SEA OF CORTEZ – THE WORLD’S AQUARIUM
03
the captain was clearly not as excited as we were.
However, being the customers, we spent a good 20
minutes in the plankton-rich water with the majestic
creature, which became two and then became three.
We were the only boat in the area, with only four of us
on board, a contrast to the increasingly familiar shots
from the Maldives of whale sharks and mantas being
chased down by armies of divers and snorkellers.
Within another 10 minutes, we encountered a small
pod of bottlenose dolphins and then to our absolute
delight, a mother and baby humpback whale cut
through the surface some 20 metres from our boat.
The Sea of Cortez is one of the world’s hotspots for
whale-watching during a season that runs from late
October until May with a peak in January/February.
More than 20 species can be seen in the area,
including sperm, finback, minke and grey whales
and the magnificent blue whale. With a gleeful glint
of anticipation in our eyes and broad smiles on our
faces, we finally arrived at our destination, the rocky
outcrop of Los Isolotes and the Californian sea lion
colony. This was only day one.
SDOP
50
Diving with Californian sea
lions is like diving with UK
grey seals on steroids
DIVING WITH SEA LIONS
The journey north from La Paz to Los Isolotes can
take from 45 to 90 minutes depending on sea
conditions. As the boat rounded the end of the
headland, the final stretch of water was exposed
and the delightful odour of fresh sea lion wafted
along on the breeze. Approaching the pinnacle, the
odour intensified and was joined by the inimitable
sound of barking, which to an underwater wildlife
photographer like myself, caused great excitement,
like a ringing bell to Pavlov’s dogs. What photo
opportunities await!
Diving with Californian sea lions is like diving with
UK grey seals on steroids. First, there is warm water