We set up camp at a site near the seashore. Contrary to what we were expecting there was no intense odor at our site.
Enjoy walking on salt encrusted shorelines? Then the Salton Sea is the place you except for...
the thousands of dessicated Tilapia carcasses. A park ranger told us that fish die offs are a common occurrence at the sea. "The summer sun, paired with the nourishment of fertilizers in the runoff, cues massive blooms of algae that spread shore to shore. When this algae dies, the bacteria that feeds on it consumes what little oxygen there is left in the Sea. Tilapia caught in these miles-wide blooms haven’t the slightest chance of escape." - Wired Magazine
After sunset squadrons of pelicans flew in formation past our camp.
We sat outside, ate dinner and watched the show. Evening temperatures were moderate with an overnight low of 48 degrees.
The light show continued long after we finished dinner.
Mount San Jacinto, 10,834 feet, (San Jacinto Peak) loomed far to the north. The light on the peak's shoulder is the upper station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway at an elevation of 8,516 ft. Hiked to the top of San Jacinto in December of 2005. It was windy and cold on the summit.After a leisurely breakfast we drove north to the Salton Sea State Recreation Area headquarters. The state built an excellent boat ramp and harbor at this location. It was a simple and easy process to launch. We paddled about 1/2 mile off shore and let the wind blow us back to the harbor. Then we paddled south along the shore and drifted back once again. Number of dead fish sighted - one.
After finishing our paddle we used the nearby boat wash to rinse off the kayak/gear and ate lunch while everything dried. After that it was time to pack up and head for home.
Both Jan and I were pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed our stay at the Salton Sea and plan to return.