Wildlife Sightings in the Port of Ensenada

Round trip cruises out of California often include a stop in Ensenada, Mexico.   While it's an interesting port of call, situated around sixty miles south of Tijuana and the United States border, it's mostly visited because of the Jones Act. 

This federal statute is technically the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 that, among other things, dictates that all transport between U.S. ports be done on U.S.-built ships.   Since there is no longer a competitive American industry supporting the construction of modern cruise ships, cruise lines are forced to use mostly European-built ships.  To bypass the Jones Act and keep within the law, their various round-trip Los Angeles itineraries, for example, stop in Ensenada to make this trip an international voyage instead of a domestic one.

Nonetheless, new ports of call are always an adventure with new sights and sounds, and in that respect Ensenada doesn't disappoint.  I'll leave the sightseeing and shopping tips to a real travel expert.  However this wildlife enthusiast is happy to report that even from the deck of a massive foreign-built cruise ship like the Emerald Princess there are countless new animals to photograph in the wild.

An early morning greeting from a harbor seal while the Emerald Princess entered Ensenada's harbor.

Cormorants in flight early morning in Ensenada.

Sea lions on a buoy welcoming the Emerald Princess.

Sea lion close up near a fishing pier in Ensenada.

Say's phoebe, a type of flycatcher, in Ensenada.

A type of sandpiper in Ensenada.

Sea lion on the cruise ship pier in Ensenada.

Large group of sea lions enjoying the November sun on the cruise ship pier in Ensenada. 

Sea lion in Ensenada's harbor.

Western grebe in Ensenada harbor.

Brown pelican in flight as captured from the promenade deck on the Emerald Princess in Ensenada's harbor.

Brown pelican in flight. 

Brown pelican in flight.

Gull enjoying some last moments of sunlight on the Emerald Princess' mooring ropes in Ensenda shortly before the ship's sail-away.  Ahoy until next visit!