Makes us want to be there too. Although we could have done without the spear in the spine part it is all good :)
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We have sailed and motored from San Diego,CA seven hundred plus miles
to the tip of Baja California at Cabo San Lucas and three hundred twenty-seven
miles north to Guaymas. Relaunching Isleña, we have retraced much
of our northern route south to La Paz..Along the way we revisited coves and bays
we liked and lingered longer at the special ones. One such place is Bahía Agua
Verde. We met new friends there and finally filled our refrigerator with fish.
Not by catching but by receiving gifts from fellow cruisers and fishermen who
took pity on us.
Dave and Sam when they were in San Diego CA.
Now in Roca Solitaria, Mexico
Manfred said he’d spear a couple of Parrot fish for us, one male
and one female so we could identify them in the future. We just needed to take
him out snorkeling. Manfred at 72 years had been a professional
diver and champion free diver in South Africa and Europe. He was a pioneer in
deep diving using yoga and meditation techniques to greatly extend breath
holding and dive depths. He said he had been around with some of Cousteau’s
expeditions. Maybe yes, maybe no. But he sure could dive. We hit the water
around Roca Solitaria, shown on the chart and pictures on page 134 -136 Sea of
Cortez Cruising Guide. It’s a tall white pinnacle surrounded by a reef. The
water was much clearer than at the anchorage with large boulders broken and
fallen free of the pinnacle. Fish were abundant. Manfred, a solo kind of guy,
swam off with spear gun trailing his buoyed stringer. We snorkeled away with new
friend Jim in the opposite direction so we didn’t spook any fish Manfred was
after. Clear cool water invited us to dive. The reef fell away to dark blue
water. I dove over the edges of broken rock into clefts and out to a shelf of
sand before the bottom dropped again. SaM followed on the surface exploring the
shallower water. There were fan corals and algae’s. Many species of fish
solitary paired and schooled. Cortez and King Angel fish shoaled across the reef
flashing from juvenile colors of cobalt barred orange and brilliant yellow.
Adults wore midnight blue with alternating bars of lemon and electric blue.
Wrasse darted in and out of small crevasses. Big green Parrot fish grazed the
hard coral and algae’s. Countless more cruised or hid or swam the reef. All
occupying their niche. Thronging or hiding, defending territory or intruding on
others'. Competing. Thriving. Surviving. We circled the pinnacle
returning to our dinghy.
Manfred arrived minutes later with two large fish on
his stringer. Male and female Parrot fish, so we could identify the sexes. Each
was taken with clean and accurately shots through the spine. He was nonchalant,
mostly expressionless while describing his hunt. Skilled, efficient and pleased
I think to provide us with a fresh catch. Manfred is a man with stories to tell.
SaM could hardly contain herself. Fish to clean! We could almost taste the
grilled fillets.
On another dive I took a few scallops to sample. Check out the pictures of our catch and the anchorage.
Dave and SaMS/V Isleña
La Paz, Baja California, Mexico
N24˚09.246’ W110˚19.824’
Sea of Cortez A Cruiser’s Guidebook
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