Muricea californica fan corals
encompassing wrecks , reefs , cleaning stations and sea lion colonies . My first dive took place on a nearby site , the Fang Ming wreck , which maxes out at 20m .
There were in fact two wrecks on the site , both Chinese vessels confiscated by the Mexican government for the illegal transportation of immigrants , and both purposely sunk as artificial reefs . The Fang Ming sits upright and is aging well , gradually accumulating a covering of
sponges and the swaying fan corals you find all over this region . There were schools of snapper and grunts , and barracuda lurked in the greeny-blue water beyond , while a green turtle rested regally on the bow . A good start .
The next dive was San Rafaelito , a reef defined by swathes of hard coral with a few small caves and overhangs . At the time of my visit , it was home to a non-breeding group of sea lions . There ’ s no dry land for them
to haul onto , so they rest in a raft of around 40 , overseen by a dominant male . I was surprised by the existence of reef-forming coral at such a northerly latitude . It was formed of a myriad fist-sized coral heads , almost like a giant version of a maerl bed .
Then there were the sea lions , a cartoonish mass of flippers and snouts at the surface , just above the shallowest section of reef . They were mostly in rest mode , but the younger ones eyed us with curiosity , while the bull performed threatening passes whenever we strayed too close . I had seen the famous sea lions of La Paz at last , but I wanted to see them in ‘ play ’ mode . Bring on the pups !
Los Islotes
After another day of local sites , we got the break in the weather that would allow for the 90-minute run to the signature dive site . The journey took us past the jagged hills and sun-bleached beaches of Isla Espiritu Santu and Isla Partida , until we finally ended up at two barren outcrops of guano-frosted rock , the fabled islands of Los Islotes . Home to a breeding colony of more than 200 sea lions , the islands are thick with fish life .
Walking a deserted beach at Isla Espiritu Santo
Thriving hard coral garden at San Rafaelito
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