A good day out!!

We went to Punta Concepcion on Sunday 7th May, continuing Mariela's and Maria's Advanced Open Water course to play with Peak Performance Buoyancy. A lot was learnt that day I believe. As we got halfway across the mouth of Bahia Concepcion we had not one, but as many as 40 or even 50 Dolphin literally playing around the boat. We had some 15 minutes with them, and they played with us the whole time, at low speed, and faster. I decided I had to give it a try to get in the water with them. So I slipped on mask, snorkel and fins and in I went with Maria taking the helm. Nothing!! They decided that human encroachment was just that, an encroachment, and stopped playing after diving underneath me. But I tell you, the top side was well worth the time. The best encounter for many years I can tell you, and the best yet in the Sea of Cortez.

After that we then hit Punta Concepcion for the Buoyancy Dive. The viz was excellent at about 50ft, and the water warm. We had Jacks under the boat from start to finish, and they followed us like pouting on a very famous English WWII wreck in the English Channel. The shoal increased steadily in size until we had some 100 fish circling around us. It was rather remeniscent of Shark Reef at Ras Mohammed in the Sinai, Egypt on an average day. The difference is these fish are so curious, and are not afraid of divers. They were closing to within inches of masks and bubbles, and followed us like Remoras to the boat. Basically, if this is what summer is due to bring, then bring it on, and full and fast. A glorious day out. Plus of course we have now completed the run in period for the engines, and all seems well.

Then on the way back we took to following the birds that were feeding on a baitball. I tell you, in all my years, I have never seen anything like it. Fish from Anchovy size in their 1000s were boiling on the surface followed by some larger fish about a foot to 15 inches long rolling and bubbling everywhere. Then even bigger unidentified fish were feeding on them, and a major Red Snapper, well at least one at about four or five foot in length was in the middle grabbing everything it could. A great name for that fish, a "Snapper" I can tell you. Birds feeding from the air, and fish feeding from below. Amazing!!

Next time I am going to enter the water in these large schools to see what we can find underneith. An expat told me, two weeks ago down at San Sabastion, that he did the same and then almost walked on water as the baitball broke to show two mako shark making passes while feeding off the baitball.

Roll on the summer months! It seems to be just around the corner. Better viz, and warmer waters...Nice!!