Monserratt-Loreto

We backtracked a little from Puerto Escondido to Isla Monserratt, remembering that we are now cruisers and don't really have a fixed itinerary. Besides, Elvin (callsign Sealover on the local VHF radio), one of the residents in Juncalito and an enthusiastic admirer of this region had clued us in on the best places to visit, dive and fish. We anchored off Yellowstone beach on the North side of the island. You need to be a little cautious because there are several reefs extending out a few hundred feet from the Northwest corner of the island. There is also an isolated reef about a quarter mile off the mid portion of the beach. It seems to be about 10 feet deep, but could present a problem to deeper keeled boats or in extreme low tides. This anchorage was the first of what seems to have become a progression of mind-blowing experiences. It seems like we're getting used to it now. The underwater population here was incredible. Both in sheer numbers and in variety. A contributing factor is very likely the terrain which mixes rocky reefs with sandy bottoms. Many fish seem to like to hang out in the transition between the two terrains, possibly mixing shelter and protection with opportunities for feeding. There were some huge lobsters here although it is now closed season. That doesn't seem to stop some local fisherman from supplementing their income by selling them to cruisers who will buy them.

There was plenty to see on land too. The beach was full of curious holes and it took quite a while before we saw a crab scurrying for shelter in one of the holes. There were thousands of them. The beaches were pretty much deserted and backed by yellowish rock formations which give the beach its name.

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The water was clear blue with reefs made up of a variety of different rocks. Some appeared to be weirdly shaped lava formations and tubes while others were sedimentary rocks that looked like concrete with large boulders embedded in it. The rock pools around the shore were fascinating and we watched a hermit crab (center) feeding in its rocky pool.

We didn't explore too far inland. The climate had already become uncomfortably hot and it was cooler to stay close to water. The plant life seemed to struggle to exist with occasional patches of green in shadier areas where some moisture may accumulate. We have often seen completely leafless plants with a single flower on one twig, as if that was the most that the limited resources of the area could support. Monserratt was also the first place that we encountered the dreaded bees. These wily creatures seem to have learned that visiting boats are a good source of fresh water. The first sign of them will be a few scouts. If they find water, they are soon followed by masses of their thirsty comrades who seem to carry the water back off to their nest. We have heard stories of thousands of bees descending on boats and emptying quite large containers of water. Many solutions are offered for dealing with bee invasions. Some people put a bucket of water on the foredeck to keep them away from the cockpit. Others just try to keep everything dry although this can be quite a challenge since the bees even seem to harvest water from drying clothes that have been washed in fresh water. We found that fly screens on all of our hatches really helped to control them and kept the inside of Trick a bee-free sanctuary.

We encountered our first sea cave on Monserratt. Just a shallow depression although a neighboring one seemed to provide shelter enough for the local fishermen who had left sleeping bags there. Until very recently, there was a group of local people known a Vagabundos del Mar who seemed to be nomadic families who lived off the sea and lived in temporary shelters on the islands. They seem to be just a memory now, although their name has been adopted by an American organization for people touring in recreational vehicles. I suppose we cruisers come pretty close to replicating their lifestyle, although probably in much greater comfort and security.

Monserratt also gave us our first taste of the real cruising life. Anchored out for an extended period of time with other visiting boats coming and going. The VHF radio is our primary way of communicating between other nearby boats and we always monitor it to listen for approaching boats and greet them as they come in. It is also very handy in tricky anchorages or in inclement weather since the anchored boats can warn of dangers, offer suggestions on where to anchor for the best shelter and provide pointers on the best places to dive, fish and hunt for clams. Java, Aquarius and Catch-the Wind were three boats who visited while we were anchored there. It didn't take long to organize a party with Mary and John on Java providing the host boat. A squid managed to find our lure just before the party and we had a last minute panic to prepare and cook it. It was delicious and not in the least bit chewy. John just about hammered him to parchment with our meat tenderizer. The white flower-like object in the middle picture seems to be some kind of barnacle-like creature which attaches its shell to a rock and extends an attractive structure, presumably to garner its food supply.

We mentioned the lobsters before and this time John had his camera with him - the closest we have come to catching one. The next picture is a semi-startled porcupine fish. They fill themselves with water to puff up into a spiky ball when startled. They seem to be the most common fish around and we find dozens of them everywhere we go.

The next stop was Bahia Marquer on Isla Carmen. On the way, we sailed past Isla Danzante which is on the left picture. This was also an attempt to show the multiple layers of terrain that we experience daily. Behind Danzante, with hills just about the same height is Puerto Escondido, then behind that are the main mountains of Baja towering thousands of feet, yet only a couple of miles inland from Puerto Escondido. It was a beautiful sailing day and as we approached Marquer, we raced V'ger, a beautiful Baba 35 into the anchorage but didn't get there in time to get a picture of her under full sail.

The fish seemed even more active at night and just turning on a flashlight revealed dozens of them around Trick. Most of our underwater exploration has been done snorkelling because we only have 2 air cylinders and no way to refill them other than finding a dive shop. We just couldn't resist at Marquer and here was John's dive buddy, Casey from V'ger who spotted the eel in the photograph on the right. Life just seemed to cover every square inch of the rocks here. The center picture has a spotted black nudibranch just below center. Fish just surrounded us.

The angel fish in the first two pictures made a beeline for John and his camera but just didn't seem to understand that he needed to stay still to get a good photograph. We've noted that many angelfish seem to be attracted to people. We've taken a lot of pictures of fish just to try and identify them but they never seem to look too much like the pictures in our reference books. The one in the middle looks like a tasty candidate for our dinner plates, but it's hard to be sure with anything other than a taste test. Scallops are also quite abundant and some are quite large and tasty. This guy isn't one of them but the tasty ones seem very nervous and close at the slightest disturbance. They also have such good camouflage that they are impossible to distinguish from the rock they are attached to. Haven't managed to identify the last fish here, but it seems very common. One problem with the fish books is that they tend to focus on the less common fish, so it's a challenge to identify the ones we see every day.

More puffer fish. They are just so cute. The middle picture seems to be something like an urchin which camouflages itself with stones and shells. The grove of cactus on the South side of Marquer identifies the best place we found to snorkel and dive. Just a little to the left of this is a small beach and chocolate clams were quite abundant in the shallow water just off the beach. There seemed to be a resident pod of dolphins in Marquer. They visited us morning and evening. Perhaps feeding on the squid which occasionally came around.

John���s first attempt at clamming netted us a few chocolates and a couple of other species of clams.

Marquer is a favorite spot for Peter and Yvonne on Couch Potato. We met them there and arranged a shopping trip to Loreto when we returned to Puerto Escondido where they park their truck. Here we are at one of the internet cafes that help keep us in touch.

Back in Puerto Escondido, we also met up with Dave and Carol on Nuage. They had decided to rent a car for a road trip and asked us if we'd like to tag along. The first leg of the trip was 30 miles of dirt road to San Xaviar, the second mission built after Loreto. It is just about in the middle of the peninsula through incredibly rough terrain which had us wondering what those early missionaries were thinking. We passed some small petroglyphs which suggested that even earlier occupants had found the area a little more hospitable than we had, and there a still a few occupants, human as well as the critters John snapped photographs of.

The rocky, hilly terrain eventually opened out into a fertile valley with a well maintained town and the mission. There was all sorts of plant life but the most noticeable was the groves of mango trees with fruit literally dropping at our feet. We feasted on the most delicious mangos we have ever tasted. Fresh from the tree.

Back along that 30 miles of dirt road and then North to Mulege (pronounced moolahay). About the only town with a permanent river flowing through it. We spent the night in a hotel overlooking the valley and dined in a wonderful restaurant at a table only feet from the sea. I think it is called Le Patron and is on the North side of the river where the road to the lighthouse meets the beach.

The next day was for sightseeing in Mulege. First on our list was the famous Jailhouse. Apparently most prisoners were allowed out during the day to go to work in Mulege. A conch horn signaled when they needed to return and apparently most did. It has now been turned into a museum. Our guidebooks warned us that it wouldn't be a normal museum experience and mentioned a problem with pigeons roosting and doing their thing over the exhibits. The pigeons were certainly there, although they seem to have been discouraged from roosting in the rooms with exhibits. We've never seen so many pigeons in our lives before. Roosting just about everywhere and even sitting on eggs in nests on the ground. As you may see, the exhibits weren't the best preserved but it was certainly an interesting place to visit. The mission has been very nicely restored and I couldn't resist a picture of the lamp standards surrounding it. These are electric lights too!

Our next stop was Peuerto Ballandra on Isla Carmen just a couple of miles North of Marquer. The fish presence here was utterly spectacular. The black angel fish in two of the pictures is a very interesting creature. There are quite a lot of them and they all seem to guard fairly small territories consisting of a rock with a brownish covering which looks like a very fine algae. They just seem to patrol the area constantly and keep all other fish away. And other fish seem to want in on the spot too. If the guard is distracted, dozens of them swim in to do I'm not quite sure what and trigger a frantic chase by the angel fish.

We think the fellow on the left is some kind of snapper. They are in picture number three in the ones above too. This is where our fish ID becomes important. To eat, or not to eat, because John had invested in a Hawaian sling to supplement the fishing rod and also help us select exactly what kind of fish we would have for dinner. These guys didn't seem in the least bit shy or afraid. A sure sign that they aren't too popular with hunters. But the book said they should be good eating? Anyway, John snagged one and we enjoyed a relatively tasty fish with flaky white meat. Not sure what the huge school of fish was. They were about a foot long and there were thousands and thousands of them all over the anchorage. The center picture has a very well camouflaged fish right in the middle of the picture, oriented from lower left to upper right and the last 2 pictures are of a scorpion fish. They lie very still on the bottom and look just like a rock. If you disturb them or worse, stand on them, they can deliver a nasty wound from a poisonous spine on their back.

More fish, on of many attractive starfish, moonrise over the bay and a picture as we left Ballandra behind.

Loreto is just a couple of hour's sail from Ballandra. It is the heart of a burgeoning eco-tourism industry based on the National Park comprising the bay of Loreto and the several islands in the area. It is also a center for sports fishing and has the first international airport North of La Paz. It used to be the state capital of Baja California and the site of the first mission in California (which included Baja California and the US state of California, all a part of Mexico at the time. It is a small but very attractive town and I just loved the dates growing on palm trees along the streets, especially the malecon, or waterfront.

An interesting variant of the black angelfish. This one had a white face.