Muck diving

Today’s dives were both more than pleasant.  For our first dive, we dove from middle wall to Land’s End, looking once again at the sandfalls.  Not very active, but still blinding as you look.  It is amazing to see how rapidly they drop in depth, and the sheer darkness of the abyss that they fill.  There were what appeared to be dozens of scorpionfish out today, along with a host of goatfish, plus a tiny juvenile peacock razor wrasse flitting about.

This was our fourth day of diving sans wetsuits, and I was quite cold indeed, and jellyfish bitten all over my left leg.  Blech.  It is my full intent to wear a wetsuit tomorrow!!!!!

Second dive was at the feeding station.  We descended at the Snuba area (we were looking to make fun of those who couldn’t roam freely!), and made our way to the bait station.  Lots of big fish milling around.

There were a bunch of macro photo opportunities, to include a teeny tiny octopus that wouldn’t come out.  We had hoped to be somewhat warmer since the dive was shallow, but no luck!  At least there were no jellies.

The highlight of the day was probably stopping in town for lunch.  We found a little Mexican cantina with free wifi -- can you guess what we wound up doing?  =]

Tomorrow is Gordo Banks, and hammerheads, hopefully!!

Wow. In a word.

The Sea of Cortés, also known as the Gulf of California, or Vermilion Sea; locally known in the Spanish language as Mar de Cortés or Mar Bermejo or Golfo de California) is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland. It is bordered by the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa with a coastline of approximately 2,500 mi. Rivers which flow into the Sea of Cortés include the Colorado, Fuerte, Mayo, Sinaloa, Sonora, and the Yaqui. The gulf's surface area is about 62,000 sq mi.

The Sea is thought to be one of the most diverse seas on the planet, and is home to more than 5,000 species of macroinvertebrates, and can be separated into three faunal regions, Northern, Central, and Southern. One recognized transition zone is termed the Southwestern Baja California peninsula. Transition zones exist between faunal regions, and they usually vary for each individual species. Faunal regions are distinguishable based on the specific types of animals that are found there.

The narrow sea is home to a unique and rich ecosystem. In addition to a wide range of endemic creatures, like the critically endangered Vaquita Marina, it hosts many migratory species, such as the Humpback Whale, California Gray Whale, Killer Whale, Manta Ray and Leatherback Sea Turtle, and the world's largest animal, the Blue Whale.

The Sea of Cortés sustains a large number of marine mammals, many of which are rare, and endangered. Its more than 900 islands are important nesting sites for thousands of seabirds and its waters are a primary breeding, feeding, and nursing grounds for a myriad of migratory and resident fish species. For decades, the gulf has been a primary source of two of Mexico's leading marine resources, sardines and anchovies. Water pollution is a problem, but the more immediate concerns are overfishing and bottom trawling, which destroys eelgrass beds and shellfish.

Three general types of shores found in the Sea of Cortés include rocky shore, sandy beach, and tidal flat. Some of the rich biodiversity and high endemism that characterizes the Sea of Cortés can be attributed to seemingly insignificant factors, such as the types of rocks that make up a shore. Beaches with softer, more porous rocks (such as Coquina limestone, rhyolites, granite, or diorite) generally have a higher species richness than those with harder, smoother rocks (such as basalt or diabase). Porous rocks will naturally have more cracks and crevices in them, making them ideal living spaces for many animals. The rocks themselves, however, generally need to be stable on the shore in order for a habitat to be stable. Additionally, the color of the rocks can affect the organisms living on a shore. For example, darker rocks will be significantly warmer than lighter ones, and can deter animals that do not have a high tolerance for heat. The northern Sea of Cortés experiences tidal ranges of up to 16 ft. Mixed semidiurnal tides are the norm throughout most of the Sea.

Today we dove within The Corridor.  Along the 18 mile tourist corridor between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo there are 5 great dive sites. The topography of this sites are very different from the ones at the Cabo San Lucas Marine Park. The boat ride to the sites takes anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes from the Cabo San Lucas Marina. Schools of dolphins and jumping pigmy manta rays are often seen on the way to the dive sites. I can’t tell you the number of large species we saw, to include rays and groupers to rival those in northern Hawaiian waters.  Our two dives, at Blowhole and the little known Falcon, were largely warm, about 82 degrees, with a few thermal clines that left us shivering.

We ditched our meal plan today (took it for only 3 days), and walked along the marina until we saw Wayne’s favorite sign -- Wi-Fi zone.  Let me tell you, there was a happy man with his iPhone over lunch.  I could see him debating whether or not to return to the hotel!  At 18 dollars a day per device for internet, free, and fast, was appealing to not only him!

Back we went, had the customary siesta, and enjoyed a little pool time in the hour just before sunset.  Then we went back, made dinner, and relaxed.  And Wayne started planning for the next trip, using different hotels -- some with free internet!  =]

Hasta manana!

Reaching land's end

Cabo is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the municipality of Los Cabos in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Cabo is known for its sandy beaches, scuba diving, and the distinctive sea arch El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, Land’s End, which is home to both Lovers’ Beach (facing the Sea of Cortes) and Divorce Beach (the side that faces the Pacific).

Spanish galleons first visited Estero San Jose at the mouth of the Rio San Jose to obtain fresh water near the end of their lengthy voyages from the Philippines to Acapulco in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.  As pirate raids along the coast between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz became a problem, the need for a permanent Spanish settlement at the tip of the cape became increasingly urgent.  The growing unrest among Guaycura and Pericu indians south of Loreto also threatened to engulf mission communities to the  north; the Spanish sent armed troops to the Cape region to quell these uprisings.

In 1730, Jesuit Padre Nicholas Tamaral traveled south from Mission La Purisima and founded Mission San Jose del Cabo on a mesa overlooking Rio San Hose.  Due to the overwhelming presence of mosquitoes at this site, Tamaral soon moved the mission to the mouth of the estuary.

Tamaral and the Pericues got along until he pronounced an injunction against polygamy, a long tradition in Pericu society.  After Tamaral punished a Pericu shaman for violating the decree, the Pericues rebelled, burning the missions in October 1734, and killing Tamaral.  After this, a Spanish presidio was established, ostensibly to protect the area against continued Pericu insurgency and pirate attacks.  Even after the death of nearly all the indians in the area, the outpost remained an important Spanish asset until it was turned over to Mexican nationals in the mid 19th century.

During the Mexican American war, Marines from the U.S. frigate Portsmouth briefly occupied the city.  A bloody siege ensued and the Mexicans prevailed under the leadership of Mexican naval officer Jose Antonio Mijares.  After this time, as mining gave out, San Jose del Cabo lost population along with the rest of the region.  A few farmers began trickling into the San Jose area in the 1930s, culminating with the church being rebuilt in 1940.  Today Los Cabos is booming and is currently the seventh most popular tourist destination in Mexico and the second fastest growing resort community in Mexico. 

Today’s dives were at Neptune’s Finger and Land’s End.  Neptune’s Finger consists of two coral reefs, a beautiful vertical wall and the biggest sandfall of the Cabo San Lucas Marine park. The top of the reef is only 15 feet deep and the vertical wall drops down to more than 500 feet. Turtles, groupers, machetes, goatfish, guitarfish, scorpion and a lot of other tropical fish were teeming.  Right before the dive, a sea lion swam past, making its way back to the Land’s End rock formations where they all hang out.  We also saw a good number of jacks, and ran into the perpetual jellyfish.  My leg just looks awful!

Land’s End was a slightly more challenging dive with a lot more current.  I was diving with a 63, so I wasn’t thrilled with all the work.  The site itself is unique because you dive in both the Sea of Cortes and the Pacific Ocean at the same time. Large schools of barracudas, tunas and baitfish abounded, which, along with the current, made this an unforgettable dive. The flat rock inside the cove is home to a small colony of California sea lions, two of whom decided to do a swim-by while we were submerged.  Near the end of the dive, there was a shipwreck at 50 feet. Unfortunately, the clarity of the water let you see the thermal clines before they hit you.  We would be in 82 degree water, and suddenly the temperature would drop by up to 50 degrees.  It seems to be that way here all the time.  Still, great diving!

Off to the water!

Oh my goodness.  Oh my goodness!  I cannot begin to describe how much FUN it was to dive here today.  In fact, it was so much fun that I’ve changed my (our) mind about the number of diving days.  I expect that we will dive four more days, up until the latest possible time.

The life in the water was far more abundant fish-wise than it had been in BVI.  There were jacks, schools of goatfish, different butterflyfish, spade fish, octopus, giant eels, sting rays, guitar fish, and other types of rays.  We dove Middle Wall and North Wall, and went to the sandfalls.  There is a large trench, somewhere between 1800 and 2500 feet.  Although not as deep as the Marianas Trench, nothing to sneer at.  The sandfalls resemble waterfalls (anyone remember the Star Wars waterfalls that were really salt being poured, CGI), and could either be really pouring sand down into the trench, or just trickling.  Today, just trickling.  Impressive nonetheless.  And I saw my first ever seahorse under water!

The only bad thing was the extreme variation in water temperature - 84 degrees on the surface, and around 77 degrees at depth.  Brr.  And, to be honest, there was more than a little particulate matter.  But I still popped off a couple of good shots, and was thoroughly happy that the gills were wet.

We managed to do a little touring downtown, but were exhausted after the dives.  You would not believe the saline levels in the water here.  I had to add 4 pounds to my weight pouches!  The first dive I spent a lot of time struggling to stay down, as I dove with my normal weight amount and an aluminum 80 cylinder. 

The only thing making me lonesome for home was the Siamese cat we saw on our way to dinner tonight, which, by the way, was fanTAStic.  I had a seafood broth based soup, spicy, and brodetto, which is lots of fish in a tomato based sauce (for lack of a better word).  It was filled with lots of shellfish, and my newest favorite fish, white sea bass.  Scrumptious.  I can see that the chef and his sous-chefs all spend a lot of time, love and attention to detail in the kitchen.  Topped it off with a glass of Mexican Cabernet-Tempranillo.  Yummy!

SO, the day was a total success, as compared to yesterday’s pitch for timeshare ownership.  Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!!!

Timeshare tour day

So, you may ask, “Why the heck did you do the timeshare tour?”  And let’s be honest, 20% of meals, alcohol and other assorted sundries (plus subsidized diving) was worth 90 minutes.  At the end of the spiel, we both declined, and got the “But if you sign right now, we’ll throw in the jacuzzi tub, too!!” spiel.  Plus a last minute offer of a two year option to use the facilities in Mexico once a year.  I had to laugh.  Instead, I smiled and said this wasn’t our normal place for vacations, Micronesia was, and we wouldn’t use the two year option at all, as we didn’t plan a return trip for many, many years.  When they got to the point where the talked about the cost of their time in showing us everything, I tuned out completely.

That done, we got our gold cards out, went and got lunch, and relaxed!  Bottom line from that experience, although the discounts are nice, from now on it is most definitely “Heck, no!” when they ask us to do a timeshare tour ever again.  At least for a while.  You never know about Kona....

The day went pretty smoothly.  We walked down to town on the beach (sunscreened and hatted, yes), looking for the dive shops.  We were approached by dozens of folks hawking their wares, food, whatever, but kept on going.  Then we made it to the marina, and were similarly accosted.  I haven’t been approached by so many people since Marmaris.  And when you say no, it’s similar to the time share mafia folks in the airport, they step in your way and shove things in your face.  I felt a bit of New York coming out!

We made it to the dive shop, Sunshine Dive, in the Hotel Tesoro (Bob, you made it on a vacation with us finally!).  The dive shop owner’s wife greeted us pleasantly, had us sign our PADI waivers, introduced us to the divemaster, and then didn’t even pull out any papers for signing a multi day contract!  Nice atmosphere.  And free Nitrox!  Looking forward to tomorrow.  They got a good write up in the Undercurrent diving magazine, too.  Hopefully, we shall see the sand waterfalls tomorrow, can’t wait.

Walked back along the beach later in the evening, making it back to the Del Arco by sunset.  Light supper, and a margarita or two, and then came back to post and to watch Date Night.  Funny movie.

Off to bed, looking forward to the day beginning.