Cabo and the Revillagigedos
Jan. 16th, 2023 06:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tiggymalvern
It's photospam time! What better way to start a New Year than floating on a boat out in the warmer parts of the Pacific Ocean? Spending some of the days diving below the surface, obviously :-)
I took a trip to the Revillagigedos Islands (I can pronounce that now). Nicknamed the Mexican Galapagos Islands, they're a Mexican National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage site, the closest of which is 240 miles south-west of Cabo San Lucas at the tip of Baja. Like the Galapagos Islands, they are/were home to a bunch of endemic critters, most of which are extinct or endangered. Unlike the Galapagos Islands, the only people allowed to set foot on them are some wildlife researchers and some members of the Mexican navy. A naval base always comes in useful for prevention of illegal fishing and trespassing.
So when you're going to Revillagigedos, you're going to be living on a boat. And the only reason to do that is to play with the animals in the water - the area's famed for its oceanic giant mantas, LOTS of sharks, and sometimes whales, dolphins and other fun friends. This is my post of still photos taken above water - the critters will be coming later, when I've edited my way through many hours of video.
I spent 24 hours in Cabo San Lucas before we boarded the boat (the smart choice in case your luggage takes a detour). I stayed in a wonderful little hotel converted from an old mansion, with just 18 guest rooms, the Casa Bella. This was the courtyard when I arrived, after dark.
My bedroom was lovely (I've had a couple of people tell me before they really like seeing pictures of where I stayed, so if you're not one of them, sorry! The scenery's coming later.)
Bizarrely, the bathroom was the same size as the bedroom, and came with a truly enormous shower and a - bird bath? Baptismal font? I'm still not sure, but I guess that's what happens when you convert from a mansion and the rooms are the size they are. You have to fill the space with something.
The small plaza across the street from the hotel, in full festive mode.
The hotel courtyard in daylight.
And the plaza.
The hotel was absolutely lovely in every way, and not just the setting. They arranged my airport transfer for me, and when they learned that my plan was to go diving at lunchtime, they said, "Don't you want a shower afterwards? Keep your room key and come back later, that's fine." Even though checkout was 11am. I didn't ask, they straight up volunteered. If you're ever in Cabo, I highly recommend Casa Bella.
We got on the boat at 7pm that evening and set sail as soon as everyone was in their rooms with their luggage. We woke the next morning in the vast emptiness of the Pacific. All day long, we saw one container ship and two seabirds. But there were sunbeds, and I had a bikini and a book. And people offered us food and drink all day long. Awesome holiday day!
It takes almost 36 hours to reach the islands, so around 5am the next morning, the boat dropped anchor off San Benedicto. This is the currently active volcano of the Revillagigedos Islands - it last erupted in the 1950s, most of the island is stark and bare still, and the flat area extending off to the right there is all lava flow.
We spent the day diving, and then in the evening the boat moved to the other side of San Benedicto, away from the fresh lava flows. This side is all sea stacks and seabird colonies.
Our boat, the Undersea Hunter, where she belongs.
Another overnight sail, as we travelled 70 miles to Roca Partida (Split Rock). It is literally a rock that sticks up out of the Pacific, nowhere near anything else. But as you will see in the videos to come, it is shark central!
Sunset in Nowhere, the Pacific.
Another overnight sail, and we found ourselves at Socorro, the main island of the archipelago. It was so beautiful and green, and it would have been a lovely hike up the hills. But you're not allowed to do that, so we had to content ourselves with the views from the boat deck.
Our last two days of diving were both anchored off different parts of Socorro, and I don't remember which of these photos were which side, but I don't suppose it matters. And then we had the 36 hour sail back to Cabo, and another day spent mid-Pacific with books. (And I do mean books. Things made of paper, with pages. One person had an e-reader of some kind, but the vast majority of us were going old school, and it was actually lovely to see that again.)
A boat full of very happy divers, with food, booze and flowers :-)
Me filming an oceanic manta (photo taken by my dive buddy).
First sun of the morning, back at Cabo San Lucas marina.
Undersea Hunter in her dock, as we left for the airport bus.
And a few photos from planes to finish up with, because why not? The approach to San Diego airport.
Take off from San Diego nearly three hours later.
Moonrise over the California mountains.
And then it was back to Seattle, where it has been largely grey and drizzling, and definitely not good for bikinis. But I made enough vitamin D to last me a few weeks at least. Happy New Year! Hope yours started off as well as mine :-)
I took a trip to the Revillagigedos Islands (I can pronounce that now). Nicknamed the Mexican Galapagos Islands, they're a Mexican National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage site, the closest of which is 240 miles south-west of Cabo San Lucas at the tip of Baja. Like the Galapagos Islands, they are/were home to a bunch of endemic critters, most of which are extinct or endangered. Unlike the Galapagos Islands, the only people allowed to set foot on them are some wildlife researchers and some members of the Mexican navy. A naval base always comes in useful for prevention of illegal fishing and trespassing.
So when you're going to Revillagigedos, you're going to be living on a boat. And the only reason to do that is to play with the animals in the water - the area's famed for its oceanic giant mantas, LOTS of sharks, and sometimes whales, dolphins and other fun friends. This is my post of still photos taken above water - the critters will be coming later, when I've edited my way through many hours of video.
I spent 24 hours in Cabo San Lucas before we boarded the boat (the smart choice in case your luggage takes a detour). I stayed in a wonderful little hotel converted from an old mansion, with just 18 guest rooms, the Casa Bella. This was the courtyard when I arrived, after dark.
My bedroom was lovely (I've had a couple of people tell me before they really like seeing pictures of where I stayed, so if you're not one of them, sorry! The scenery's coming later.)
Bizarrely, the bathroom was the same size as the bedroom, and came with a truly enormous shower and a - bird bath? Baptismal font? I'm still not sure, but I guess that's what happens when you convert from a mansion and the rooms are the size they are. You have to fill the space with something.
The small plaza across the street from the hotel, in full festive mode.
The hotel courtyard in daylight.
And the plaza.
The hotel was absolutely lovely in every way, and not just the setting. They arranged my airport transfer for me, and when they learned that my plan was to go diving at lunchtime, they said, "Don't you want a shower afterwards? Keep your room key and come back later, that's fine." Even though checkout was 11am. I didn't ask, they straight up volunteered. If you're ever in Cabo, I highly recommend Casa Bella.
We got on the boat at 7pm that evening and set sail as soon as everyone was in their rooms with their luggage. We woke the next morning in the vast emptiness of the Pacific. All day long, we saw one container ship and two seabirds. But there were sunbeds, and I had a bikini and a book. And people offered us food and drink all day long. Awesome holiday day!
It takes almost 36 hours to reach the islands, so around 5am the next morning, the boat dropped anchor off San Benedicto. This is the currently active volcano of the Revillagigedos Islands - it last erupted in the 1950s, most of the island is stark and bare still, and the flat area extending off to the right there is all lava flow.
We spent the day diving, and then in the evening the boat moved to the other side of San Benedicto, away from the fresh lava flows. This side is all sea stacks and seabird colonies.
Our boat, the Undersea Hunter, where she belongs.
Another overnight sail, as we travelled 70 miles to Roca Partida (Split Rock). It is literally a rock that sticks up out of the Pacific, nowhere near anything else. But as you will see in the videos to come, it is shark central!
Sunset in Nowhere, the Pacific.
Another overnight sail, and we found ourselves at Socorro, the main island of the archipelago. It was so beautiful and green, and it would have been a lovely hike up the hills. But you're not allowed to do that, so we had to content ourselves with the views from the boat deck.
Our last two days of diving were both anchored off different parts of Socorro, and I don't remember which of these photos were which side, but I don't suppose it matters. And then we had the 36 hour sail back to Cabo, and another day spent mid-Pacific with books. (And I do mean books. Things made of paper, with pages. One person had an e-reader of some kind, but the vast majority of us were going old school, and it was actually lovely to see that again.)
A boat full of very happy divers, with food, booze and flowers :-)
Me filming an oceanic manta (photo taken by my dive buddy).
First sun of the morning, back at Cabo San Lucas marina.
Undersea Hunter in her dock, as we left for the airport bus.
And a few photos from planes to finish up with, because why not? The approach to San Diego airport.
Take off from San Diego nearly three hours later.
Moonrise over the California mountains.
And then it was back to Seattle, where it has been largely grey and drizzling, and definitely not good for bikinis. But I made enough vitamin D to last me a few weeks at least. Happy New Year! Hope yours started off as well as mine :-)
