Malarrimo Beach: Treasure Trove of the Pacific

It is a beach-comber's paradise, this J-shaped cove. Upon its shores, the ocean currents conspire to deliver a large portion of the Pacific's flotsam. Anything and everything has been found here. Throw something into the water, off the coast of Japan, and the chances are it will wash up here: Malarrimo Beach, Mexico.


People come from miles around, most of them Mexican, though a fair few on road-trips from the USA or beyond, to sift through the ocean's offerings. After a good storm, where high waves have crashed heavily upon the coast, the volume of treasure-hunters rises considerably. Much of what is found here is trash, but there is also a strong likelihood of discovering something quite remarkable.

The tides are powerful out there. Before a storm, in the 1970s, buried it with sand, there was a huge shipwreck lodged on this beach. The ship hadn't floundered here. It had been carried the distance from the depths of ocean. Whole engines have washed up on this beach, dislodged from wrecks out in the wide Pacific basin.

The list of what else has ended up here is seemingly infinite. It includes: large timbers from sunken galleons; sea-bleached trees; the carcasses of sometimes large, sometimes rare, marine creatures; antiques of all varieties, though with an emphasis on those found in seacraft; torpedos and other items from the two World Wars, as well as those from earlier battles; and electrical appliances (in a camp on the beach, made entirely from salvage and driftwood, there is a rusting refridgerator. It too came from the sea). They are all well washed. The beach does not smell like a junkyard.



There are plenty of stories of people taking the adventure trip to Malarrimo. Most, it appears, are young men, turning the journey into a rite of passage. A quick search of the internet will uncover many of them. The below is from the stories of Mike Humfreville, who travelled there, with friends in the 1960s:

We walked east along the sand with cliffs on our right and the sea on our left. Gradually the cliffs lessened and quit; they were replaced by wave-like rows of flotsam and jetsam, ten feet tall. High tide lines from stormy weather, one behind the other, running parallel to the beach. Ocean currents during storms piled the objects in deep collections for miles, as far as we could see, looking eastward.

The most striking items were also the largest: whale ribs and vertebrae. The ribs were up to ten or twelve feet long. Vertebrae were up to two feet thick. Tony sat on one and his feet barely touched the ground. The larger spinal discs, used to separate two vertebrae, were two feet in diameter and two inches thick. Like huge tortillas.

We each wandered throughout the collections of floatables: light bulbs, bottles, plastic trash, sea weed, lava, bones, large hollow glass balls the Japanese use to support their fishing nets, piles of driftwood and formed lumber, wooden implements of unfathomable origin and utility, dead fish, sea lions and whales. We looked through the debris for the better part of the morning. It would provide a junk dealer with a career, picking through the rubble before the next storm struck and rearranged his showroom.

Source: Baja with Mike.

The whole story is worth reading. It covers several days and miles and reads like the ultimate boy's own adventure novel.



The flotsam collections work like this because the confluence of currents, which propel the tides of the Pacific, sit side by side here. Caught between the Kuroshio Current and the California Current, Malarrimo Beach acts like the end of a conveyor belt. Anything falling into the water eventually ends up there.

The beach is in Guerrero Negro, in Baja California, though right on the border with Baja California Sur. It is one of the most Westernly shores of Mexico; in fact entering Guerrero Negro requires your watch to be put back an hour, as a timezone latitude line is crossed.

Getting to Malarrimo Beach isn't so easy though. The highway, north-west from the town of Vizcaino, passes through the desert for long miles, before the turning to the beach is sign-posted at San Jose de Castro. The access road has been trampled down by generations of feet and, latterly, the passage of four wheel drives. It's a real wilderness passage, without tarmac nor the levelling of a digger. Those attempting to drive along it without four wheel drive risk getting stuck in the sand. (See a map here. Malarrimo Beach is at the center of it.)

The Pelican Brief

The largest bird in Mexico is the American white pelican. In fact, it's the largest in the entire of North America. With a wingspan of up to 9ft (2.74 meters), they are quite the sight to see flying over.



As well as that impressive wingspan, the adult American white pelican has a body length of around 5ft 2" (1.58 meters). They weigh in at nearly 2 stone (25lbs; 11 kilo), thus you'd think it would be difficult for them to get air-borne at all. Not a bit of it. They soar in their thousands into Mexico each year, in great clouds of squawking whiteness. They are here for the fish.

Their destination are the great inland lakes, like Lake Chapala, which divides the states of Jalisco and Michoacán. This is the largest freshwater lake in Mexico, covering an area of approximately 424 square miles (1,100 km²); which is a good job, when you consider the size and number of its annual avian visitors.

The American white pelican settles over a vast area and immediately establishes itself at the top of the food chain. It swims on the surface of the water, gracefully ducking its head to scoop up fish in its long bill. Once it ventures into the shallows, then some community co-operation comes into play. The pelicans group together in a wide semi-circle, trapping fish before them. Each pelican then chases the fish right into the path of its neighbour. Thus group hunting means that everyone feasts.


American white pelicans can be spotted, in winter, along the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coastlines, but they will be in the estuaries or inland lakes. Occasionally a stray, blown off course or just plain lost, will be seen along the Caribbean.

They had previously been in decline, as agricultural pesticides seeped into their habitat, but they have recovered. Environmental treaties, covering their migratory route between Mexico and Canada, have saved them. They live up to 16 years, in the wild, with the adult females laying two eggs a year.


American white pelicans might look impressive, but for pure entertainment value, their native cousins, the brown pelican, wins outright. These are the great divers of the avian world, with death-defying plunges that leave on-lookers breathless with anticipation as to whether they will make it or not. The adults, at least, invariably do, but the adrenaline rush is worth the spectacle.

Here is a version in slow motion. The reality is seven times faster. They will begin the dive at 40-60mph. They will have picked up speed by the time they hit the water.



A substantial number of brown pelicans don't make it past their first year. They break their necks learning how to do that. Then they drown.

Though dwarved by the American white, the brown pelican is not a small bird. Its wingspan can stretch up to 8ft (2.5 meters). Its body grows up to 4ft 7" (1.8 meters). It weighs nearly a stone (12lb; 5.5kg); and it drops from the sky at around 60mph. Aren't you glad that you're not a fish?

As with many creatures, it's not us who are at risk from them, it's the other way around. The use of DDT, in agricultural pesticides, came close to rendering brown pelicans extinct in the 1960s. It took a ban on that to see their population recover. By 1988, they were removed from the endangered register of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, redesignated 'least concern' instead.

In fact, their numbers have grown so great this year, that it's causing comment across their migratory route. (This report from San Diego, in the USA, is common: Buzz Rising Over Local Pelican Population.)


As a marine bird, brown pelicans can be spotted anywhere on Mexico's 6,300 miles (10,143km) of coastline. They are on the Pacific, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. The challenge is to try and film those dive-bombs. They're much too fast for the average camcorder holder to follow!

Endemic Species of Mexico

Endemic species are those creatures, birds, plants etc that are only found in one place in the wild. By their very nature, they are endangered. If there is only a population in one place, then something negatively effecting that habitat is going to threaten them with extinction. From volcanic bunnies to rare giant frogs, megadiverse Mexico has thousands of endemic species. Let us examine just a few.

Cozumel Thrasher

The Cozumel Thrasher is a mockingbird that lives only on the Island of Cozumel, off the Yucatán Peninsula. It is the most critically endangered bird in Mexico, as its population levels have dropped dangerously.

It's not alone in that status on the island. This is the sole habitat of several other birds and mammals, all of which are protected, as humanity tries to hold back the tide of extinction for them.

The Thrasher is special though, in that it's already been extinct and come back. Well, not quite. It was assumed to be gone from the world and was thus registered. Then, in 2004, someone spotted one in Cozumel and there has been a scramble to save it ever since.

Some think that it's already too late, as there has not been a reliable sighting of Cozumel Thrasher since 2008. If you're on the island, please keep your eyes peeled. There will be a lot of relieved ornithologists, if you find it.

Flat-headed Myotis

The bat is one of the smallest in the world. It weighs about the same as two peanuts held in your hand. It's also one of the rarest creatures to spot, even in its natural habitat in a valley in Coahuila. It was first seen in 1952, then not again until 1966, when there were two separate sightings. Then nothing. By 1996, it was declared extinct.

A team from the Program for the Conservation of Bats of Mexico weren't happy with this designation, so set out to try and find the miniature bat. That was in 1997. In 2006, they finally found eleven of them, in Los Pinos, Coahuila. You can read all about it in their article: 'The Flat-Headed Myotis is Alive & Well: 'Extinct' bat is rediscovered in northern Mexico'.

Great Peeping Frog

The Great Peeping Frog, aka Rana-fisgona Labios Blancos, is only found in the Zonas del Pedregal de San Ángel, just south of Mexico City. Its natural habitat is sub-tropical or tropical dry shrubland, thus it loves the lava fields of Volcán Xitle.

The problem for this frog was that it lives so close to Mexico's capital city. As the city expanded, it ate up more and more of its habitat, right up until the point when someone realised it was going to become extinct. Pedregal de San Ángel has now been made a nature reserve, with the Great Peeping Frog under the 'special protection' registration of the Mexican government.

Nevertheless, there are no natural corridors into the outside world and the population of these mighty frogs has dangerously decreased. Survey work is currently underway to determine how many are left and if they are going to survive as a species.

Guadalupe Fur Seal

You used to be able to find the fur seal all up the Pacific coast, from Mexico to Canada. However, their skin is so soft, dense, waterproof and lovely, who wouldn't want to make clothes out of it? As a result, they had been hunted out of existance, in the USA, by 1825. Now they can only be found on and around Mexico's Guadalupe Island, off the coast of Baja California.

Commercial hunting stopped, in Mexico, in 1894, when just seven remained. The Guadalupe Fur Seal population has now grown to approximately 10,000, so their status has been altered to 'near threatened', as opposed to practically extinct. They remain listed as 'endangered' in the USA though. Guadalupe Island has been declared a seal sanctuary.

There was a bit of drama concerning one recently. A stray young male Guadalupe Fur Seal washed up on Torrey Pines State Beach, in the USA, in a terrible condition. He was starving and suffering from both hypoglycemia and hypothermia. He was taken to SeaWorld, in San Diego, where he was nursed back to full health. Nicknamed Buddy, the seal was then returned to the Pacific Ocean. As he was fitted with a tracking device, it is known that he immediately headed home and appears to be going strong. (Guadalupe Fur Seal Released Into the Ocean.)

Mexican Prairie Dog

Southern Coahuila and northern San Luis Potosi are the only places where the Mexican Prairie Dog might be found. However, they are another species which has made it onto the 'endangered' register. This time it is because they have been historically considered to be agricultural pests. Therefore ferrets kept being sent down their 'towns' (subterranean habitat of the prairie dogs) to kill them.

The 'towns' generally have a funnel-like entrance, leading into a sloping passageway up to 100ft underground. Leading off this tunnel are little rooms, all dug out by the prairie dogs. Inside them, the prairie dogs sleep and store grasses, herbs and other tasty items of food.

Since 1994, the prairie dogs, now living in less than 4% of their original habitat, have been listed as 'endangered'. Two organizations, Pronatura Noreste and Profauna, have taken it upon themselves to save them. They have been highly successful in securing the protection of 42,000 acres (170 km²) of grasslands for the prairie dogs. This involved getting a lot of signatures from private land owners and those using communal areas. It is hoped that the initiative will see the survival of these creatures.

Querétaro Pocket Gopher

In the north-eastern corner of Querétaro state, there is the Sierra del Doctor. Nestled deep in this remote, tiny mountain range is the Querétaro Pocket Gopher.

Very little is known about this small mammal. It lives underground and it is noctural. But there are so few of them, in such a remote location, that most research relies on hearsay. The locals know all about them. They see the evidence in mounds of earth, under which the pocket gophers have been burrowing.

For many farmers, they are incorrectly seen as pests, despite the fact that there is some evidence that the pocket gophers are responsible for the richness of the soil up there. All that digging has the effect of aerating it, while their droppings fertilize the it, deep underground.

San José Island Kangaroo Rat

As the name suggests, the San José Island Kangaroo Rat can only be found on San José Island, off the coast of Baja California, where it is steadily being eaten out of existence by feral cats. There are very few adults left now and they all live in very close proximity. These rats are, therefore, listed as Critically Endangered.

In addition to the feral cat problem, there's also the habitat destruction by wild goats and human development. The Mexican government, fearful of an actual extinction here, have stepped in to protect the immediate vicinity of the rats' home. They live in open grasslands, close to a sandy beach.

For the record, kangaroo rats aren't related to the marsupial. But they do tend to hop, instead of the scurrying of an average rat, hence the name.

Tres Marias Raccoon

It is thought that the ancestors of the Tres Marias Raccoon was just the same as any other common Mexican raccoon. But sometime in the past, the raccoons got trapped or taken to an archipelago, just off the coast of Nayarit. The Islas Marias became their home and, without contact with the mainland, the Tres Marias Raccoon evolved into an entirely different family.

This raccoon is quite large, compared to its mainland cousins, with an angular skull also setting it apart. Scientists are still arguing over whether it is a separate species or simply an interbred stray family. No conservation efforts are currently in practise.

Unfortunately, it's on the brink of extinction, having been listed as 'endangered'. Only 250 known adults survive on two of the three islands; while they've disappeared completely from Isla María Magdalena. The largest number exist on Isla María Madre, where the islanders are still killing them as pests.

Volcano Rabbit

Stand in Mexico City and look to the horizon. There are three large volcanos (not all are active), upon the slopes of which live the world's rarest bunny. The Volcano Rabbit loves the warm soil. In particular, it loves the leaves that grow on zacatón grasses, which only grow where there is thermal heating.

They live at an altitude of 9,186-13,943ft (2800-4250 meters), in an area of dense pine forest. They congregate in families of just two to five and emerge at dawn or dusk. The rest of the time, they are deep underground in their warrens.

The Volcano Rabbit is endangered, though, surprisingly, that has nothing to do with lava. The zacatón grass has been over-grazed, because natural corridors to other areas have been cut off by human development. In addition, the rabbit has been used for target practice. There are now laws in place to stop both things happening again.

Yucatán Wren

The Yucatán wren is only found on the northern strip of the Yucatán Peninsula. This is an area of dense mangrove shrubbery, right on the Caribbean coast, which is a perfect habitat for them.

It is always dangerous, in terms of the survival of a species, to live in just one locality. The poor Yucatán wren had the misfortune to choose an area just north of Cancún for its home. As the demand grows for holiday accommodation, and homes for those serving tourists in all of the attractions, the borders of Cancún have crept ever northwards. Its now encroaching upon Yucatán wren territory.

Things aren't critical yet. The wren is listed as 'near threatened' and planners have been quick to react to conservation concerns. Ría Celestún, San Felipe and Río Lagartos are all designated national parks, where the Yucatán wren can live in protection.

La Quebrada: The Dare-devil Divers

The cliff is 35 meters (125 ft) high. Jagged fingers of rock poke out from the crashing tide. From the top, it seems a long and treacherous way down, yet the diver lights a torch and waits. There is one moment, one perfect moment. In a mixture of knowledge, skill and instinct, the diver sees and seizes the moment. He jumps. Crowds of watching tourists hold their collective breath, watching his fire flare fall and the pin-prick sense of his body with it. He is lost to the waves.


Then he rises again, triumphant and swimming back to shore with a huge grin. The next one takes his turn. These are the La Quebrada Cliff Divers, one of Acapulco's most famous sights; and they really do know what they're doing.

Let us make something quite clear from the onset. This is not an activity that is encouraged for tourists. It is a spectacle, performed by those with training in the feat. Many divers come from a single, extended family, who have been doing this for generations. The rest are members of the La Quebrada Cliff Divers Club, which was formed in 1934, especially to ensure that the safety tips were passed on. No-one wants to see a vacationer crumpled at the bottom.

La Quebrada translates as 'gulch' or 'ravine'. It refers to the location itself, part of Acapulco's stunning, Pacific coastline. There is plenty of fishing to be had out there. When the divers are in downtime, then spectators can watch the pelicans soaring down to capture their food. It is believed that fishing is the genesis of the human cliff diving too. Nets snagged on sharp rocky outcrops had to be freed somehow.


The ravine is overlooked by a cliff path, where the Hotel El Mirador has two platforms with first class views of the procedings. It is from this hotel that the sports footage, commonly broadcast throughout the Americas, is filmed. Patrons can pay US$3.50 (30 pesos) to stand on a broad balcony; or considerably more to dine in the La Perla restaurant, with its terraces above.

Superstars have launched from this cliff. The most famous of all was Raul García Bravo, who made over 37,000 dives. He was the star of several commercials, including Timex watches and Johnnie Walker whiskey, which aired throughout the USA and Mexico. During the 1970s, when ABC Wide World of Sports popularized the dives, in their extreme sports slots, it was García who caught the imagination of the public.



In 1963, Elvis Presley's film, 'Fun in Acapulco', featured many local cliff divers, including Raul García. García took his last dive in his mid-60s. He has now retired from the sport, handing over his crown to the younger generation.

La Quebrada is in the old part of Acapulco. Many people prefer to walk to the viewing areas, as it is a very scenic stroll. However, taxis are relatively cheap to reach the spot. The best spots to witness a dive are from the top of the cliff. Small VW-cabs wait at the bottom, especially to convey tourists up the slope. It costs roughy 20-30 pesos to hitch a ride up the steep bit. Arriving half an hour before the performance is advisable, in order to grab the greatest vantage points. (The most favored place is at the bottom of the steps, right at the front.)

The shows are daily, lasting around 25 minutes. The first at 1.30pm, then hourly from 7.30pm through to 10.30pm. It is only the latter where the divers carry torches, as visibility is still strong at the earlier slots. Afterwards, the divers will stand at the top of the stairs, holding a bucket in which to collect tips (10 pesos or a few US dollars is appropriate); otherwise the spectacle is free of charge (unless you're watching from Hotel El Mirador). They will also pose for photographs.

Souvenirs are able from the gift shop in the Hotel El Mirador, or from various shops in the area. Wandering vendors may also shout out their wares. These include food and drink booths.

Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race

There is nothing like the Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race. Every year, for the past 64 years, boats large and small have been docking in Newport, California, for this free-for-all, 125.5 mile competitive gala. It pits professionals against amateurs; and the parties are often as famous as a place on the winner's podium.


The race starts with a fiesta and it ends with several. For many competitors, the festivities continue right through the interim, with the alcohol flowing all the way through their journey to the finishing post. There are also plenty of side-shows. On the eve of this weekend's event, in Newport, there was a 'I Want to Be a Chihuahua Parade', featuring the competitors' dogs in fancy dress.

The annual Newport-to-Ensenada International Yacht Race has long been to competitive sailing what Olympic swimming would be if Michael Phelps shared the pool with a gaggle of guys in inner tubes towing a keg of beer.
Mike Anton, LA Times

Yet there is a serious side too. One winner, Dennis Connor, even mused that it might be more difficult to complete than the America's Cup.


This year, 175 boats entered the race, yet only 167 actually made it off the starting line. Of those, a mere 112 reached Ensenada. While a steady breeze blew them down the coast of the Californias, the crews had to battle against it once they reached Todos Santos.

The difficulty is that no-one knows what to expect. The wind can change direction at any time over the Pacific Ocean and these people are relying upon their sails. Skill plays its part, but so does sheer luck. This is why the race is so popular. Amateurs have an equal chance of winning against the professionals.



This year's winners were:

1. Afterburner (Tennant Bladerunner 52), Bill Gibbs, Pierpont Bay Yacht Club, elapsed time 17 hours 8 minutes 53 seconds, corrected time 22:33:05.
2. Stars and Stripes (Farr 60), Dennis Conner, San Diego YC, ET 18:28:25, CT 20:40:11.
3. Alchemy (Dencho 70), Per Peterson, Oceanside YC, ET 19:20:23, CT 22:16:05.
4. Medicine Man (Andrews 63), Bob Lane, Long Beach YC, ET 19:24:13, CT 22:51:17.
5. Peligroso (Kernan 70), Lorenz Berho, Mexico City, ET 19:45:33, CT 24:02:49.
6. It's OK (Andrews 50), Tres Gordos LLC, ET 19:48:09, CT 21:47:23.
7. Taxi Dancer (Reichel/Pugh 68), Dick Compton/Jim Yabsley/Tom Parker, Santa Barbara YC, ET 20:28:13, CT 23:23:55.
8. Relentless (Santa Cruz 52T), Durant/Shew, Long Beach YC, ET 20:55:19, CT 21:45:31.
9. Stealth Chicken (Perry 56), Tim Beatty, ET 20:58:25, CT 22:07:27.
10. Piranha (Farr 40), David Voss, California YC, ET 21:05:45, CT 21:18:18.

Once all have reached the Pacific town of Ensenada, then the party can really begin. There are the award ceremonies, but there is also a carnival atmosphere throughout the town. The Bahia Hotel is the centerpoint and the place where many of the competitors will have stayed the night. It is here that Ensenada will have laid on its brightest and best entertainment, while the food piles up and the alcohol flows some more.


The Newport of Ensenada Yacht Race (N2E to those in the know) is billed as something that you have to 'do' once in your life. Watching it, and participating in the events around it, is a lot of fun, but experiencing being in that starting line is something else. It will run again this time next year. Plenty of time to get your boat and crew together. Good luck!

La Bufadora

The world's second largest marine geyser is located in Mexico. La Bufadora (the blowhole) can reach heights of 100ft (30.5m) with its frequent plumes of water. It is truly a spectacular sight, even more so when the rarity of the marine geyser phenomena is taken into account.


A particularly large spout happens at 1.10. Note how it sprays the camera, despite its position high above the crowds.
The effect is caused by a partially submerged sea cave. As the tide comes in, with the full force of the Pacific Ocean behind it, water is rammed into this cave. It collides with the air trapped in there and the pressure mounts. What goes in has to come out and so air and water burst through the first available exit. This is a blowhole located at the top. The ocean hits the blowhole like a jet-stream resulting in those amazing geyser explosions.

Very occasionally, an even more elusive phenomenom occurs. This is the double-bufa. As you might imagine from the name, that is a double spout in quick succession.


La Bufadora is one of Mexico's natural wonders and it has long been a huge draw for tourists. It is located on Punta Banda Peninsula, Baja California (around 30km (20 miles) south of Ensenada), overlooking the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Coach tours frequently leave Ensenada to come here, taking in the wonderful sights of Bahia Todos Los Santos along the way. Many people choose to travel to the attraction in their own cars. It is a pleasant, scenic drive along the main Route 23, which ends in the car park here. The way is well signposted from all directions.

Pick any day of the year and La Bufadora is filled with people. They will all be screaming in delight, as ocean water towers into the air, then crashes back down again. It is perfectly safe, insofar as no-one is going to get dragged into the ocean by it. However, raincoats and umbrellas are recommended for those who do not wish to become soaked to the skin. (Personally, I think that getting wet is half of the fun! Just leave a set of dry clothes in the car and all is well.)

Cruise ships sail by, with some of them docking to allow their passengers to visit the marine geyser. Between December and March, there are also grey whales to view from this coast, as they migrate to and from their breeding lagoons.


La Bufadora has been developed into a complex, which caters for thousands of tourists. There is a restaurant and the usual souvenir shops, along with comfort amenities and ample car parking. Much of the color is added by street vendors and the mercado (market), with stalls selling anything from corn snacks to cultural handicrafts.

Buskers and other performers keep the crowd entertained, as they shop or await another eruption from the famous blowhole. Once all spectacle is sated, then there are also serene and quite beautiful gardens to wander through.


A stall at La Bufadora Market


View Larger Map

Pristine Huatulco: The Pacific's Last Frontier

So much of Mexico's tourism focuses upon the 20 and 30 somethings, those looking for a party and stock souvenirs to spend their disposable income upon. Beyond that, it's the backpackers, the hikers and the bikers, who have a a vast wilderness of wonders to explore. Mexico has all of this and more. Yet there is another category of vacationers that has come under the spotlight of the National Trust Fund for Tourism Development: families. Beautiful Huatulco has been attracting parents, with younger children, for years. Now it is receiving the funding to encourage that.


Huatulco (pronounced wah-TOOL-co), in Mexico's deepest south, is about as far away from the violence of the US border towns as it is possible to get. It is down in the state of Oaxaca, right on the Pacific coast. In Mexico, it has a reputation as a quiet resort, which is none the less filled with fun. Its headlines are more to do with rare marine creatures glimpsed from the shore, than anything to do with crime.

While checking the news archives, for the purposes of writing this blog, I discovered a human interest comment. A Canadian man had been swimming in the ocean and had got into difficulties. Very quickly, two local men dived in after him and brought him safely to shore. That's about as dramatic as it gets in Huatulco.




Its official name, Bahías de Huatulco, refers to the fact that this resort is clustered around nine bays. (But you really would sound like a tourist, if you added the 'Bahías de' part. Huatulco will do.) Dotted amongst the bays are dozens of tiny, protected coves. There are over 30 glorious beaches, each with relaxing areas to lounge about, enjoying the sunshine in paradise.

There is the occasional group of Spring Breakers, but these tend to be those adventurous enough to break away from the hordes heading towards Cancun. Mostly your fellow vacationers will be parents with young families. This is a popular location for home-grown holiday-makers, so many of these will be escapees from the city, treating their children to some sublime beach action. Huatulco is full of child-friendly deals, including places where kids stay or eat free of charge.


Huatulco's ecological credentials are also very much intact. The original resort plans, dating from the 1980s, planned for accommodation for 10,000 tourists. Environmental groups immediately protested how this might damage the landscape. The architects heard their arguments and scaled back to cater for just 4,000. Keeping the population down, in an area that has historically had few human living upon it, has retained the pristine landscape and maintained a crystal clear ocean.

In addition to this, the environmentalists stayed on board to advise on other features. The result is that 70% of the resort is actually a nature reserve, while the developments within are eco-friendly. Huatulco was amongst the Mexican cities which switched its lights off for an hour, last Saturday, to mark Earth Hour. The event raised awareness of sustainability.


Huatulco, with all its local attractions and fun for all the family, is certainly a place to watch out for. Once the Cancun rites of passage are over, then the holiday romances will inevitably lead across the country onto the shores of the Pacific.

The Great Migration of the Grey Whales

It is the longest annual migration of any mammal in the world; and their destination is Mexico. Grey whales were recently on the brink of extinction, but this year up to 25,000 of them are expected to appear off the coast of Baja California. It is their mating season and, for a creature so big, that is quite a feat to accomplish.


The grey whale (eschrichtius robustus) are giants of the sea. They can grow up to 16 meters (52 ft), weighing in at about 36 tonnes. However, those spotted so far this year, off the coast of Mexico, have been a mere 11 meters (36ft). As the name suggests, they tend to be slate-grey in color, with barnacles clinging to them for the ride through the ocean. They have two blow-holes, which cause a distinctive 'V' shape plume of water and air.

Their migration will have begun, in the icy north, last October. Starting in the Bering and Chukchi seas, they travel down the length of Alaska, Canada and the USA, in a journey of 6,000–22,000km (9,900–14,000 miles). By January, the first of them are spotted in Mexico, making for three of their favourite lagoons. Tens of thousands of them descend upon Laguna Ojo de Libre, San Ignacio and Magdalena, to birth their babies and breed some more.

The latter is a tricky process. The sheer size of the grey whales means that some co-operation is clearly required. The female will flip onto her back, stabilized by one or more males; her actual mate will then be able to approach. All of this beneath the watchful eyes and cooing of hordes of marine biologists and tourists gathered upon the shore. It is all clearly visible.


Photo by Gerard Soury
Also very much in evidence are the female grey whales in labour and the newborn calves. The pregnant females are usually the first to arrive and the last to leave. Their calves are born tail first and already around 4.9 meters (16ft) long. They will stay close to their mothers, breaching the surface in a synchronized arc, not departing from the lagoons until late April or early May.

Like mothers everywhere, the grey whales wish to protect their babies for as long as they can. The lagoons of Baja California are too shallow for two of their greatest predators, orcas and sharks; while it is illegal for their third predator, humans, to hunt them here. Mexico is at the forefront of whale conservation, with many of its fishermen, in Baja California, trained and co-opted into protecting the grey whales during this season.


Another huge danger lies out in the Pacific Ocean. This is pollution and littering. A recent study undertaken by researcher Rob Williams (University of British Colombia, in Canada) estimated that the migration route of the grey whales contains some 36,000 pieces of plastic and other human shed debris. The whales ingest large amounts of ocean water, as they swim, filtering out the smaller organisms from its stomach sacs. But anything bigger says put.

In April, last year, a dead grey whale was beached in Seattle. When its stomachs were opened, they were found to contain: more than 20 plastic bags, small towels, surgical gloves, sweat pants, plastic pieces, duct tape and a golf ball. (Vancouver Sun: Ocean garbage: Floating landmines)


Grey whales came with a hair's breadth of extinction. A few years ago, the prognosis for their species looked very bleak. Their North Atlantic cousins disappeared completely under the harpoons of hunters, during the 18th century. The Pacific almost had a similar story. An infamous American whaler, Captain Charles Melville Scammon, discovered the Mexican grey whale breeding lagoons. Between 1857-1860, he hunted so many that the lagoons were nearly emptied. It has been a slow crawl back from the brink, but the outlook is good now.

Dr Jorge Urban, a grey whale expert based in Baja California, has already reported that this year's migration has brought nearly four times the usual number of grey whales. It appears that they are surviving out in the ocean's depths and that the future is looking rosy.


For now, the tourists watch from the shores of the Baja; with experts on hand to explain to excited children all that they can see. Some go out on boats, but the fishermen are patrolling in vessels of their own. By Mexican law, none can interfere with the breeding and birthing of these majestic whales, and the fisherman are there to ensure that this is the case. They will let the tourist boats out only as long as they will not be disturbing the mating.

There will always be lone whales, just hanging out, awaiting their turn to breed or leave. Grey whales are some of the friendiest marine creatures. They are quite happy to swim alongside boats and, despite their checkered past with human beings, will pause to say hello.

AlJazeera currently has an eye-witness report and footage of the awe-inspiring scenes, in Baja California, right now: 'Breaking waves: The story of the grey whales'.

Ancient Mexican Sea Deities

Visitors come from all over the world to explore the oceans of Mexico. From ancient and modern traders and business people; through invaders and pirates; to tourists and, of course, the local people. They have all witnessed the changeable moods of the sea. The calm serenity, that is there most of the time, to the occasional weight of tropical storms and hurricanes. They have sailed and fished and fed from its bounty. During all of this, particularly in the latter, these people have appealed to the divine entities, whom they believed ruled over these beautiful waters.

These days, the local fishing communities are most likely to be appealing to Mother Mary, or Our Lady Of Guadalupe. Those from other nations will bring their own gods or goddesses. For our ancestors, their prayers were heard by the ancient Mexican sea deities.

Chalchiuhtlicue

The Lady of the Waters, Chalchiuhtlicue, is an Atzec goddess.

Her name translates as 'jade skirt', but she was known by several names: Matalcueyeh, Xoxouhqui Ihuipil, Xoxouhqui Icue, Chalchiuh Tlatonac and Etzalqualiztli. Most of those relate to her skirt, which is variously described as blue, jade or green. The last moniker, Etzalqualiztli, means 'Lady Precious Green'.

Her icons and shrines have been found next to sources of water, streams, aquaducts, irrigation systems, lakes and cenotes, as well as the oceans themselves. She is shown wearing a skirt of blue or green, often with blue and white paper ornaments, and a shawl adorned with tassels. She also has tassels dangling down either side of her face. These are attached to an ornate head-dress, rendered from several broad braids. She is eternally youthful and very beautiful, as well as noble in status.

The Aztecs associated the sea with childbirth, so it is that Chalchiuhtlicue was evoked during labour. Newborn babies were sprinkled with water and greeted as the goddess. Four days later, they would be bathed again and blessed under the auspices of the goddess, Chalchiuhtlicue.

Chalchiuhtlicue is married to the rain god, Tlaloc. It was after he was slighted by the great father diety, Quetzalcoatl, that Chalchiuhtlicue flew into one of her rare rages. She caused such violent tempests that the whole world was flooded.

The region of Veracruz, alongside the Gulf of Mexico, was once known as Chalchiuhcueyecatl, ie 'the waters of the goddess, Chalchiuhtlicue'. Therefore, anyone worried today about the situation in the Gulf of Mexico might do well to appeal to this ancient lady, alongside their usual prayers.

Ix Chel

Grandmother, Ix Chel, is a Maya goddess.

She's been called 'Lady of the Seas'. Her temples and shrines tended to be around water or upon islands. She famously had her shrine on Isla Mujeres desecrated by the first Spanish visitors to Mexico. That story, along with Ix Chel's own, has been told in a previous blog.

She is the ancient deity for the Mexican Caribbean Sea.

Mama Cocha

Sea Mother, Mama Cocha, is an Inca goddess. She was also known as Mama Qocha.

Mama Cocha had dominion over all of the oceans and waters. She is a kindly, motherly divine lady, who protects fishermen and sailors. They would petition her for a large catch and calm waters. Mama Cocha would set about preventing storms and making sure there were plenty of fish around the fishermen's lures and nets.

As the goddess of both the waters and the rain, she could control the weather. She was most often evoked around the Pacific shores.

Her husband is Viracocha, the creator of the universe, sun, moon and stars. He also created civilization, walking amongst his people disguised as a beggar, in order to teach them certain skills. Mama Cocha and Viracocha were the parents of other Inca deities.

Comic book readers may recognize her from the Marvel publication, 'Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica'. Mama Cocha appeared in issue one. She also lends her name to a Peruvian home for abandoned children, Mama Cocha, in Los Organos.

"Sea turtles, mate."

Ragetti: Is that... can't be.
Pintel: How?
Captain Teague: Sea turtles, mate.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Sea turtles can be found in all of the world's oceans, minus the really cold ones up by the poles. They spend their lives in the sea, coming to the surface to breath, before dodging back underwater to feed. Here they can live for up to 80 years. The largest of the five species of sea turtle can grow up to eight feet (2.5m) long, weighing in at 1,300lbs (93 stone; or 590kg). They are truly one of the great, gentle giants of the sea.

Only the mature females ever venture onto land and then only to lay their eggs on the beaches. Beaches in Mexico are some of the dwindling number where nesting occurs, as anyone who reads A Canuck in Cancun knows:

A gigantic mama turtle was RIGHT THERE laying her eggs!! Super awe, jaw on the sandy floor, ga ga girls, we oohed and aaahed and watched her do her thing ... Turtle patrol came along and took her measurements and clamped a tracking device on her flipper. Her shell was 106 cms by 96 cms, big girl! We got hit by some flying sand when she started to try to get out of her hole, her powerful flippers making loud THWACK sounds as she dug her way out. We left her in peace to make her way back to sea.
A Canuck in Cancun: Where the Boys Aren't: Girls' Beach Getaway

And if you don't read 'A Canuck in Cancun', then why not? It's a brilliant blog!



When these eggs hatch, there is a sudden surge of tiny babies rushing towards the ocean. Seagulls and other predators lunge in and only a fraction ever make it. Then there is the arduous task of growing up, amidst the sharks and others who like to see sea turtle on the menu.

Sea turtles have been around for 130 million years; yet they have now been hunted to the brink of extinction by human beings. Sadly, a large proportion of this happens in Mexico, where poachers illegally catch and sell them into the international market, or eat them at home. Tourist are warned to boycott and report any restaurant with sea turtle on offer. Moreover, please don't buy any tortoiseshell products.

Even more recently, BP came under sharp criticism for burning sea turtles alive, by trapping them into controlled 'burn zones', in a bid to remove oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico. The Nature Institute in New Orleans estimated that at least 425 sea turtles had perished that way, with many more being picked up by conservationists. The survivors had to be cleaned up, with toothbrushes used to scrub the oil from their shells.

Sea Turtles are globally protected under the regulations of both the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Mexico is amongst those countries who have added extra laws to strengthen international law. It is illegal to poach, hunt, catch or eat sea turtles in Mexico. It is also illegal to use shrimp nets that don't allow sea turtles to escape. By-catch (when something other than what you were fishing for ends up caught) was a major threat to the sea turtles before that law came in. Traditional nesting beaches, in Mexico, are protected under law. They are often incorporated into national parks in order to ensure this protection.

In addition, there have been many other campaigns in the country, aiming to combat some of the cultural, religious or superstitious reasoning behind the consumption of sea turtles. In this very Catholic of countries, sea turtles are often eaten during Lent. This is such a problem that activists wrote to the Pope hoping that he would rule that sea turtles are meat, not fish, and therefore prohibited during that period. He hasn't done so yet.

Another pervasive (but utterly incorrect) belief was that sea turtle eggs boosted male potency. Playboy pin-up and singer Dorismar was enlisted to help combat that one. For the non-Spanish speakers, that legend reads, "My man doesn't need turtle eggs."

Dorismar also made an appearance on the extremely popular TV show, Sábado Gigante. She used her charms to convince Spanish speaking men everywhere that they really didn't need to eat sea turtle eggs. Wearing nothing but revealing pyjamas, she explained carefully that it's a myth that they help male virility.

The TV show broadcasts to an audience of over 100 million people, spread across 42 countries. Dorismar's slot on it was part of Sábado Gigante's campaign tour of Latin America, ending in Mexico City. During which they spread the 'Don't Eat Sea Turtles' word even further. Live music and personal appearances by Dorismar helped the message to sink in.

May to October is sea turtle breeding season, so it is possible that any visitors to Mexico might encounter their nests. If you see a mound of sand with a stick in it, then leave it well alone. It is being monitored by one of the many volunteer or state sea turtle conservation organizations. If you happen to spot a giant turtle leaving the ocean, with huge tyre track grooves in the sand, then report it immediately to the beach patrols. They can then alert the relevant people to come and protect the nest.

Then sit back, at a distance, and revel in the fact that you have witnessed one of nature's more wondrous moments. Because, if the poachers win, no future generation will be able to see it at all.

Monster Fishing in Mexico

As any sports fisherman will tell you, Mexico is the place to go for the big catches. Peak season is dying down, but August is still boom time for these intrepid anglers. The reports are coming in, thick and fast, of landed monster fish worthy of a photograph to frame for the wall back home.

Take, for example, this snippet from Jonathan Roldan's 'Tailhunter Fish Report':

Tony Toven from Los Angeles had gotten enough "football tuna" and asked Captain Pancho to try for one of the bigger models. He hooked up on a big chunk of fresh squid over the trench off Las Arenas and was in for a big fight. By the time they got it to gaff, the fish had towed the panga into shallow water... The fish weighed in at 63 pounds (on a scale). Tuna continued to crash this past week for our anglers!
La Paz/ Las Arenas Fishing Report from Tailhunter International for Week of Aug. 1-7, 2010

Please click on the above link for a whole picture gallery of huge catches, plus blog entries telling all the stories from some amazing fishing expeditions around La Paz and Las Arenas.

Meanwhile, Seann, from Sport Fishermen, was reporting back from further down the Pacific coast. In Puerto Vallarta, there were blue marlin, black marlin, stripers, sailfish and tuna darting through the clear, blue waters.

The tuna bite was also red hot. The crew nailed 6 in about 3 hours, all about 40-60 lbs. One of the best days on water of the year, you cant ask for more. Our Annual Marlin and Tuna Tournament is coming up August 12th-14th. From what I've heard so far, it's going to be a bigger turnout than last year and the way the fishing is going right now it should be blast!
Marlin Report Puerto Vallarta

For more information about the Annual Marlin and Tuna Tournament, please click here.

Meanwhile, over on the other side of the country, Abu Fishing was showing videos of deep sea fishing in Cancún.



If you fancy your hand at fishing in Mexico, then peak season in the Yucatán is March to July; while the Pacific Ocean has the greatest variety of fish from November to January. That's only peak season though. As the reports above show, the bites are still great during the rest of the year too. You will be guaranteed at least one fish caught no matter when you come. Most tours don't even require you to bring a rod, as the boats are fully equipped. Just sit back, sail out and let those big fish come to you!