compiled image with a width of 500px below for you to enjoy. Always experimenting to reach new levels of my photography. (This is a cardon cactus by the way.)
The mind rambles on thinking of the myriad of possibilities.
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