Sperm Whales, Advanced Divers and a little R&R
This time of year it is hot in Mulegé - many of the American "snow birds" have long gone. Instead our clientele come from Europe, Australia and all over Mexico. It is this time of year that Mick enjoys: the warm water (in the 80s), the lack of wetsuits as well as a more diverse group of travelers makes summer in Mulegé always interesting. The month of July has been no different. We have had 4 continents represented (South/North America, Europe and Australia), as well as having family from Norway the US and Brasil all stay in the sleepy town.
A quick note for people driving South. We decided to try the Tecate border crossing for the first time heading South. Mick had travelled the route several times and prefered it to TJ, so we did the same. For all those who hate running the gambit of TJ police and nightmarish traffic at the border, Tecate was really a breath of the old fresh air. 15 minute board wait (most I have heard of is 1 hour), a beautiful drive down to Ensenada and coupled with a drive time that was only 25 minutes longer to get to North County San Diego makes Tecate my new favorite border crossing, to go with my favorite brewer, south of the border.
Moby Dick Sighting.
Sperm Whales, perhaps not pure white but for sure amazing to witness, were spotted mid-way between Isla San Marcos and Isla Tortuga - There we two, smallish (in relative terms), Sperm Whales that breached in front of the dive boat on the way back from a couple of excellent dives out at Tortuga. Mick had been completing an Advanced Open Water course with his daughter Emma, and one other diver, Ed.
The outbound trip had been quiet, flat seas and very little in way of top-side marine life, however the way back more than made up for that. Besides the Whales, they were also surrounded by Humbolt Squid and schools of Tuna and Dorado. They were hunting the small fry under the floating kelp beds. Needless to say, with the squid actively hunting in broad daylight it was decided that entering the water for photographs would not be the smartest course of action.
Let's not forget the actual dives! They had also been pretty good, although the 2 weeks of prevailing Southerly winds had really stirred up the thermocline, making the water a little more turbid than usual. Still with 40/50' viz, there was still plenty to see. Sealions, Octopus, and the many reef species kept everyone happy. This is the 4th time this summer season Mick has dived Tortuga, each time he has not been disappointed.
Rebuilt Compressor for New Students.
At the beginning of the month the compressor was rebuild and reinstalled back at the dive center. It took 2 days to drive it south from Compressed Air Specialists in Anaheim - I cannot say enough about how professional and timely their service was http://www.paintballcompressor.com/ -
Once installed back at the dive center, the first order was to fill our heavily depleted tank stock and head out for a dive with a friend who was visiting from SoCal. Jeff joined another client, Ondrej, in starting his Advanced Open Water course. Over the next 3 days they completed their training in several different specialties and while Jeff had to head back to SoCal, Ondrej is returning at the end of the month to complete his EFR and Divemaster with us.
Clementines Baja http://www.clementinesbaja.com/
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cliff, at Clementines Baja, for his excellent accommodation, putting my family in a wonderful 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment. Jeff also stayed at Clementines, he stayed in a one bedroom, 1 bath. Each unit had it's own kitchen area and private patio. There was a BBQ at each house and ours was brand new. We spent many evenings BBQing carne asada and drinking the local beers. All the rooms are tastefully decorated and I think I also speak for Jeff when i say that we were both impressed and would recommend to our friends and customers. Prices range from $40/50 per night depending on the season and the unit you wish to rent. Needless to say, you cannot go wrong.
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