Sea of Cortez is known worldwide as the “aquarium of the world” by Jacques Ives Cousteau. This is where we are going for our underwater adventure, departing from Cabo San Lucas. Our first destination is Cerralvo Island, which has now been renamed as “Jacques Cousteau Island” as a tribute to this legendary explorer. For our check-up dive, we explored Carpenter Rock, where we encountered a moderate current leading us to 40 ft. The sandy bottom was teeming with starfishes, and in the distance, we marveled at the mesmerizing spectacle of garden eels dancing.
As we approached the rock, we were surrounded by schools of various fishes, including grunt fish, yellow snappers, pork fish, and barber fish. We were especially delighted to see the endemic Sea of Cortez angel fish. After traveling a couple of miles north, we embarked on another dive at La Reina, a rock that serves as a refuge for some sea lions during the summer, sparing them from migrating to colder waters. The dive presented some current, requiring us to drift, but it rewarded us with encounters with several turtles and unimaginable schools of fish like the machete fish, green jacks, puffer school, snappers, and parrotfish. Additionally, triggerfish with their nests all around the site fiercely defended their eggs, and playful sea lions gazed at us with their big eyes.
After the dive, the Nautilus Belle Amie continued north in search of larger animals, such as whales, dolphins, and whale sharks. However, those adventures are tales for another time—stay tuned for more exciting stories! Currently, the sea’s conditions are mild, with a temperature of 28°C and visibility stretching to 60 ft.
– Pedro, Dive Guide, personal blog aboard Nautilus Belle Amie.
