Isla Granitos
This tiny island, just outside Puerto Refugio at the northern end of Isla Angel de la Guardia, is composed of granitic and metamorphic rock and covered with tremendous deposits of bird guano. The guano has discouraged most plants from establishing themselves here, except for the ubiquitous Cardon Cactus (Pachycereus pringlei), which is prevalent throughout the Midriff Islands.
Isla Mejia
Isla Mejia is 3.5 square miles in size and is located just to the east of Granitos. Both Mejia and Granitos -- like many of the Midriff Islands -- host many California Sea Lions (Zalophuus californianus), but Mejia is much more biologically diverse, with numerous species of reptiles, birds, cactus, grasses and wildflowers. The male and female sea lions, live apart year-round except for when they come together in the Gulf to mate each spring.
Isla Angel de la Guardia
At 632 square miles, Isla Angel de la Guardia is the largest of the 11 Midriff islands.The Midriffs are actually volcanic mountain tops that emerge from the waters of the northern Gulf and are thus differentiated from the primarily granitic Baja peninsula.
The island itself is primarily a mountain range that runs its entire 43-mile length and reaches a maximum elevation of 4,300 feet above sea level. It has steep-sloped canyons that open to large alluvial fans, as well as cliffs, sandstone terraces, cobblestone and sandy beaches and lagoons.
Angel is populated by a wide variety of birds and reptiles, including many lizards, 2 species of rattlesnakes, mice and bats. The diversity of plant life is represented by a wide variety of cactus, grasses and brush..
La Ventana, Window Rock, offers wonderful snorkeling with Sargassum, Brown and Red Algae, and hundreds of brightly colored fish and invertebrates just beneath the waterline. Finback Whales cruise the Angel shoreline dwarfing the Killer Whales which also hunt in the area. At night, California Sea Lions come to Angel from Granitos and Mejia to feed.
Total lunar eclipse lasts most of the evening.
Cruise the Sonoran Desert by Boat
