It’s 0630 Sunday morning, returning to La Paz after an unforgettable week aboard the Mango Wind Catamaran mothership and Cornuda Panga (small power launch). Our small contingent of 4 passengers are now close friends with each other and crew making the close of this adventure an emotional one. Our expectations were high and now as we head back to port we can report that our particular crew on Baja Expeditions delivered the absolute best experience possible within the limits provided by nature. Passengers included two lifelong Orca freaks and 4 very experienced scuba-free divers with impressive adventure resumes spanning the world. Not an easy audience. We never saw an Orca but it was not due to anything within the crew’s control. We saw everything else including many species of whales. Our log of specific sea life encounters is pages long and beyond the scope here but we all experienced many personal firsts. We schooled with hundreds of mobulas, swam up to a sleeping Marlin,
had to back away from a Whale shark that was checking us out, boated then swam with large pods of rambunctious bottlenose, closed and closely observed several species of whales… just to name a few. Our crew had schedules for us but as they got to know us and gain confidence in our abilities our plans evolved daily to meet our preferences. Most of our days were over 12 hours and covered long distances. I’m pretty sure we were pushing the crew beyond what are standard outings and we received nothing but enthusiastic support from them. I can not recommend this crew enough. Now specific shout-outs. Our Captain Juan was knowledgeable, professional, and catered to our every whim. He can’t be improved. Juan our Divemaster was outstanding both technically and personally. He’s new to the team and the company would be wise to make sure he becomes a bigger part of the operation. Our Panga drive “Dr” Willie could be a character from a Hemingway novel. Local to these waters and lives
on his beloved “Cornuda”. His ability to spot and track sea life was amazing. And finally, our chef Millie who produced culinary magic in her small kitchen. Her Mango salsa was a huge hit requested at every meal. On our final night, she presented us all with personalized jars to take home. I’ve never experienced this level of cuisine on a trip of this kind.
A Week of Unforgettable Adventures
