Don Jose Trip Report

07/29/07 to 08/05/07

Dive Master: Peter C. Schalkwijk

Sunday:

The group arrived during the day, some from diving in Cabo Pulmo and some arriving from Mexico City and Puebla. They were given the initial briefing and I recommended some dining opportunities. The people that needed rental gear were taken to the office and outfitted properly for the week of adventure.

 

Monday

Location(s): Los Islotes

 

Surface Conditions:

Some wind and 1 ft waves from the south; cool temperature and a slight current on both dives.

 

Underwater Conditions:

Conditions improved from last week with visibility increasing to 40 to 50 ft. A slight current on both dives and water temperature in the mid 70’s above the thermocline and higher 60’s to lower 70’s below. The thermocline was at around 40 ft.

 

Description of the day’s events:

We did two dives at Los Islotes today. The first one before lunch was a test dive for about half the group, checking their buoyancy and gear. The rest of the group that had been diving in Cabo Pulmo did a beautiful dive deep around the east end. After lunch, we did a great dive, encountering some playful sea lions and nice schools of fish. We also encountered a Navanax nudibranch that actually ate another nudibranchs in front of our faces! Dolphins led us to our anchorage for the night at San Francisquito.

 

Tuesday

Location(s): Las Animas

 

Surface Conditions:

A strong wind from the south with 1 to 3 ft swells on the southern side of the island. Cool surface temperature because of the wind.

 

Underwater Conditions:

 

Visibility has increased here, too, from last week with 40 to 50 ft above the thermocline and lower below. Temperature was in the low 70’s above and a little cooler below.

 

Description of the day’s events:

We did up to three dives during the day and a night dive at the anchorage. We dove Sea Lion Rock and the safe cave in the morning and the pinnacles in the afternoon. Sea Lion Rock had really nice, big schools of barber fish on the north face and loads of guitar fish. The safe cave had a lobster as guest and loads of soldier fish. The pinnacles had limited visibility, but up shallow there were big schools of skip jack and big-eyed jacks.

The night dive was spectacular because it is the one night of the month where the synaptic cucumbers were spawning by standing up vertically and intertwining.

 

Wednesday

Location(s): San Diego Reef, Ensenada de la Amortajada.

 

Surface Conditions:

Nice and calm, no waves, strong wind as we motored south but no waves as we motored inside the San Jose Island Channel.

 

Underwater Conditions:

Visibility at all sites was around 40 ft with a slight thermocline at San Diego Reef at about 30ft. Temperature was in the mid 70’s.

 

Description of the day’s events:

We did two dives at San Diego Reef with humongous schools of goatfish, and in the shade of the reef, huge schools of chromis were being hunted by coronet fish. The swim through was a high for everybody that went through it. In the afternoon, we dove at the Ensenada de la Amortajada on the south end of San Jose Island. The dive was a really shallow one (max 30ft) looking for small critters. We found plenty of balloon fish, and a couple of fine spotted-jaw fish, one of which had eggs in his mouth. There were also loads of different stingrays and I was privileged with a glimpse of a small mobula ray. After the dives we did a tour of the mangroves. As we were going through the lagoon’s mouth, we saw Humboldt squid beaching (probably due to great group karma).We caught a couple for what turned out to be a delicious seviche!!

 

Thursday

Location(s): El Bajo, Los Islotes

 

Surface Conditions:

The weather was beautiful with flat seas and a cool breeze to keep the temperature within a manageable range.

 

Underwater Conditions:

When we arrived at El Bajo the current was ripping! But as we got ready, it came down to a manageable amount. Visibility was great above the thermocline (80-100ft) and not so good below (40ft). Temperature was close to 80 degrees above and in the mid 70’s below. At Los Islotes the current was still there but we did the dives as drift dives with no problem.

 

Description of the day’s events:

El Bajo paid off BIG! On the first dive, believe it or not we spotted about 30 hammer head sharks when we were doing our safety stop—wow! On the second dive, we decided to stay above the thermocline and were rewarded with the sighting of a huge black marlin. I want to dive there again! At Los Islotes the diving was great, too; we had an encounter with a really playful female and a male that just toured around our heads. The night dive was spectacular at the arch with soft coral, lobsters and slipper lobsters. What a day!

 

Friday

Location(s): La Reina

 

Surface Conditions: Wonderful flat and cool day.

 

Underwater conditions:

Visibility was around 50 ft. with a moving thermocline that left temperatures of 75 degrees below and close to 80 above. There was some current on the first dives which became stronger in the afternoon.

 

Description of the day’s events:

This place is alive! Huge schools of machete, green jack, goat fish, barber fish, and creole. We spotted a huge green turtle and simply had a blast, even when the current ripped through the place. People were just playing it and riding it, and we had three great dives. To finish the day off, as we were motoring back towards Espiritu Santo for the night, we spotted a pod of orcas. They weren’t exactly friendly, but at least everybody got a good look.

 

Saturday

Location(s): Suwannee Reef

 

Surface Conditions:

A perfect day out at sea but hot, hot hot back at port in La Paz.

 

Underwater conditions:

Visibility around 50 ft; temperature around 78 degrees; close to no current.

 

Description of the day’s events:

One amazing dive looking at a male sea lion and three or four females just playing around. The reef also has a huge congregation of balloon fish that don’t cease to amaze me. A beautiful dive to end the trip (I say this all the time, but this place is just teeming with life)!