NGL is anchored east side of Danzante – by divesite La Ventana.
Sky partially covered by altocumulus, after a cloudy morning but sun is still hitting hard! Air temp 30C, water temp 30C from the surface to 28C at 70ft. Visibility 15-20meters. Wind from north still8-9knots and swell from north 1-2′ but we are protected from it at anchorage.
This morning we arrived at Isla Danzzante and anchored by the divesite La Ventana (the window) due to the presence of an arch in the shoreline. As we dropped anchor, we were quickly surrounded by a pod of 20-30 bottlenose dolphins that came checking our boat out. We offered an early snorkel and guests Milan and Heather jumped on the occasion. Quickly they had the chance to jump a couple of times and swim with the bottlenose dolphins as they were passing by. What a way to start the day!
Then we did dive 1 la Ventana. It is a beautiful divesite, as much for the dramatic scenery above the water, then for the one underwater. Boulders and walls covered with gorgon fans and some black coral growing after 70ft. There were loads of critters and sea of Cortez reef fish: blue spotted jaw fish, butterfly fish, creole, king angelfish, SoC Angelfish, yellow snappers, groupers, moray eels, chromias in big schools. A very fishy divesite.
Dive 2 we went 1nm north with the rhib to the divesite Silhouette (also called PuntaLeonor). A beautiful sheer drop, covered with gorgon fans and soft corals, full with schools of reef fish and small critters, for the lovers of nudibranchs and blennies.
Next dive will be at the southernmost tip of Danzante, the submarine, a long shallow reef and 4th dive will be again at Punta Leonor.
Yesterday afternoon we did 1 more day and 1night dive at San Diego rock (we named it SanDieguito), and they were equally jaw dropping, by the quality of the coral, the quantity of fish and the perfect visibility. Trip leader Faith described the divesite as one of a kind and said she could spend the whole trip on that wall!
Guests were so enthusiastic about the place, that I had to look at it for myself. I went for a dive and oh my! it was indeed an aquarium, with probably the most diversity and quantity of fish I have seen in the southern sea of Cortez, equaling La Reyna. What most amazed me was that there were a lot of yellow snapper and groupers of good sizes, and I know those ones to be hunted by spearfishers in Baja. Usually as soon as you make eye contact, these fish turn around and swim away, but on that divesite, the snappers and groupers were completely indifferent to my presence.
There were also big schools of fish roaming the reef, schools of parrotfish, big bumphead parrotfish, surgeonfish, butterfly fish, triggerfish. Looking up towards the surface you would find schools of pompanos, surgent majors and out in the blue, skipjacks. I came up from my dive truly amazed and happy to see such a healthy reef vibrant with life!
