Espiritu Santo
Last night we ventured into the Gulf of California to wake up in the protected anchorage of Punta Dispensa. Here is where we spent the morning exploring our first island in the gulf, Espiritu Santo. The conditions here were ideal for deploying our kayaks and to go on different walks.
We started our hikes on a flat uplifted plain. We could see very clearly the transition between the halophyte plant community and the dry desert with giant cardon cacti and other desert plants. Espiritu Santo Island is one of the protected areas in Mexico, and it is a true biological jewel. One of its secretive inhabitants is the unique black jackrabbit, which exists here and nowhere else. As we explored the island, we could see tracks, droppings and even day beds made by the elusive creatures, but today was not the day to find them.
The long hikers gained altitude towards the nearest peaks, while the kayakers paddled along the rugged coastline. Punta Dispensa has a rich underwater fauna, which the kayakers could admire as they traveled over the coral heads.
We left the protection of Punta Dispensa, to reposition to one of the most magnificent bays of the Espiritu Santo Island complex, Ensenada Grande. Located on Partida Island, Ensenada Grande offers protection from the wind and it is good for multiple activities.
Our first activity was to plunge into the refreshing waters of the bay to explore with our masks and fins. The coral is healthy here, although the coral diversity is not overwhelming due to the latitude; we could admire orange sea fans, purple gorgonians and elegant coral heads close to the water’s surface. Reef cornet fish, king angels, Cortes angels and Cortes rainbow wrasses were seen by the underwater adventurers.
To end our day, we had dinner ashore. Our chefs prepared a wonderful dinner, which we enjoyed as the sun went down behind the mountains. We enjoyed William’s fantastic story, based on book of the Maya; Popol-Vuh. Around the bonfire we realized how fortunate we are to have these experiences in the marvelous Gulf of California.
