The beautiful underwater world of “Islas San Benito” is located west of Isla Cedros which in turn is west of Guerrero Negro in the middle of the Baja peninsula. This Place is paradise come true for Kelp diving fanatics like myself. It is lush, healthy and pristine, with giant kelp, palm kelp, sargasum, sea grass and other colored algae that make it one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited, but what makes it really special are the animals you can see here: This is one of the few places in the world where you can dive and see the Guadalupe Fur Seals.
Once nearly extinct, a few animals survived in Isla Guadalupe (Our White Shark diving location) and now back to healthy numbers, have started migrating to the San Benito Islands. When you see these animals swimming underwater they not only have the grace of the California Sea Lion (That you can also see here) but also, because of their fine fur, they trap air that when swimming, is released in streams of fine bubbles that delineate their intricate swimming patterns. That very fine fur is of course what made these animals extremely attractive to fur traders and why they were nearly fished to extinction. If you combine this, with the beautiful scenery, you have an idyllic place where I wouldn’t be surprised if you could also find fairies, gnomes and goblins.
We did some dives yesterday and a couple today and now heading back to Ensenada to finish this amazing trip I can only dream of coming back and staying longer in this magical forest with its magical creatures.
Surface Conditions: Overcast skies, Swells from the south and wind from the North narrowing our selection of sites to a few protected places.
Underwater Conditions: Cold water with a reading as low as 55 degrees and the highest reading at 62 degrees Fahrenheit. The unseasonable cold water temps are 10 degrees colder than normal and very likely the chilliest of the century (nobody knows that quite for sure). Visibility between 20ft and 40 ft depending on the dive site. Negligible current at all dive sites.
DM Peter
One of the few places in the world to see Guadalupe fur seals – divemaster report – August 29, 2010.
