This summer, I taught two summer session courses during the University of Arizona’s first summer session (June 4-July 5). Teaching two classes in one summer session is tough, as each is two hours a day plus prep.
It kept me so busy that I didn’t have time to think about what I’d do after it was finished until a few days before the final. But when I did think about it, I realized I needed to go back down to San Carlos, Mexico. So that’s what I did! I made an impromptu solo trip to San Carlos two days after my summer session finals. Here’s a recap.
Day 1: Getting There
Since I only decided to make the trip a few days before I left, I wasn’t able to convince anybody to come with me. This was my 7th time to San Carlos, though (thanks to this blog I’ve been able to keep count!), so I felt very comfortable going it alone.
I drove down on a Saturday, and made it to San Carlos in 5 hours, 45 minutes – a new record! Don’t worry dad – the record isn’t due to me driving too fast; it’s because the construction along the road is getting closer and closer to completion. It may take a while longer, because it’s hundreds of kilometers of freeway, but I have to say I am seriously impressed with Mexico’s construction pace.
I’ve stayed at vacation rentals the last few trips to San Carlos, but this trip was so last-minute that I had no choice but to stay at hotels. Actually, every hotel in San Carlos was booked for Saturday night, so I had to stay in nearby Guaymas for a night before transferring to Marinaterra Hotel in San Carlos on Sunday.
Day 2: San Pedro Nolasco Island Trip
On Sunday morning, I met with a group of about 15 at the San Carlos marina for a 2-tank trip out to San Pedro Nolasco Island. The trip was with El Mar Diving Center, which I use every time I’m in San Carlos. I’ve gotten to know several of their staff very well and I can’t say enough good things about them! They are simply amazing.
The island takes about 1.5 hours to get to from San Carlos, but its waters are clearer and host to more marine life than the local dive sites. The water temperatures here were about 81-82F, perfect for me since I’m a bit of a baby with cold water.
Our first dive was at North Point. I saw 5 or 6 green morays, and an adult highhat (I’ve only noticed juveniles before). More importantly, this was my first dive with a macro lens on my camera, so I spent the majority of the 80-minute dive testing it out on lizard triplefin blennies and brown cheek blennies. I’m still a rookie with the camera, so I’m really happy with the results (see pics below)!
Lizard triplefin blenny.
Brown-cheek blenny. Check out its eyes – they’re different colors!
Bluebanded goby.
Redhead blenny.
Widebanded cleaner goby.
I spent much of the second dive, at Seashells, practicing as well, but the highlight of the 70-minute dive was a moorish idol that one of my dive buddies, Paul, found. I have only ever seen these beauties snorkeling in Hawaii, so it was pretty cool seeing one in San Carlos! I didn’t get a picture as they are pretty shy, but if you’re unsure what a moorish idol is, think Gill from Finding Nemo.
Bull sea lion at Isla San Pedro Nolasco.
Testing out the macro lens on a balloonfish eye.
Cortez angelfish.
Day 3: Another San Pedro Nolasco Island Trip!
On Monday morning, we went on another 2-tank trip to the island. This time, the El Mar manager, Feliza, was on board. Though I’ve met her many times, this was my first time diving with her and I was really excited! Also on board were my dive buddies from the previous day, Annette and her husband Paul. Annette is a citizen scientist who’s been coming to San Carlos for years and completes fish surveys on dives as part of larger ocean research efforts. She and Paul are like magicians – when they’re in the water we seem to see tons of incredible things!
The day’s first dive, at Ventana, lived up to this. Almost as soon as we jumped in, a sea turtle swam directly at Annette and I from about 30 meters away. Then we saw another, bigger sea turtle less than 5 minutes later! I found one octopus and Paul found two more, making it three on one dive! We also saw a jewel moray eel, lots of green morays, and a scorpionfish.
I know I’m using a lot of exclamation points, but seriously, that is amazing. In the Caribbean, which is a magnet for dive tourism, it is special to see one or two eels on a dive. Or one octopus, or one sea turtle. We saw 2 turtles, 3 octopus, and 6+ eels on ONE DIVE. San Carlos is a really special place to dive – I’m lucky to live so close.
Sea turtle.
Jewel moray.
Lobster.
Panamic fanged blenny.
Giant hawkfish.
Curious green moray eel.
On our second dive, back at North Point, we found Cortez barnacle blennies, crown of thorn sea starts, a speckled flatworm, and a guineafowl puffer, among other things. I also went on a bit of an abstract starfish kick; see the photos below to see what I mean. But seriously – close up photos of starfish come out looking pretty cool!
Bradley’s sea star.
Chocolate chip sea star.
Crown of thorns sea star.
Crown of thorns from a different angle. The white area in the middle? Its anus!
Keeled sea star.
Cushion sea star.
Guineafowl puffer.
Speckled flatworm.
Day 4: Birthday Party on the Boat and Local Diving
On Tuesday, we did something special. Rather than a typical morning or afternoon dive trip, we did a dusk dive, then a night dive at the same location. These were local dives, both at San Antonio Point. Even more special – between the two dives we had a potluck birthday party for one of El Mar’s instructors, Jose Luis, cake included! It was really cool to be included in a group of Feliza and Jose Luis’ close friends for this trip.
Our first dive brought FOUR jewel moray eels, SIX staghorn coral, and TWO octopus. On a local dive! Incredible.
Hermit crab carrying a staghorn coral.
octopus
Father Baumann’s chromodorid.
Christmas tree worm.
Lobeskin puffer.
Pike blenny.
And on the night dive, I saw an octopus swimming, some gorgeous sleeping parrotfishes, Beebe’s anemones, and lots of synapted cucumbers. This dive, at 50 minutes, was the shortest of my trip, which tells you how great my dive buddies were! All other dives were easily over an hour, and low air was never the reason we ended a dive.
Azure parrotfish.
Octopus.
Three tiny skeleton shrimp on a scorpionfish eye.
Day 5: Getting Home
Not much to say here. I made the drive back in 6 hours, and didn’t stop once. It helped that it was a Wednesday (rather than Sunday, when I usually cross the border), which meant there wasn’t a ton of traffic at the US-Mexico. It didn’t help that I had developed some sort of intestinal bug the night before and was cramping and dehydrated. It happens though, and I’m not going to let that ruin an otherwise awesome trip!
Dives this trip: 6
Total dives: 135
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