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Dream Vacation
Hidden by the shadows of the rising
sun, our ship lay in wait behind
pinnacles of sculpted sandstone for the
galleon to round the cape. Copper hues
engulfed our presence as the sun began its
leisurely climb. Our ship’s timbers creaked
and moaned as we rocked in unison with
the ocean swells. We knew this would not
be an easy victory and lives would be lost.
Now, there she was, heavily laden with
gold, silk and precious spices from Manila,
destined for New Spain. All eyes went to
our captain kneeling at the bow, his sword
drawn. Just a few more minutes and the
galleon would be ours!
“Excuse me Miss,” whispered the flight
attendant, “but you’ll need to return your
seat back to its original upright position in
preparation for our Los Cabos landing.”
Waking at her words, I looked down to
discover the history section of my Cabo
travel guide was open in my lap.
The Sea of Cortez and the Baja Peninsula
were once home to countless pirates,
privateers and banditos, yet today travelers
seek refuge here for different reasons. The
Cape Region provides an easy escape to
warm, isolated beaches, unique desert
ecosystems and mild, dry weather suitable
for a myriad of land and water activities.
Horseback riding, parasailing, kayaking,
fishing, hiking, golf and scuba diving are
just a few of the favorite visitor pastimes.
To snorkel from my kayak in warm,
azure-blue water was my main reason for
escape. Another was to try photographing
some of the numerous aquatic species
residing in this rich cornucopia of life.
For the first seven wonderful days of
my journey, the 112-foot live-aboard
dive vessel, Solmar V, was my floating
home. Although the ship was designed
to accommodate scuba divers, groups of
The Solmar V.
kayakers can also organize charters on the
Sea of Cortez trips. The Solmar V acts as a
mothership allowing guests to explore by
Story and photos by Barb Roy
day with their kayaks, while traveling at
night to new locations.
From Cabo San Lucas we headed 187
miles north, then slowly worked our way
back down the southern region of the Baja
Peninsula.
Descending through a dense cloud of
silvery sardines at La Reynita, near Isla
Cerralvo, I snorkeled down to a reef to
photograph a dazzling angelfish. As I
adjusted my lens for a wide-angle shot, the
light suddenly grew dim. Looking upward,
I saw a giant Pacific Manta Ray, boasting
a 12-foot wingspan, gracefully gliding
overhead! Then another large manta joined
in, the two dancing in unison. Needless to
say, the mantas held us all in awe of their
grandeur for the rest of the day.
The Solmar’s experienced dive guides
were provided by Amigos Del Mar in
Cabo San Lucas. They not only knew their
underwater creatures, they also knew
where to find particular shore birds and sea
lion rookeries. When we weren’t snorkeling
with pods of dolphins off Isla Las Animas
or with whale sharks (the largest fish in the
world) in La Paz Bay, we were playing with
friendly, acrobatic California sea lions near ➝
June/July 2004 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com
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