To the Baja experience
January, 2023
Counting down.
A few days before taking the flights, back to Europe, back home.
The time in Baja has flown by. It felt like stolen time to me:
Far away from the cold, home, friends and family,
Sun, sea, wildlife, cactus.
Adventures almost every single day.
Until now I hadn’t really thought about the reality of this trip ending. I hadn’t thought about the packing, saying goodbye, taking the flight, getting back to London, back to the routine and so on and so forth. The trip felt like a dream, one that I didn’t want to wake up from.
Before planning this trip, I thought to myself maybe it’s time for a little fun. After a year of freediving training “camps”, I thought it was time for the next freediving investment to go towards something that is a little more exciting and fun-oriented. Sea safari, dolphins, whales, sharks… Here I come!
So I made the trek to Baja California Sur, ready to explore the wildlife and meet new people. The getaway turned out to be nothing like what I imagined, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I didn’t expect to feel stranded to start with. I didn’t expect to organise my own sea safaris. I didn’t expect to be accepted into the local fishermen’s community. I didn’t expect to have the encounter of a lifetime!
Humpback Whale Encounter
The ocean excursions had to be my favourite! Every single outing was a different kind of fun, each filled with moments of wonder and awe!
My eyes swelled with tears when I saw a humpback whale fluking for the first time.
Then the first underwater encounter, when we dived down in the ocean permeated with whale songs, and they glided by gently and swiftly.
The second outing was blessed with a surprising encounter of a friendly humpback threesome. The whales appeared below us and we were thrilled to see them but thought they were just passing by. However, they seemed intrigued and decided to play - approaching us, turning around us, turning on themselves, swiftly passing by but immediately turning back! When they came towards me, the closest stretching out their arms as if asking for a hug or a hand shake; our eyes met, with mutual curiosity. We shared a moment of glide together, then both came up to the surface for a change of breath before diving down a few metres beneath the surface again.
We dived and dived, appreciating their presence, not knowing how long they would stay or how much time had flown by. Time after time I thought we were saying goodbye, but they changed direction, elegantly, blessing us with yet some more moments with them. They were turning and dancing, their movement gentle yet powerful. I was completely in awe and still struggle to find words to describe this surreal experience and all the emotions it brought.
Then there was the baitball hunting! The ride was a little rough and the hunt was full of adrenaline! It was my first time experiencing such documentary scene of nature’s predators joining forces to feed on sardine baitballs - sea birds and seagulls dive-bombed from the sky, snatching up targets as accurately as an aimed missile; marlins showing off their lightning speed and spear-like bill, catching the separated and vulnerable sardine that has no chance of survival; dolphins cutting through the blue with their sleek bodies and powerful tails, cheerful clicks and whistles communicating the joy of a successful hunt; teaming up with the pelicans, the sea lions rolling up and down, darting in and out of the baitball with their round chubby yet agile bodies, silky brown fur shining in the sunlight. The sardines put up a futile fight, the baitball continued to spin and twist, shrinking in size by the second. We got to be the audience in this chaotic show of feeding frenzy, where the actors occasionally came dangerously close, sending my heart racing up to my throat.
The mobula rays were a stunning sight to behold. Travelling in huge groups, one after another they would fly out of the water and gracefully belly flop down, defying gravity with their wing-like fins. Enhanced by the striking contrast of their dark upside and white underside, their synchronised movement created this mesmerising pattern of white vibrate through the dark cloud as they swim in unison towards the same direction.
The gigantic pods of dolphins. Three different varieties: Bottlenose, Spotted and Common dolphins, each jump and swim in slightly different ways. They are swift and playful. Often a dozen of them lead the boat and become our travel companion for a little bit. Diving alongside them, you can hear their high pitched voice as if a group of teenager excitedly exchanging notes about their first trip abroad.
The gentle and cute baby whale sharks. “Only” five metres long but constantly feeding with their giant mouth open, gulping down the sea water rich in plankton, creating little tornados-like swirls on the surface.
The playful and curious sea lions that glide by close to check us out with their big round black eyes.
Then there were days when diving turned into fishing. We fought our battle with the mahi mahi - David with the reel and me with the “balo”. Learning to fillet the fish, and mess around threatening like a Todos Santos fisherman in local dialect “Ba lu hi hue la shin guala”???
The serendipitous hike near La Buena Mujer, climbing up the rocks and overlooking the cactus forest drenched in the golden light, moments before the sunset.
The 6am start of the sea safari, and breakfast Quesadilla Deshebrada en route that is delicious enough to warrant the risk of diving with a full stomach.
Exploring the food scene in La Paz and ended up with the routine visits to McFisher for lunch and Esterito for dinner. Deep fried shrimp, Costilla, Suadero. A shared Tripa. BYOwine or Margarita.
Risking our lives tasting the mammillaria cactus fruit while venturing for a sunset hike on the cactus hill.
Sunset Hike
The glamping. Beautiful view from a majestic high ceiling canvas tent in the middle of the desert, under the stars and surrounded by cricket sound at night. Something that I had dreamt to experience. Outdoor shower and hot tub that was not hot at all. Biscuits and bananas for New Years Eve which we happily opted for over a rave.
Taking a muddy walk along the mangroves.
Getting an appointment with the grey whales.
The mysterious and highly involved Temazcal Ceremony.
Munching on fish and shrimp quesadilla while dipping our feet in the peculiar hot spring in the ocean at La Ventana.
Learning how to spearfish and fighting a moray eel to save my catch.
The fire pit at the Sol de Mayo Rancho. Baked camotes and Flame grilled steak. Countless stars, and meteors with only one wish in the heart.
Venturing into the oasis with gigantic hairy palm trees along the flowing mountain spring, and the unexpected baptism of cold water jacuzzi! How I would have never imagined myself saying it but I think I got a bit addicted to jumping into the freezing pond with fresh clear water, accompanied by the sounds of the waterfall and the breeze brushing the palm leaves.
The stolen time has now come to an end. But some of the moments - the sounds, thoughts, feelings and hearty vibrations, are imprinted in my memory. They are inscribed in my being for good, and I know I will never feel the same again.
Head to the Gallery for more photos from Baja California SurDisclaimer: Jumping into the water to swim with Whales is forbidden by law in Mexico. You may be lucky to see them while you are already in the sea diving with other marine lives but that depends on a huge amount of luck. Healthy wildlife encounters happen when both parties have a mutual curiosity. Magic happens when the wildlife chose to interact with human. Please do so safely and ethically with care and caution.
