Once again it has been a while since my last post. Mostly because, here in the Islands (in the Sea of Cortez), our internet availability is very spotty. Even when we do have a connection it is usually quite slow.

  

Palapa on the Beach

One of our goals for this year’s short season has been to find some new “favorite” spots and we began by visiting Bahia Candeleros. In past years I was reluctant to go to this anchorage because of the many very large rocks (“The Candles”) that one has to avoid. After three years of new experiences I have finally overcome my fear factor and now wonder what the fuss was about. What a lovely place to rest and explore. We anchored in about 15 ft. of emerald green water that was so clear we could see the white sand and fish swimming under us. As soon as the anchor was set we took the dinghy to the beach and found soft, soft sand and a nice little palapa that serves the best ceviche Chris has ever had (and he’s had a lot) and cold, cold cerveza. The beach is very long and empty so Abby was able to run until she dropped. The water was almost warm enough to swim in but wading in the shallows was an exercise in attention as there were a lot of Skates (busy making babies no less). The detraction is a very large timeshare resort. We met some of the folks who were vacationing there (from Seattle no less) and they told us that there were only about 30 people in residence. Apparently the timeshare is owned by a company that also has one in Cabo San Lucas and they advertise this one as being “away from the crowds”. Well…that is sure the truth! The folks staying there are a long way from any town and the only entertainment (think food/drink) is what the resort provides. They warned us about the prices but when “Tamara” arrived and invited us to join them for dinner to celebrate Marili’s birthday we readily accepted. Turns out the folks from Seattle were not wrong! Granted, the food was delicious but the bill for just Chris & I was $200 (US)!! That pretty much takes the cake for the most expensive meal we have ever had in Mexico! The beer was $5/ea. and wine was $10/glass so that was a consideration, but still…

Fun with Dave & Marili

Another new anchorage for this year was Bahia Salinas on the east side of Carmen Island. It is a beautiful place with another very long, white sand beach and crystal clear water. At one end of the beach is an abandoned salt processing plant and, in the middle of the bay, a 180’ tuna boat is resting on its side after having sunk quite a few years ago. This is a great place for snorkeling and diving. There were 4 other boats there when we were and the bay is so large that it felt like we were all alone. Unfortunately, the Islands are part of a National Park so no dogs are allowed. We actually only stayed one night there as we were beginning to get itchy feet to begin the trip home and still had several stops to make. Next year we intend to do some exploring there.

Trigger Fish for dinner...Yum!

Next stop: Isla Coronados. We stay in the southern anchorage where there are usually less boats than use the anchorage around the corner. If there is a southerly wind or swell it can get pretty uncomfortable but we’ve been lucky so far. This is one place where we are happy to stay for long periods of time. This year we had some delightful treats. A small pod of Dolphins were in residence much of the time and they were mostly staying in the shallow water between the boat & shore. Probably because there were babies in the bunch. During the early evening hours they would all leap and spout and slap the water and it was like having our own personal Sea World show. During the day the Rays were practicing their acrobatics, doing backflips and belly flops to show off their pearly white undersides. I’ve never been able to find out why they do this but it is pretty common and fun to watch. We were also thrilled to see lots and lots of sea turtles. These guys were almost completely annihilated a few years back but because of the Mexican government’s intervention and the help of lots of volunteer groups educating the public, protecting the nests & launching the babies when they are born, they are now coming back. We have seen lots of the turtles along the Pacific Coast of Mexico (and have been able to help with a turtle release a couple times) but these are really the first in the Sea so we were delighted at the large numbers. This island is also a big rookery for Gulls so the noise is non-stop. One of the days we were there we took the dinghy out around the sand spit to see what was there and Chris got chased out by the gulls when he got too close.

While we were at Isla Coronados, I finally got my kayak out & inflated and made my “maiden voyage” on it. It was easier than I thought and I can see that I am going to have a lot of fun with it in the future. 

From this anchorage we went to my “favorite” anchorage (San Juanico) for a couple days. It was fun to see that the Osprey babies had gotten big enough during the past month that one had learned to fly and left the nest. The water was finally warm enough to swim in. There were only six boats there. It was delightful. 

One last baby to be fed!

The day we made the 8 hour jump to Santo Domingo was miserably hot and there wasn’t a breath of wind so we played motorboat all day. By the time we arrived we were all anxious to have a cold beer and get into the water. As we came into the anchorage we passed several large (20 or more) groups of Golden Rays. It was so cool to see them. I got a picture but the water was wavy so it isn’t perfect. Still, it is a rare sight and we were all excited. The next morning on the net we found out that it had been 107° that day so it was no surprise that the water felt wonderful. 

Believe it or not...Golden Rays.

Next morning “The Plan” was to go to Punta Chivato (about a 2 hour trip), go to dinner with our friends on “Mystique” and cross the Sea the following morning. Well…cruising plans are always in flux and this one was no different. When we woke up there was a big swell out of the south and pea soup fog. The boat looked like it had been rained on, since we hadn’t closed hatches, the inside was damp and the table wet. As soon as the fog lifted enough to see the shore we left but not to make the crossing. With that big swell and the predicted weather conditions we decided to come to Santa Rosalia to wait it out.

San Juanico sunrise.

As I write this, we are sitting comfortably in a slip. When we arrived, Dave (S/V Wavesweeper), who we met in Newport, OR in ’08 on the trip south, was here to grab a dockline. It really is a small world. It is nice to have “real” showers, good internet and be able to walk to town again. Looks like Saturday will be a good day to travel so I’m just enjoying the lazy days while I can.