Marina San Carlos to Bahia San Pedro, Nov. 24
Unable to make the jump to the Baja because of the uncertain weather effects of Hurricane Sandra, we decided to take a sail north to Bahia San Pedro, about 17 miles north and spend some time. It looked like we would be able to make the crossing on Nov. 26th.
First day “under sail” in Mexico – no wind. As we motored along the shore, we passed rugged mountains, deep arroyos with vegetation at the mouth, sometimes, palm trees. There were no houses or roads after the first few miles. On the way we saw a whale in the distance to port and dolphins passed along our boat. As we got abreast of the island of Isla San Pedro Nolasco there was a flurry of activity of shrimping boats passing north and south.
Bahia San Pedro on the Mexican mainland, opposite the island, is well protected from winds to the southeast and to the north.There are no roads or structures on the bay. We anchored in the northwest corner of the bay tucked in close to shore. There were 3 other boats anchored in the bay, 2 Canadian and 1 French. We set 2 anchors in 15 feet of water. Much of the Bay is a long curving beach backed by some rugged mountains.
Chris went ashore to explore, looking for the canyon with fresh water springs he had heard about. It was about a half mile walk through cactus, small Palo Verde trees and thorny shrubs across a small salt pan to a steep and narrow canyon. Continuing into the canyon, he found larger trees, increasingly lush vegetation, and even a few palm trees. The sides of the canyons with riddled with caves which frequently had middens -- piles of shells discarded by the Amerindians over several thousand years. The bay and surrounding area provided abundant food and the canyon’s pools and springs, fresh water. In addition to the shells, there was a lot jasper, flint and obsidian flakes. Hiking further into the canyon, Chris found deep pools of fresh water surrounded by reeds and palm trees. On the way back down, at the mouth of the canyon, he came across several pieces of glazed pottery.
Meanwhile, Alice, relaxing on the boat, was treated to a display of diving Pelicans, Blue-footed Boobies (funny name) and Cormorants feeding on a large school of bait fish that was being driven into the shallows and to the surface by larger predatory fish. Along with these birds, there were hundreds of little Lesser Grebes swimming around and taking flight just as they did in Lake Mead. Meanwhile, the Pelicans were being pestered by the Sea Gulls waiting to steal the pelicans catch as the Pelicans swallowed their meal. The pelicans acted as if the gulls were not present. Had I been those pelicans I would have added gull to the menu. Periodically, they would take a break and rest. And then, the frenzy would start again. Click here to see videos of the Birds.
We watched the moon rise and went to bed to the gentle rocking of the boat. Around 4 am, Chris woke to the sound of coyotes howling and the wind shifting from the Northwest to the Southeast. It seemed surreal to be on a boat and listen to coyotes running down their prey. The wind was 10 knots or less, but he moved out into the cockpit to monitor things. If the wind had picked up, he would have had to reposition the boat for safety.
