The ultimate guide: Espiritu Santo Island in La Paz
From: La guía máxima: Isla Espíritu Santo en La Paz » Aventuras Chimbi
The Ultimate Guide: Espiritu Santo Island
The Espiritu Santo Island Archipelago is located in the south of the Baja California peninsula, northeast of the city of La Paz, in the State of Baja California Sur.
Together with Isla Partida, Isla Espiritu Santo has a length of more than 15 kilometers from north to south, and a maximum width of more than 9 kilometers, and an area of 80 square kilometers, and together with Isla Partida, they form the twelfth island largest in Mexico. It is completely deserted, without permanent construction, only temporarily inhabited by small fishermen's camps and some ecotourism camps.
Isla Espiritu Santo National Park was founded on May 10, 2017, with an area of 48,654 marine hectares (115,284 acres), 300 hectares of coral ecosystems (741 acres) where scientists have identified 9 species of corals, 255 of invertebrates and 62 fish species, in addition to 7 species of baleen whales and 20 species of toothed cetaceans such as the spinner dolphin, the orca or killer whale, the bottle-billed dolphin and Baird's beaked whales.
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Tours with Swimming with Sea Lions
Visited by tourists from all over the world, Isla Espiritu Santo hides natural attractions for walkers, and tour operators cover a large part of the Island, the jewel in the crown being Los Islotes, stone formations that emerge from the bottom of the sea and where a large number of colony of California Sea Lions (zalophus californianus) has made its home.
The colonies are open for swimming and diving between the months of September to May, being closed to these activities the months of June, July and August, due to the reproduction of the species.
To be able to swim in this colony, it is necessary to hire a Tour that has boats and crews with permits and that observe a protocol that prevents the sea lions from being under stress, in order to develop a safe and fun activity.
Tours to Isla Espiritu Santo usually include the use of snorkeling equipment, food such as fish ceviche, snacks, soft drinks, and water. Visitors should wear a comfortable swimsuit, a change of dry clothes, a towel, and reef-safe sunscreen, although the use of a lycra rashguard is very convenient and prevents application of sunscreens, and footwear that can get wet such as sandals or watershoes. They can also bring beach items such as floats for the blue waters or zarapes to lie on the beach.
On trips to Isla Espiritu Santo it is forbidden to bring pets such as dogs and cats, and animal and plant species foreign to the Island. The National Commission of Natural Protected Areas requests the payment of Rights of Use of the Area to people over 12 years of age and under. of 60, except for people with disabilities or residents of the Municipality of La Paz who carry identification with a photo and address. In general, tourist service providers will request payment when boarding, giving you an official bracelet in exchange.
Los Islotes, on the northern tip of Isla Espiritu Santo
The colony on the northern tip of Isla Espiritu Santo is located 52.1 kilometers (32.4 miles) from the center of La Paz, so the navigation time is between 1:30 and 2:00 hours to reach the Islets, of course, depending of the climate and the type of boat.
This colony in Los Islotes has almost 500 specimens between young, infant and adult Sea Lions. In addition, the surrounding rocks are a very important attractor for marine life: fish of all colors, invertebrates, corals and much more, forming a natural aquarium that will impress the visitor.
Closer to the center of La Paz, there is a reef in San Rafaelito, where there are also sea lions. It is located 15 kilometers from the city (9 miles), half an hour away, but the experience is not the same as in the greater seal since it has a smaller area and the population of sea lions is not as active. There is a small lighthouse located on the eastern corner of the rock.
San Rafaelito lighthouse, near Balandra
After swimming with sea lions or snorkeling in a coral reef, during the reproductive stage, you can visit one of the incredible beaches of this desert island.
The most famous beaches on the island are Ensenada Grande, with impressive rock formations, sandy bottoms and calm blue waters, El Candelero, with a wonderful mountain range and two islets inserted in a cove with turquoise waters, El Empachado next to Cerro de la Catedral , where there is a small coral reef, La Partida where you can see the channel that separates Isla Espíritu Santo from Isla Partida, among others such as La Bonanza, El Embudo, La Ballena and many more, all of singular beauty and excellent conservation .
The Island has very interesting places to visit: rock formations, colonies of seabirds such as frigatebirds or earwigs, mangroves, remains of the pearling industry from the late 1800s, sanctuaries where green turtles live and of course, thousands of hectares of sea. that surrounds the archipelago, where we can find marine life such as whales, dolphins, killer whales, mobulas, beaked whales and turtles.
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Diving SCUBA
Isla Espiritu Santo has more than 18 autonomous diving sites, known throughout the world, such as Los Islotes in the northern tip, where almost 500 sea lions live in total freedom in an impressive natural aquarium formed by the rocks they inhabit, El Bass (Marisla) known for its concentrations of pelagic fish and hammerhead sharks.
It also has four very interesting wrecks: The Ferry Salvatierra, a ship that sank after colliding with the Swanne reef on June 19, 1975; the “Fang Ming” ship, a Chinese freighter seized by the Mexican Navy and sunk in front of the iconic La Catedral hill in 1999, the “Lapas N03” ship seized by the US Coast Guard and sunk south of La Ballena Islet also in 1999 and a former Mexican Navy gunboat, the C-59 “Francisco Márquez”, sunk in 2001.
Near Isla Espíritu Santo is Isla Jacques Cousteau, formerly known as Isla Cerralvo. It was baptized in honor of the famous documentalist, conservationist and great disseminator of science Jacques Yves Cousteau for his contribution to the knowledge of biodiversity and for having baptized the area as "The Aquarium of the World".
To the west of Jacques Cousteau Island, the islets of La Reina and La Reinita will offer the diver impressive experiences, since in the months of July to September, some giant mantas visit the area in order to receive cleaning from fish that inhabit the reefs. around these islets.
Get the complete guide to the Espiritu Santo Island Archipelago by downloading it at this link.
