We spent the day around Los Islotes today. Already at night when we had anchored, you could hear Mobulas splashing around the UnderSea and it continued during next morning and the whole day. We also got to see them underwater, my group just a few but Juan’s group under the safety stop had a big group, about 150-200. Often it is easier to approach them from above, Mobulas don’t like bubbles for sure and scatter very quick if you approach them from underneath.
In the morning we had an incoming current from the northeast and blue and warm water, very pleasant and clear. About 60 ft plus visibility and 77F/25C, and when it turned and we got more green water it went down to 67F/19C!! That is the Sea of Cortez! The Sea of Therma clime!
On the other dives we were watching sea lions and the fish life that has definitely been showing the effect of protecting this as a park. Snappers and Groupers are much bigger and in larger groups. We are also seeing much more of the grown up Bumphead parrot fish than ever before. Two days in the Sea of Cortez with flat sea and a different sea than where we are going, a very rich “Fishy sea.”
Not as much for diving with sharks and mantas as it was 20 years ago, even if we got a surprise of the manta at La Reina, But it is not a dead sea and as it gets more protection, it can recover quickly I believe. In two days we have seen dolphins, spouts of whales (we didn’t get time to ID which ones they were), mobulas, marlin and even some yellow fin tunas. Not even mentioning the schools of fish! WOW!
– Divemaster Sten ‘Vikingo” Johansson
