WaterWayne
Guest
Summary: Located on the east cape of Baja Cal, about two hours' drive northeast from Cabo San Lucas, Cabo Pulmo is a national marine park covering an area about 18 km long by five km out in the Sea. It's billed as the Pacific Coast's only living coral reef, but it's really soft coral on granite and limestone. No fishing of any kind is allowed in the park. Water temps are a few degrees warmer than in Los Cabos. The Sea of Cortez seems to be more variable and unpredictable than Los Cabos. Dive operators are rudimentary, but they are quite conscientious about protecting the park's natural integrity.
Dive Operator: Pepe's provides a unique experience. The divemaster and operator in Pepe Murrietta's absence is J. Michael Seyfert (Miguel), who provides much of the uniqueness. (Pepe himself is a marine biologist who frequently travels int'ly as a consultant.) It ain't fancy, because it's all about the diving. Diving is roll-off from 20' pangas, which are open, wooden, outboard-powered boats for half-a-dozen divers.
Miguel is immediately and comprehensively responsive via solar-powered, satellite-linked email, as well as satellite phone, and speaks 3 languages. In fact, I learned the hard way that if you're concerned about the dive conditions, call or email Miguel directly, and he'll tell you honestly. (I made the mistake of listening to a couple of snorkelers back at the resort's swim-up bar. They told me not to bother driving up on the scheduled start day because they had heard that the receding storm was still prohibiting diving. Not so.)
Logistics: CSL dive operators provide air-conditioned vans for day trips, and the Solmar live-aboard vessel visits there. The vans are probably a mixed blessing. You'll then dive in a large group, especially when the cruise ship season is hopping. If you're driving yourself from the area of Los Cabos with its easy, urban streets, you'd better eat your Wheaties, or your pan dulce, or whatever prepares you for a challenging ride. The website claims that it's 40 miles, but I clocked it from the Corridor area at 120 km (about 65 miles.) The last 30 km (18 miles) is via washboard dirt road. There is a local hostel, not a real hotel. Many people camp right on the beach, which is entirely safe. Population of Cabo Pulmo is allegedly 110 humans, and some interesting dogs. There ain't no discos, there ain't no crime, and there ain't no credit cards accepted. The last beer/sardines/hygiene store is about 40 KM from Cabo Pulmo, on Hwy 1 just south of the turnoff onto the goat track to Cabo Pulmo. The next town north on Hwy 1 is Pto. Barriles, about 65 KM from Cabo Pulmo. It's a fishing pueblo on the northern bounday of the national marine park.
There is a restaurant at Cabo Pulmo, which I did not visit. Pepe's prices include lunch. It's definitely not tablecloth-and-extra-forks, but it is nutritious, hydrating, and hospitable, cooked while you're drying.
IMPORTANT: After an initial, electronic deposit, all the local operations are strictly cash-based, either dollars or pesos. Miguel does accept traveler's checks as well. The nearest ATM is back in San Jose, so be prepared.
Dives: Depending on currents, Cabo Pulmo can be a slow-moderate drift dive. There are five fingers of the reef. We dove El Bajo and El Cantil. I also snorkeled Mermaid Bay, which was almost as amazing as the diving itself. Water temps were 84-85 deg. Air temps were hot, hot, and hot. Viz ranged from 50-80 feet. Depths ranged from mid-50' to 30 feet. Dive briefings and de-briefings by Miguel were good, especially the chance to go through the fish book afterwards to identify the very different types.
Marine Life: Eye-popping, mesmerizing, entrancing...the list of adjectives could go on through the dictionary. Immense numbers and types of fish, and several very healthy green morays (about two meters.) The eels' sizes prompted me to ask the boat skipper why there were not smaller, presumably immature eels. He replied that he had not seen any but the larger ones, so either the babies are very well hidden, or eels achieve full length quickly in their lives. The largest fish were a type of bass, almost two meters. There were all kinds of tangs, Moorish Idols (who go about in pairs, I learned), puffers, burrfish (which are like the Cocker Spaniels of the sea, with big, dark, appealing eyes), and pompano, including one spectacularly golden type who hung resplendently in a shaft of light just for us. Parrotfish types included the regular-headed ones as well as bumpheads, in their most familiar greenish-blue as well as reddish-purple colors. Triggerfish were darting around. There was a medium-sized school of jacks, which look like small tuna. The bottom varied from rock to sand, and of course the sunlight reflecting off the sand very much aided visibility. There were a few octopi and a couple of lobsters as well.
While snorkeling, I saw a 32" turtle, which was surprisingly the only turtle I saw anywhere in Baja California.
The only bad news in all this Eden-like glory were the drifting "agua mala" (bad water) strands of stinging globules. They're big enough to be seen, but delicate enough to be easily overlooked. I'm starting to research these 6" strings with up to half-a-dozen tiny spheres, drifting aimlessly. I had thought that they were detached jellyfish tentacles, but Miguel told me that they are self-contained, independent creatures. Their sting is about equal to a moderate ant bite without lasting effect. Of course, your susceptability may vary.
Overall, Cabo Pulmo is a very worthwhile dive experience, well worth the drive from Los Cabos. In fact, Cabo Pulmo is worth a dive trip all by itself, and I'll be planning a return trip in next year's shoulder season in mid-September. That will also include the Mexican holiday of 16Sep, which should be quite festive in San Jose de los Cabos. That town is more traditionally Mexican than Cabo San Lucas.
Que le vaya bien.
Dive Operator: Pepe's provides a unique experience. The divemaster and operator in Pepe Murrietta's absence is J. Michael Seyfert (Miguel), who provides much of the uniqueness. (Pepe himself is a marine biologist who frequently travels int'ly as a consultant.) It ain't fancy, because it's all about the diving. Diving is roll-off from 20' pangas, which are open, wooden, outboard-powered boats for half-a-dozen divers.
Miguel is immediately and comprehensively responsive via solar-powered, satellite-linked email, as well as satellite phone, and speaks 3 languages. In fact, I learned the hard way that if you're concerned about the dive conditions, call or email Miguel directly, and he'll tell you honestly. (I made the mistake of listening to a couple of snorkelers back at the resort's swim-up bar. They told me not to bother driving up on the scheduled start day because they had heard that the receding storm was still prohibiting diving. Not so.)
Logistics: CSL dive operators provide air-conditioned vans for day trips, and the Solmar live-aboard vessel visits there. The vans are probably a mixed blessing. You'll then dive in a large group, especially when the cruise ship season is hopping. If you're driving yourself from the area of Los Cabos with its easy, urban streets, you'd better eat your Wheaties, or your pan dulce, or whatever prepares you for a challenging ride. The website claims that it's 40 miles, but I clocked it from the Corridor area at 120 km (about 65 miles.) The last 30 km (18 miles) is via washboard dirt road. There is a local hostel, not a real hotel. Many people camp right on the beach, which is entirely safe. Population of Cabo Pulmo is allegedly 110 humans, and some interesting dogs. There ain't no discos, there ain't no crime, and there ain't no credit cards accepted. The last beer/sardines/hygiene store is about 40 KM from Cabo Pulmo, on Hwy 1 just south of the turnoff onto the goat track to Cabo Pulmo. The next town north on Hwy 1 is Pto. Barriles, about 65 KM from Cabo Pulmo. It's a fishing pueblo on the northern bounday of the national marine park.
There is a restaurant at Cabo Pulmo, which I did not visit. Pepe's prices include lunch. It's definitely not tablecloth-and-extra-forks, but it is nutritious, hydrating, and hospitable, cooked while you're drying.
IMPORTANT: After an initial, electronic deposit, all the local operations are strictly cash-based, either dollars or pesos. Miguel does accept traveler's checks as well. The nearest ATM is back in San Jose, so be prepared.
Dives: Depending on currents, Cabo Pulmo can be a slow-moderate drift dive. There are five fingers of the reef. We dove El Bajo and El Cantil. I also snorkeled Mermaid Bay, which was almost as amazing as the diving itself. Water temps were 84-85 deg. Air temps were hot, hot, and hot. Viz ranged from 50-80 feet. Depths ranged from mid-50' to 30 feet. Dive briefings and de-briefings by Miguel were good, especially the chance to go through the fish book afterwards to identify the very different types.
Marine Life: Eye-popping, mesmerizing, entrancing...the list of adjectives could go on through the dictionary. Immense numbers and types of fish, and several very healthy green morays (about two meters.) The eels' sizes prompted me to ask the boat skipper why there were not smaller, presumably immature eels. He replied that he had not seen any but the larger ones, so either the babies are very well hidden, or eels achieve full length quickly in their lives. The largest fish were a type of bass, almost two meters. There were all kinds of tangs, Moorish Idols (who go about in pairs, I learned), puffers, burrfish (which are like the Cocker Spaniels of the sea, with big, dark, appealing eyes), and pompano, including one spectacularly golden type who hung resplendently in a shaft of light just for us. Parrotfish types included the regular-headed ones as well as bumpheads, in their most familiar greenish-blue as well as reddish-purple colors. Triggerfish were darting around. There was a medium-sized school of jacks, which look like small tuna. The bottom varied from rock to sand, and of course the sunlight reflecting off the sand very much aided visibility. There were a few octopi and a couple of lobsters as well.
While snorkeling, I saw a 32" turtle, which was surprisingly the only turtle I saw anywhere in Baja California.
The only bad news in all this Eden-like glory were the drifting "agua mala" (bad water) strands of stinging globules. They're big enough to be seen, but delicate enough to be easily overlooked. I'm starting to research these 6" strings with up to half-a-dozen tiny spheres, drifting aimlessly. I had thought that they were detached jellyfish tentacles, but Miguel told me that they are self-contained, independent creatures. Their sting is about equal to a moderate ant bite without lasting effect. Of course, your susceptability may vary.
Overall, Cabo Pulmo is a very worthwhile dive experience, well worth the drive from Los Cabos. In fact, Cabo Pulmo is worth a dive trip all by itself, and I'll be planning a return trip in next year's shoulder season in mid-September. That will also include the Mexican holiday of 16Sep, which should be quite festive in San Jose de los Cabos. That town is more traditionally Mexican than Cabo San Lucas.
Que le vaya bien.
