This is the story of my recent trip Sailing the Sea of Cortez. My plan was to be able to make posts about this trip from the sailboat I was on in the Sea Of Cortez via an on-board ham radio to e-mail connection. But is seems none of my posts went through. So I have collected my entries into this single travel log post as a daily journal. Below is a map roughly outlining our journey exploring the Midriff Islands in Mexico’s Gulf of California.

Getting Underway
San Carlos, May 27, 28th

Blown head gasket and a one-day delayed start aside, the beginning of this trip has gone well. We arrived in San Carlos, Mexico in good time, prepared the boat, and set sail from the harbor by late afternoon. Great weather encouraged us to push through the night in an effort to get to our destination, the Midriff Islands, as soon as possible.

None of us have ever been to the Midriff Islands. This region is the narrowest and deepest part of the Sea of Cortez. It is remote and we are not really sure what to expect.

In the middle of the night the seas got rough, yet we pounded our way through them until dawn. We took shifts on watch throughout the night. I was on the 3am to 6am shift and was thrilled to see a fantastic sunrise.

You might be expecting a great sunrise photo from me, but I don’t have one. Photographing in low light from a bouncing boat in the middle of a sea is not an easy task. Tripod? Forget it. Level horizon line? If you are lucky. I am fully trying to embrace the challenges of photographing from a continuously pitching and rolling sailboat. Nothing stays put. I live in constant fear of dropping my camera in the sea, getting drenched by a rogue wave, or falling and braking something; me or my equipment. Then there is the fact that looking through a viewfinder is a sure ticket for a good case of sea sickness.

A lot of great photos are missed from the confines of a boat. We saw manta rays jumping clear of the water about 7am. Too far for pictures. It’s the first time I have ever seen them and though I wanted to get a great photo, I did not.

We sailed in a light wind, we are motoring a lot since the winds have been light to non existent, and rode a strong northerly current throughout the day. Tonight we are anchored in a gorgeous little cove on the west side of Isla Salsipuedes with a great view of the layered hills of Baja in the distance.

The Land and the Sea
Isla Salsipuedes (Leave if You Can), Friday May 29th

We ended up staying two nights at Isla Salsipuedes. It is a spectacular place. Salsipuedes translates to “Leave if You Can”. I think it has more to do with the deep channel and strong currents that rip between the island and the Baja here rather than anything on the island. We anchored in a little cove, home to two osprey that kept us company. In the evening I paddled ashore in our small inflatable kayak and did some hiking and photographing. The osprey kept me company continuously circling overhead and I got some nice photographs of them.

I am actually blown away by the beauty of this island. It is rugged with sharp volcanic rock and cactus all over, yet rolling and open at the same time. The soil is soft under foot in many places. I learned today that the soil is actually a thick layer of degraded bird guano mixed with rock. It feels spongy under foot. The huge Cordone cactus are the tallest and some of the only plants around. They make great photographic subjects.

It occurs to me as I walk over this island looking toward mainland Baja across the water that the most intriguing aspect of this area is the interplay between land and water. The land is hot, dry, and harsh; the water, the opposite. The contoured and convoluted coastline or interface between the two is the most exciting photographic subject matter for me so far. I was feeling starved for subject matter to photograph out of sight from land on the long sail across the sea at this trips beginning. Out of land‘s sight, I felt limited and uninspired by photographic subject matter. Documentation of life on board and the occasional far off glimpse of animal life is all that was immediately available to me. I recognize there is challenge in finding more depth to this subject matter, however the interplay between land and sea is so striking that I am most excited by it at the moment.

Rasa Island Bird Sanctuary
Rasa Island, Saturday May 31st

I made a solo climbed to the high peak on Isla Salsipuedes just after sunrise this morning. Even at 6 am the heat is somewhat oppressive. The views are tremendous from this summit and the hike along the knife edge ridge well worth the effort. It is the perfect spot for an overview shot to establish a sense of place for Isla Salsipuedes and the Midriff Islands.

Just after Eric’s fantastic Mexican chorizo breakfast we motor out of our perfect little harbor around the west side of the island . Heading north toward the next island we see a few sea lions, blue footed boobies, a bunch of pelicans, and crossing our path a pod of pilot whales traveling with dolphins.

Raza Island 6 miles to the north and is home to a bird sanctuary. The island is swarming with 260,000 Heermann’s Gulls, 180,000 Elegant Terns and 15,000 Royal Terns. There is a small research station on the island and we visited with the lone research scientist in residence. Raza is the nesting site for 95% of all the Hermann’s Gulls in the world. The research site, in addition to providing important information about three beautiful sea bird species, also plays a vital role in managing the regions commercial and sport fisheries.

The northern half of the Sea of Cortez is one of the most productive seas in the world. All three of these sea bird species feed on the huge populations of sardines, anchovies, and mackerels. There is a very close similarity between the diet of these birds and the commercial fish catch. By monitoring breeding and feeding of the birds, research has provided a very accurate predictive model to estimate fishing potential and support fisheries management decisions for the Mexican State of Sonora.

For me, the birds provided a spectacular photographic opportunity. Unfortunately our visit is mid-day with the harshest of possible light. But you work with what you have.

Manta Ray Day
Baja and Rada Laguna, May 31st

We found a really nice anchorage on the Baja side last night. It is not my favorite. It is a long curving beach with beautiful white sand. The north end there is a resort of sorts. As far as we can tell from the water there seems only to be a caretaker there looking after the some eight or ten yurts. I am sure it is a popular place when the season is on, whenever that is. The water is still only 70 degrees and too cold to swim in comfortably. The sandy bottom does not seem that appealing for snorkeling.

We are getting an early start and as we head out of this little bay resuming our northward journey we passed very near to a lone, small manta ray. I snap a few photos looking down onto it from above the water wishing I had a dive camera. I do not think you can do photographic justice to this animal from above the water. Probably something like photographing the earth from the other side of the galaxy.

The only town we will come near to on this journey is Bahia de Los Angeles and we pass it today. We decide not to visit it and pass on the outside of the bay preventing us from even getting a view of it.

Paul has been sick with a flu thing. Probably what Eric had when we arrived but worse. Thus far I am fine and trying hard to stay that way. As a result I have been doing a lot of the navigating and piloting today. I picked out an interesting cove for us to stop at for lunch on the south west side of Isla Coronado, a long island with the remnants of a volcanic cone on it’s north end. It is just north yet close to the mainland where Bahia de Los Angeles lies. I love it right away. It has a very interesting convoluted coast line with steep rocky hills. Yet there are small pristine beaches.

I notice that unlike the area near San Carlos were I sailed with Paul in January, there is not nearly so much trash and plastic bottles piled on the beaches. Read my post about that here.

After lunch and a long nap we all take a spin in the dingy around the point to the north of our cove. Crossing a narrow channel through about a foot of water lets us into an ideal lagoon. The name of this place is Rada Laguna and it cuts through the island to the east. It has green plants, Glasswort or Pickle weed (Salicornia (Athrocneum subterminalis)) according to the plant book on board) growing on its marshy shores. It is exciting to see this bright green plant as there is no other green in sight. This area is very arid and dead brushy plants and sparse cactus prevail in the otherwise gray rocky terrain. It actually reminds be a lot of Ladakh India where I travel often, yet with an ocean.

We saw sting rays and a really beautiful gray heron that I will need to identify (the ships library does not contain a bird book which apparently Paul keeps leaving at home in Colorado). The back of the lagoon has a narrow strip of sand separating it from another cove on the other side that opens up to the sea with a larger island beyond. There is a colorful array of rocks and shells in the sand and more of the green Glasswort growing on the spine of the sand bar. We are all taken by the beauty of this place and quickly decided to stay the night at this anchorage.

We have a resident osprey that is quite vocal. It hovers in the thermals over the boat and screams quite often. It was making obvious hunting moves just off the stern of the boat and I anticipated that it might make a plunged into the water trying to catch a fish. It dives but misses coming up empty handed. I however did not. I get a descent picture as it rises from the water.

Just before dinner I jump in the dingy and climb a knoll above the lagoon. I am amazed, heat aside, how quickly I am able to climb these peaks that look so rugged and far away. Some trick of scale I have not grown accustomed to yet. In spite of their appearance, these are not the Himalayan peaks of Ladakh.

Fish and the Colors of Land
Isla Angel De La Guarda, June 1st

Isla Angel De La Guarda is the second largest island in the Sea of Cortez. It is 41 miles long, 12 miles wide at its widest, and has a central ridge of mountains rising to a 4,315 foot peak at its northern end. We crossed over to this island from our anchorage last night hoping to spot whales. We did not. Upon reaching the coast Paul and Eric threw out fishing lines and I piloted as we trolled north close in to the shore. It was only minutes before the cry “fish on” was heard. In a mater of minutes Paul and Eric had caught nearly 10 fish. They were small Leopard Groupers and most got thrown back. We kept two of the nicer sized ones for dinner. Suddenly the wind came up. It was quite unexpected as the weather report called for more of the same totally calm weather we had been experiencing. We hoist the bright orange spinnaker sail and kill the groaning diesel engine. It is a beautiful afternoon of sailing as we ride the northerly wind the full length of the island’s east coast.

This island like most of the Midriff Islands is of volcanic origin. Unlike most of the other island we have seen so far however, this island is quite colorful. Bands of gray, green, pink, white, and red volcanic and sedimentary rock paint the cliffs, hills and sculpted arroyos and valleys. The steep shoreline is either cliff or steep rocky beaches that drop off precipitously into the deep water. According to a guide book that we have, there are over 200 species of plants, more than 50 species of birds, 15 reptiles and amphibians, and 3 mammals found on this island.

Puerto Refugio lies at the northern end of Isla Angel De La Guarda. We head for one of the anchorages between the main island and Isla Mejia and Punta Acantilado. The diverse beauty is stunning. Meadows of green lay beneath steep slopes dotted with the stark white bark of the leafless elephant trees (Pachycormus discolor). This is my first sighting of these unique trees.

We drop anchor excited that we have found paradise. We soon find that paradise it is not. Paul immediately begins to complain with annoyance about the no-see-ums that are biting him. The well protected cove is also stiflingly hot. We pull the anchor and motor around the corner finding an equally beautiful spot near a small island rock with a better view of the sunset. Cocktails on deck, a late dinner, and we all fall asleep to the sound of honking sea lions and screeching birds.

Baby Pelicans
Isla Angel De La Guarda, June 2nd

It turns out that the screeching of birds we listened to last evening was more than the seagulls. There is a group of baby pelicans up on a cliff just in from where we anchored. I take the dinghy in to a small beach beneath where they are and climb up the steep loose cliff side to them. I get quite close before they began to back away from me. They are not as small or young as I had thought they were. They look like they are quite close to fledging. I shoot a few photographs of them and their nests before backing away from them. The nests are quite rudimentary, a loose pile of sticks locked in place with a lot of smelly guano.

This anchorage is very calm and peaceful. There is a tremendous bird population here. Mostly seagulls, a lot of pelicans, an osprey and a few ducks. The sea lions on the neighboring island are quite verbal and make an occasional appearance in close.

We have decided to stay a second night here. In an effort to entertain myself and to not come home with a million sunset pictures I play around with the double exposure feature of my camera. There is a rising moon and I think it will make a great compositional element. So after shooting the moon and remembering it’s position in the frame I add on top of it a shot of Fang Rock across the bay. I do this several times with the moon and birds and other scenes before going to bed.

Southbound
Isla Angel De La Guarda, June 3rd, 2009

It dawns another calm and tranquil day. There is a light overcast of cloud, yet no wind and the water is glassy smooth. The 7:00 am weather report by Don, a crazy retired self taught meteorologist Brit living in Ventura California that has made it his personal mission to report weather for the Baja area, says we can expect more of the same. “We have climate, but not weather” he says.

A quick breakfast of eggs and cheese, compliments of Eric, before hoisting the anchor and we are on our way. Suddenly an alarm sounds; low engine oil pressure! Apparently Paul left the cap off of the engine’s oil filtration system when he checked it this morning. We have managed to pump most of the engine oil into the bilge. Not the end of the world however. No damage done to the engine and we have spare oil. A quick refill with the spare oil and a little bilge cleanup and we are on our way again.

We have no set plan for out next destination today. Only a plan to head south along the east coast of Isla Angel De La Guarda and begin making our way back to the east side of the Sea of Cortez. The east coast of Isla Angel De La Guarda is as spectacular and dramatic as the west side, loaded with color and wild rugged features carved by the elements. From the comfort of a boat I speculate on how it would be a near impossible task to cross this desert island on foot.

We decide to push through the day away from the islands coast toward Isla San Estaban to the south and east out in the middle of the Sea of Cortez. This means an entire day, probably motoring ,across the sea, but it will position us nicely for the return voyage down the Mexican mainland coast.

It’s 10:00 pm the wind came up a little and we have been able to raise a sail. We are within a few miles of San Estaban. It is dark and we had a fantastic dinner of trigger fish Paul caught as we cruised in close along the coast of Angel De La Guarda. We have good moonlight in spite of the thin veil of clouds covering the sky. On board radar and the GPS will help us find our anchorage. I make a few photos of the boat with the sail up as the sun is setting. We have been able to do a little motor sailing. This is when we raise a sail to help us along while we are still using the motor.

Tomorrow we plan to explore Isla San Estaban. This island is home to a unique Chuckwalla found only in these islands. This is exciting for us, especially since none of us knows exactly what a chuckwalla is.

The Land Before Time
Isla Estaban, June 4

Apparently chuckwallas are large lizards. I knew nothing of them until today. The endangered San Esteban Island chuckwalla lizard (Sauromalus varius), the largest of the species, is found on only on Isla Estaban Isla Pelicanos, and Isla Roca Lobos. They exists no place else in the world and are a prime example of ‘insular gigantism’, the tendency of small mainland animals to increase in size once established on an island due to fewer natural predators. They can grow up to two feet long. There seems to be no widely accepted theory on how they came to exist here, however one theory suggests that`”… the Cocoa’s (Indians) transplanted select species of lizards to some islands as a food resource in reserve.” (Research by Northern Arizona University)

It was not long before one darted across the drainage allowing us a glimpse. They are big, and fast. “I see one” I shouted. “Coming at you” Paul yelled almost simultaneously causing me to look away from the one I saw toward him just in time to see Eric jump as a second chuckwalla runs under his feet straight at me. That got all our adrenalin flowing. Amidst the laughter Eric asked “I wonder how big the mother is?

We continue up the island’s large central drainage filled with tumbled rock, huge Cordone cactus, and thorny scrub. Now that we know what we were looking for, we begin to see chuckwallas everywhere. We find one dead and decaying hanging in a bush, it’s foot impaled by a large thorn. That caused a lot of speculation on our behalves.

As the heat becomes oppressive we return to the rocky beach and to the boat. The rest of the day will be spent crossing south east to the mainland as we return toward San Carlos.

Just Sailing
The Sea of Cortez, June 5th

We arrived at this small anchorage just as the sun is setting last night. The voyage was relatively eventless aside from the fact that we actually had a light wind that allowed us to actually sail.

There are two large groups of campers on the beach. They are from the US and seem to have all the toys. Paul and Eric did some snorkeling and Paul returned with some clams for our dinner. The wind is coming up again so we have decided to go out for a sail. As we are leaving we spot the skeleton of a whale on the beach to the north. Paul had seen, and smelled, this dead whale earlier this year. Paul and I swam over from the boat to check it out. It is huge, and much of it is missing rotten and returned to the sea.

Swimming with the Sea Lions
Isla San Pedro Nolasco, June 6th

Yesterday was the best sailing we have had on this trip. The winds were the strongest yet and we had a great time just sailing and enjoying being out on the water. About mid day we turned back inland and anchored in an uninhabited cove just to the south of where we had been the night before. Paul is grilled the clams he collected and we sat on the back deck eating, drinking margaritas, and watching the sun set.

Hoping we would be graced with the same good wind we had yesterday we picked up the anchor and headed out toward Isla San Pedro Nolasco. I went to this island in January when I was sailing here with Paul and my girlfriend Shauna. This sheer-cliff island is bursting with life. On my last visit I took some great photos of sea lions, pelicans, boobies and cormorants.

About 3 miles out from the island Paul spots dolphins. There are a lot of them in this pod and we are sailing right across their path. A few of them have calves and repeatedly some come right along side swimming in the bow wave from our boat. We are moving so slow and they soon seem to get bored and loose interest in us.

At the Island we anchor in a sheltered spot and go snorkeling. The water here is a warm 81 degrees. Much more comfortable than the waters up north that never measured more than 70 degrees. There are many colorful fish and the highlight for me is the sea lions. Most of them stay up on the rocks snoozing or barking at each other, but a few come in the water to check us out. They circle and dive under us as we swim. It is quite a unique experience to observe them in their native environment seeing how freely and uninhibited they move through the water. From the deck of a boat I was not able to look into the eye of these creatures sharing their curiosity.

From here we sail back to San Carlos.

Dry Dock
San Carlos, June 7th

We anchored and slept last night in the bay just outside of the marina. After a quick breakfast we motor in and docked the boat in Paul’s slip. Today is all about cleaning and getting the boat ready for hauling out of the water to the dry storage dock. With the boat safely on land, we begin our ling drive home.