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Guest Article: Paddling Among Porpoises
By Tan Chung Lee -
OutBound Travel Magazine September 2000
A pristine wilderness of
cactus gardens, fossilized islands and a marine environment where whale,
dolphins and sea birds call home - that's the Sea of Cortez. The best way to
explore all this is to get close to the water - by kayaking- and enjoying good
old-fashioned exercise to boot.
A flock of pelicans
stood on a rocky shoreline, eyeing us as warily as we were surveying them.
Above us, frigate birds glided gracefully looking for tell-tale ripples on the
ocean surface. The moment they spotted fish, they would dive in a vertical
swoop to grab their prey. At the same time, we kept our eyes peeled for ospreys
and blue-footed boobies. If we were lucky, we might also spot dolphins or sea
lions and even hear a fin whale or blue whale nearby.
We were paddling on the
calm cobalt-blue waters of the Sea of Cortez alongside Isla Danzante (Isle of
Dancer). The sea birds were not the only natural wonders that greeted us,
up-close and personal, on our first day of kayaking. The wrap-around scenery of
jagged mountains, with their dark folds and sharp ridges, was also a
spectacular sight.
Our first stop at a
picturesque spot, called Honeymoon cove, on Punta Arena on Isla Danzante was a
prelude to what we would encounter the rest of the week: Clear waters, views of
the sharp jagged features of surrounding volcanic isles and birds on the hunt
for prey. We saw a flock of seagulls in a feeding frenzy, pouncing on squid and
fish in the water just a couple of meters form the beach.
Walking to the top of
the headland that sheltered Honeymoon Cove, it was easy to see how it had
earned its name: The pristine beauty of this cozy alcove was breathtaking.
Except for a lone yacht anchored in the middle of the ocean, there was no other
boat or soul in sight. Somehow, the scenery reminded me of the Galapagos
Islands, with similar volcanic island and bird species. Only the giant
tortoises and marine iguanas were missing.
There were 16 of us on a
one-week sea kayak expedition to explore, close-up, the famed wildlife of the
seas off Baja California. We comprised 12 guests, led by four guides, including
Terry Prichard, the owner of Se Kayak Adventures, the trip's outfitter. At
first, I had started out with some trepidation as it was several years ago
since I had kayaked. But I need not have worried.
An hour-and-a-half of
instruction at Puerto Escondido, south of Loreto, Mexico, from where we
launched our expedition, was sufficient to ease my doubts. We were taught how
to paddle, maneuver our fiberglass two-seater kayaks and what to do in case we
capsized. A number of my fellow kayakers were novices.
Kayaking the entire week
proved to be a breeze. It was astonishing how stable - and compact - the kayaks
were. They carried our personal gear, camping equipment and all the essentials
needed to operate a mobile kitchen, complete with stove, Dutch over, tables and
chairs. Even a portable loo was stored in one of the kayaks. If there were any
limitations, they never showed as our guides surprised us night after night
with delicious meals.
Our menu included
grilled fresh fish, lasagna and Mexican specialties like tacos and chili
rellenos and there was always a freshly-baked cake every night, courtesy of the
Dutch over. And every evening before dinner was served, there was a cocktail
hour of margaritas allowing us to reflect on the glorious sunsets or to
exchange notes on the day's kayaking.
The Sea of Cortez is
recognized as of the more rewarding places to kayak. Just off the coast of Baja
California, it is one of Mexico's national marine parks, rich in fish and other
marine life. Also known as the Gulf of California, the Sea of Cortez was made
famous by John Steinbeck in his book, Sea of Cortez. Like Hemingway, he had
long discovered the joys of fishing in Mexican waters. So have many American
angling enthusiasts who flock here regularly on deep-sea fishing
expeditions.
The other lure is sea
kayaking. Yet, despite the pull, there are not many kayakers here. Apart from
ourselves, there was only one other group and we saw them only once. Nor did we
see the deep-sea fishing boats. Most of the time, there was only our group and
we had plenty of opportunity to commune with nature. There was plenty - on land
and at sea.
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For a start, the Baja
landscape is striking, comprising volcanic mountains with multicolored layers
of volcanic ash and lava. Each island in the Sea of Cortez is different, Isla
Danzante, for instance, is a place of high volcanic cliffs while Isla Carmen,
another island where we camped, is full of fossilized shell, which shed some
clues to the Sea of Cortez's origins. It is believed that some 20 million years
ago, the Baja Peninsula, that finger-shaped piece of land stretching down from
California, was connected to the rest of Mexico and the Sea of Cortez was
non-existent. Then came the shift of geological plates which rendered apart
Baja peninsula from the mainland, creating a rift that became filled with what
is now known as the Sea of Cortez. This ocean is incredibly rich in marine
life, with as many as 800 species of fish, dolphins, whales and sea
lions.
Our expedition saw us
paddling from Puerto Escondido to Isla Danzante and Isla Carmen and around
parts of the two islands and back. Our typical day started with breakfast,
kayaking for two to three hours before arriving at beach for lunch, some
exploration and , perhaps, snorkeling. Because of its pristine environment, the
Sea of Cortez's coral gardens and fish could even be viewed, in some spots,
right from our kayaks, so clear is the water. Rainbow wrasse, stone fish,
trumpet fish and the multi-armed purple gulf sunstar, a starfish variety, were
some of the natural wonders to be seen. Another bout of kayaking would follow
for two hours or so before ewe would beach again, set up camp for the night,
perhaps go exploring a sandy canyon have cocktails, dinner, chat, play games or
observe the stars. Although we were all provided with tents, many of us
preferred sleeping under the star-studded sky, cooled by the gentle sea
breezes.
Isla del Carmen, where
we spent two nights camping at different spots, is a geologist's dream. This
120,000-year-old fossilized limestone island was once a living coral reef and
we whiled away hours of pleasure roaming the shell-encrusted beaches and
admiring the rocky formations offshore. One of us even found a small arrowhead,
which was used probably by on of three tribes that had once settled here and
must have been oh, centuries old, it was turned over to the museum in
Loreto.
Beyond the pebble beach
of Ensenada de Marques, still on Carmen Island, we explored the various cactus
species endemic in the Baja -barrel cactus, cardones (which looked like
candelabra) cholla and galloping cactus, which can stick onto your clothes if
you are not careful. The cardones are the world's largest cactus species,
soaring to heights of some 10 meters. The Baja Peninsula was home to an
astonishing 120 varieties of cactus alone.
Another highlight of our
expedition was seeing a massive fin whale swimming just a few meters from our
campsite on Ensenada de Marques. We heard it long before we saw it. It was 6 am
and there was heavy panting in the air-it was the fin whale breathing. We
observed about half an hour. Although it did not breach, it surfaced several
times to show us its dorsal fin as it glided by. We later say the same fin
whale while kayaking in the open sea. Our other reward was seeing a pod of
dolphins.
Marine life, plants,
geological formations…the Baja certainly surprised us with its diversity,
and to think it is essentially a desert. But, then, that is the magic of the
Baja.
Click here for Sea of Cortez trip description
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