Tidings of Joy: Isla Espiritu Santo

After a month in a marina in La Paz nothing made us happier then throwing lines and head back into the Sea of Cortez. We were anxious to get away from the city from noise and chaos and all things that come with a marina and back to living life on the hook. At 0954 on March 4th we made our way out among lots of other boats who had similar ideas. We soaked in the sun and fresh sea breeze and felt a lightness come over us the further we got from town. The three hour cruise flew by while taking in the view, other boats and making much needed water. Our destination for however long was the island Espiritu Santo (holy spirit), a boaters playground and nature preserve and conservancy which is the second most diverse marine body in the world home to 31 species of whales and dolphins, sea lions, marine turtles and just a short 24 miles from La Paz. I was ecstatic to get back to nature and marine life and peaceful boat living. The cruise itself was uneventful and as we got closer to the island we studied it's volcanic formation and dessert landscape. Our first anchorage Ensenada de la Raza looked like a postcard with beautiful aqua colored water and mountainous backdrop. We were thrilled to call this island home for awhile.

Cruising to Espiritu Santo

Funky Island we Passed

Ensenada de la Raza Anchorage

Moon Rise at the Anchorage

Sunset at the Anchorage

Night Time

We both slept excellent and the next morning was spent slowly. No rushing to provision. No projects to finish up just p.js, coffee and peaceful views. After much lounging around we decided to get out the stand up paddle board (SUP) and give it a whirl. This was our first time using our new toy and it was a bit of a challenge. Having SUP'd in San Diego we thought this would be a piece of cake but for some reason it wasn't. We both took turns sitting then attempting to stand until the rollers came in and we decided to give it a rest for today. We lowered the dink and did some exploring of the anchorage and the others around the corner. It was such a wonderful way to spend our first day at anchor.

Ensenada de la Raza Anchorage

Getting out the SUP

Panga Group on Shore

Tidings of Joy at Anchor

Dingy Exploration

Sunset

Sometime around 11a.m the next morning we decided to pull anchor and continue to exploration of the island. Today we went a whole 3.9 miles to El Mezteno and boy was it stunning. Not only was the scenery spectacular but the anchorage was tucked in and we were surrounded by three sides which is always a preference for us. It feels small and sheltered and intimate as opposed to a large open anchorage. The temperature was in the high 70's and we decided to launch the kayak and check out our new surroundings. We shared the anchorage with two sailboats all of us spread around and loving our views. The west facing stern view at El Mezteno gave us the perfect view of sunset and we made sure to stop everything and enjoy the scene.

El Mezteno Anchorage

Afternoon

The next day I was feeling a bit under the weather and most of our day was spent reading in and outdoors and playing cards while we enjoyed our view. Not a bad place to convalesce.

Big Boat Going By

Fricket Bird Overhead

Sundown

I woke up feeling better and we were both excited because our friends Jim and Rosy on SeaVenture would be joining us at the anchorage. Until they arrived we took the dink out again and explored the anchorage next door and went to shore at our anchorage. We had read there was a hike here but when we landed all we saw was a path leading to a bunch of boulders. We are not rock climbers and that's not our idea of a hike so we just walked around instead. Sometime that afternoon Jim and Rosy arrived. They were a welcome site to see and after they got the mighty SeaVenture settled in they came over for some sundowners and to catch up. We hadn't seen them since Ensenada and there was much to talk about. It was a wonderful evening.

Hike Attempt

Dolphins in the Anchorage

Little Crab on Shore

Exploring on the Dink

Our Anchorage

Walking on Shore

Our Anchorage From Shore

Sea Venture Arriving

Sea Venture Anchored Next to Us

Sundowners with Jim & Rosy

After we felt we thoroughly explored El Mazteno we decided to move along to the anchorage next door- Caleta Partida where Jim and Rosy also planned to move. They told us they had friends there and it would be fun for all of us to get together. I would have to look back at all of our log books but I believe this cruise from Mazteno to Partida was our shortest at only eight tenths of a mile. But that is the beauty of being at the island- cruises are short, there is lots to see and explore and you are always right where you want to be.

This anchorage was large and there were several sailboats leaving as we arrived making space for us and SeaVenture. The day itself was uneventful and we just relaxed on the boat and enjoyed our new view.

Refreshed and settled in the next day we took the advice of our sailboat neighbors on MorningStar and took the dingy through the cut that's only accessible at high tide. During this time the water rises just enough 2-3 feet over drying where you can cross the island and get to the west side of the island which is dry during low tides. Fortunately as we made our way through the neighbors were already there. He was in his canoe and she was in her kayak and they pointed out the best path for high water. Once on the other side we were in this open unexplored rugged side of the island which had clearly been beaten by the sea and some harsh conditions. We tooled the dingy along the north end and saw sea caves and rugged gorgeous terrain. It was a fun adventure. Back at the boat I took on the SUP again and finally managed to stand and get a little ride. It was a great day on the water. That evening we were invited to SeaVenture for dinner with them and their friends from the trawler next door. They made an abundance of food and the conversation flowed and it was great being with boater friends.

Backside of the Anchorage

The Cut

Our Anchorage

Finally Got It

Dingy Ride Thru Cut

Sunset

Our Anchorage At Night

The next morning we didn't do much. We raised the dingy, we read and played cards. A perfect day at anchor as far as I'm concerned.

Lounging on the Bow

Sunset

Sunday March 12th was my birthday and what better way to spend it but on the boat at anchor with the one you love. Jeff made me his famous peanut butter banana pancakes for breakfast and I got lots of birthday wishes via text and phone call. Our good friends Randal and Michelle even made a special birthday Facetime for me with decorations and several nice bottles of wine. It was a wonderful birthday and one I will always remember.

My Birthday at Caleta Partida Anchorage

After four wonderful days at Caleta Partida it was time to move along. We said our goodbyes to Jim and Rosy who were heading back to town and made our way north along Espiritu Santo to Ensenada Grande. This anchorage is divided into three sections and we chose the northernmost for its wind protection and when we arrived a 110 foot boat called Snow Bored was anchored there. It seemed like there was enough room for us as well so we squeezed past them and dropped the hook. Several moments later the captain radioed us and let us know they would be up-anchoring around 2:30pm and to stand by. We agreed to keep the radio on in case there was an issue. Right around 2:30 we heard them fire up and then call us again on the radio and asked that someone stay on our stern to keep an eye out for them while monitoring channel 12 to speak with the helmsman. I don't know how close they got but at one point Jeff told me we need to move, radiod the captain and told him we would move, fired up the engines, ripped down the sunshades and put on head sets just to find them pulling in their anchor and heading out. Way too close for comfort. We spent the rest of the afternoon/evening recovering from my birthday the day before.

Anchored Forward of Snow Bored

Snow Bored UpAnchoring

Anchored in Ensenada Grande

Sunset Ensenada Grande

The next morning and our last at Ensenada Grande and the Isla Espiritu Santo was busy. We dropped the dink and made the three mile trek out to Los Islotes Island where we were told you can get into the water and swim with the seals. Larger boats aren't permitted out there only dingies and pangas who take tours. So we fought the 2-3 foot rollers and made our way out there. When we arrived tons of pangas with tourists in life jackets were swimming in the water among the seals. We decided that due to cold water and nerves neither of us wanted to get into the water but just observe safely in the dink. We made our way around slowly back and forth in front of the island observing all the seals in and out of the water. It was quite a spectacular sight and a wonderful way to start your day. After several trips back and forth we made our way back to Ensenada Grande. This time we were in pursuit of the blue footed boobie who is know to hang out in the south side of the anchorage. Again we slowly cruised back and forth but no boobies were to be found. Finally we went to the main anchorage in Ensenada Grande and went to shore to walk the beach and look for a hike. There was a large sign on land stating we couldn't walk there but we managed to get a good beach walk in until we were invaded by bees. They were everywhere and the only escape was back on the dink headed for the mother ship.