Mother whales show a great deal of curiosity around us, and a willingness to let their playful calves approach us.

Like Christopher Columbus, Cortes thought the lands of the "New World" were part of the eastern side of the Indies, and that the island could have been de Montalvo's California.

Just south of the international border in Mexico, the Sonoran Desert stretches to meet the Sea of Cortez. Remote springs and oases provide relief to an arid landscape of cactus and mountains, bordered by coastal wetlands and an ocean teaming with wildlife.

Much like the colorful courtship performance of a bird of paradise, the Jarabe Tapatío, the quintessential folk dance of Mexico, is a captivating display of form and flow.

Fifteen years ago the hawksbill sea turtle in my hands would have been hog-tied, whisked hundreds of miles, slaughtered and carved into trinkets. Today, it swam free.

An impromptu trip to the Sea of Cortez finds wildlife galore.

The same week news broke that Facebook would acquire Instagram, two travelers used the app to shoot their Baja California expedition, capturing a $1 billion memory of a gorgeous wilderness.

Hammerheads are easily viewed at close range at "cleaning stations" and inquisitive green turtles commonly approach research divers.

Think of a sleepy Mexican farming and fishing village with perhaps 5,000 local folks. But look closer, and you'll spot a number of things that tell you this is no ordinary village.

We turned off the cell phones. We quit reading newspapers. We ignored all the horror stories related to the Drug Wars and State Department warnings. We simply decided to enjoy ourselves.