Rugged mountains of Baja California's Sierra de la Giganta tower over Sea of Cortez near Loreto, Mexico.

Bridge of Lindblad ship, Sea Lion, frames Sierra de la Giganta mountains and Sea of Cortez; Baja, Mexico.

Twilight descends over Sea of Cortez, and Baja California's Sierra de la Giganta mountains; Loreto, Mexico.

Palm trees and boulder-girded seashore sit below Baja's Sierra de la Giganta mountains; Loreto, Mexico.

Colorful building facade and wooden door in Baja California town of Loreto, Mexico.

Colorful ponchos for sale outside a shop in streets of Loreto, Baja, Mexico.

Indigenous woman carries daughter on back in traditional sling; Loreto, Baja, Mexico.

Man sits on stool at outdoor food bar; Santa Rosalia, Baja, Mexico.

Young man in cowboy hat and sunglasses looks like street tough; Loreto, Baja, Mexico.

Brightly painted green tortilla shop in Santa Rosalia, Baja, Mexico.

Colorfully painted popsicle and ice cream shop; Santa Rosalia, Baja, Mexico.

Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) perch on boat in harbor; Santa Rosalia, Baja, Mexico.

Head of male brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis); Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico.

Old church stands beside cactus at Salinas Bay, Isla Carmen, Baja, Mexico.

Doorways and window from desert landscape of Isla Carmen at Salinas Bay; Baja, Mexico.

Window frames desert landscape of Isla Carmen at Salinas Bay; Baja, Mexico.

Young girl walks along Sea of Cortez beach at Puerto Gato; Baja, Mexico.

Ship passengers explore beach and red sandstone cliffs of Puerto Gato, Baja, Mexico.

Woman takes photo standing on red sandstone cliffs of Puerto Gato, Baja, Mexico.

Marine biologist Bruce Mate shows young girl seastar as they wade in Sea of Cortez at Puerto Gato; Baja, Mexico.

Cardon cactus, tallest cactus species in world, overlooks Sea of Cortez from red sandstone cliffs of Baja Peninsula's Puerto Gato, Mexico.

Desert mountains silhouette cardon cactus, tallest cactus species in world, on Baja Peninsula at Puerto Gato, Mexico.

Distant mountains and kayak frame sparkling waters of Sea of Cortez at Isla Danzante, Baja, Mexico.

Senior citizen couple kayaks in Sea of Cortez near Lindlblad's Sea Lion cruise ship at Isla Danzante, Baja, Mexico.

Female photographer wrestles tripod and camera on windy ridge above sparkling Sea of Cortez at Isla Danzante, Baja, Mexico.

Cardon cactus, tallest cactus species in world, grows in thick stands on Isla Santa Catalina, Baja, Mexico.

Cardon cactus flowers bloom amid already maturing fruit in mid April on Isla Santa Catalina, Baja, Mexico.

Rattleless endemic Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake (Crotalus catalinensis) exists only on Isla Santa Catalina, Baja, Mexico.

Cardon cactus frames sunrise over Lindblad's Sea Lion cruise ship at Isla San Esteban in Sea of Cortez; Baja, Mexico.

Passenger from Lindblad cruise ship birdwatches on Isla San Esteban; Sea of Cortez; Baja, Mexico.

Silver evening waters and distant mountains silhouette passengers from Lindblad cruise ship; Isla Carmen, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico

Passengers from Lindblad's Sea Lion ferry ashore aboard rubber skiff at Isla Carmen with Baja's rugged Sierra de la Gigante in distance.

Lindblad cruise ship Sea Lion moors in cove at Isla Danzante, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico.

Orange evening sky arches over Lindblad cruise ship Sea Lion anchored off Isla Carmen, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico.

Oystercatchers pause at water's edge at sunset on Isla Carmen, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico.

Oystercatchers pause at water's edge at sunset on Isla Carmen, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico.

Endemic spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura conspicuosa) perches atop rock on Isla San Esteban, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico

Endemic pinto chuckwalla lizard (Sauromalus varius) thrives in rocky terrain of Isla San Esteban, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico

Hermit crab emerges from shell on sandy Sea of Cortez beach at Puerto Gato, Baja Sur, Mexico

Colorful red orange shell of Sally Lightfoot crab (Grapsus grapsus); Sea of Cortez, Baja Sur, Mexico

Elegant terns (Sterna elegans) congregate on Isla Rasa where 95% of entire world population nests annually; Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico

Heermann's gulls (Larus heermanni) congregate at Isla Rasa where 80% of world population nests annually; Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico

Heermann's gull (Larus heermanni) swims near Isla Rasa where 80% of world population nests annually; Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico

Heermann's gull (Larus heermanni) spreads wings near Isla Rasa where 80% of world population nests annually; Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico

Great frigatebird (Fregata minor) in flight above Sea of Cortez, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) in flight above Sea of Cortez, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) swims at sunrise; Isla San Pedro Martir, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico

California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) swims at sunrise; Isla San Pedro Martir, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico

Adult common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) cuts through surface of the Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico.

Long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis) leaps into the air; Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico

Long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis) leaps into the air; Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico

Humpback whale arches back as it begins to dive; Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico

Carcass of young blue whale washes up on shore near Puerto Gato, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Carcass of young blue whale washes up on shore near Puerto Gato, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Baleen from dead juvenile blue whale sits on sandy beach near Puerto Gato, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Colorful fishing boats float side by side at dock in Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Cruise ship passenger on Lindblad's Sea Lion admires sunrise on Sea of Cortez, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Sunset on Sea of Cortez, Baja California Sur, Mexico