Chapter 15 - too much time in La Paz, but we swam with whale sharks!

La Paz is a great place to get things done.  Brenda flew home for her mother's 90th birthday and left me on the boat with the two cats.  I took a slip at Marina Cost Baja for the time she was gone plus a few.  While there, I met some really great locals and became friends.  I did three pages worth of boat maintenance projects including bottom cleaning, laundry, a new starting battery, fuel filter change, etc.  It wasn't all work, however, and when Brenda returned, we went out to swim with the whale sharks.

In La Paz you can snorkel with whale sharks, the largest fish in the world, in their natural feeding grounds in the Bay of La Paz. These gentle giants feed on plankton and small fish and are harmless to humans.

The season for viewing whale sharks runs roughly from October through April, when whale sharks migrate into the bay to feed on plankton-rich waters.  The season opens when observers determine there are at least six whale sharks in the area. La Paz has a regulated whale shark area and limits the number of boats and swimmers at any one time to protect the animals.Tours usually run 2–4 hours on the water), with multiple opportunities to enter the water and swim/snorkel near the whale sharks.  We had a private charter, so we had the boat to ourselves along with a guide and the boat skipper. The boat ride from La Paz to the whale shark zone was short.  The charter picked us up at our dock at Marina Costa Baja at 0715 and within minutes we were checking in with the "monitors". One must be in visual range so the powers that be can counte the number of people on the boat and see the name and permit number of the boat. Ten minutes later we were en route to "the zone" which was on the back side of the Mogogle.  There were approximately 5 boats allowed to enter on the first set of the day.  We were entitled to 3 hours as opposed to two as the first boats of the day are given additional time to find the whale sharks.

Once in "the zone" one must find a whale shark.  We were able to spot a dorsal fin that looked like a small hump sticking out of the water.  Then the panga moves slowly into a position where you can roll out of the panga and be in a position to start swimming.  Whale sharks are constantly moving, so you follow them from a safe distance.  It's hard to keep up with them, though they do move pretty slow.

Strict codes of conduct apply: don’t touch, ride, or chase the animals, and keep respectful distances.  Don't swim over the top of them and stay out from in front of them.

Swimming near whale sharks in La Paz is a truly unforgettable experience.  It is amazing to see these giants up close.

Check out our videos here.  I shot them with my GoPro Black Hero 13:

By now, we have left LaPaz and are heading north in the Sea of Cortez.  We are presently anchored at Isla San Francisco.  More later......

Chapter 14 - ISLA ESPIRITU SANTU

Isla Espíritu Santo is a spectacular uninhabited island in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), just off the coast of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. It’s one of the most iconic natural attractions in the region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, protected both for its ecological significance and breathtaking scenery. Isla Espíritu Santo is one of Baja California Sur’s crown jewels — a pristine natural paradise perfect for snorkeling, wildlife encounters (especially sea lions), kayaking, and experiencing the dramatic beauty of the Sea of Cortez just a short boat ride from La Paz.  And there is not much more to say about it than that.  Over the last couple weeks, we have explored several different anchorages around the island.  I will label group the pictures as it would be likely impossible to tell one beautiful anchorage from the other.  Here are a couple of our favorites.

Anchorage Caleta Partida:

Caleta Partida is an anchorage located between Isla Espíritu Santo and Isla Partida, about 20–25 nautical miles north of La Paz.  These two islands are part of the Espíritu Santo Natural Marine Park. The anchorage sits in a large natural bay that was once the caldera (crater) of an extinct volcano. 

Here we are standing on the beach on Isla Espiritu Santu looking over at Isla Partida.

Mud Piles constructed by Ghost Crabs.

Ghost crabs are pale, fast-moving shore crabs commonly seen on sandy beaches, especially at dusk and during the night, where their light coloration and sudden movements give them a “ghostly” appearance. On beaches like those of Isla Espíritu Santo, they live in deep burrows above the high-tide line and emerge after sunset to scavenge insects, organic debris, and small marine life washed ashore. 

When the tide goes out in almost all of the anchorages on Espiritu Santu, there is no way to get the dinghy to the beach.  You just have to anchor it and walk in knee deep water, sometimes quite a distance, to the beach.  We use our inflatable kayaks to get to the beach in the shallows.

Anchorage Ensenada Grande (South Lobe):

The name Ensenada Grande literally means “big cove” in Spanish, and this bay lives up to its name with wide open water framed by tall volcanic cliffs and white sandy beaches.  I think it is impressive how folks got this statue up the cliff and placed in the small cave.  There appear to be lights, but like most things around here, the lights were either never completed or are broken. Such shrines are common throughout coastal Mexico and the Sea of Cortez; sailors, fishermen, and visitors often leave small religious figures, flowers, or tokens in sea caves as a gesture of faith, protection, or thanks for safe passage.

"Lace" on the rocks.

Anchorage Puerto Balena - Ensenada De Gallo:

Ensenada de Gallo is a bay on Isla Espíritu Santo. It’s named in connection with the nearby Isla Gallo (“Rooster Island”), one of the small islets off the west side of Espíritu Santo Island. It was really windy so we did not get out much.  But, the pelican ate well.

After a couple weeks, we headed back to La Paz to reprovision, wait out some stinky weather and will get back out to a couple more anchorages before we head into Marina Costa Baja - the first marina since Shelter Island in San Diego back in October.  Tazzy needs a bath and her batteries need a deep recharge.  The freezer needs to be defrosted and a few other chores need doing.  

Just an aside here.......

I try not to be too negative, but I feel compelled to comment about the sheer mass of garbage on the beaches of these so-called pristine island anchorages (actually everywhere we have touched ashore in Baja) - tons of plastic.  The Mexican government charges a lot of money for permits to visit these places.  When they come to check if you have a permit, they pull up in brand new boats with Starlink antennae and fancy work clothes.  The money would be better spent on efforts to clean the beaches of so much waste.  This has been apparent since we first touched shore in Baja (at Turtle Bay).  I have never in my life seen so much plastic garbage - plastic bottles, flip-flops, fishing line, fragments of packaging, and in many cases, whole plastic hefty bags bags full of household garbage.  It's such a shame.  In Bahia Santa Maria, some folks come to your boat and beg for a dollar to take your trash to the beach - then they just dump it out of site.  The pristine estuary in Mag Bay is absolutely piled high with bagged garbage.  I have seen every type of plastic container there is buried in some mangrove or another on these pristine shores. I just don't take pictures of it.  

I realize folks are poor and may not have "facilities" to handle rubbish.  But being poor is no excuse for being disgusting.  Granted, some of the trash arrives on currents from far beyond Baja.  However, it should not be permitted to remain there, especially when the government is collecting fees from visitors to supposedly protect the environment.

Permit fees to visit Isla Espíritu Santo are justified as a "conservation tool" rather than a tourism tax. Camel cakes! The island is a UNESCO-recognized protected area. Permit revenues supposedly fund ranger patrols, waste removal (I call bullshit on this), mooring buoys (to prevent anchor damage to reefs - haven't seen one yet), wildlife monitoring, and environmental education (what, the boat load of kids that climb and jump off the cliffs????). In short, the officialdom claims that the fees help ensure that access today doesn’t compromise the island’s ecology tomorrow; allowing visitors to experience Espíritu Santo while preserving it in a largely pristine state for future generations. Horse Pucky! These are all mere claims and I have seen nothing that objectively demonstrates that the permit money is going anywhere but into the pockets of "officialdom" to fund their nice boats and uniforms. 

And to think that I feel guilty emptying my holding tank 12 miles offshore.