Spirited Away (Cont.) | Outside Online

You Are Here:

Home >> Travel >> Spirited Away (Cont.)

Today's Question
Where should I camp in Switzerland with my kids? answer

What's the best volcano to hike up in North America? answer

How can I plan a trip around riding the biggest, fastest roller coasters? answer

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries

Outside Magazine August 2003

Page:

Spirited Away (Cont.)

AFTER UNPACKING, we chucked our dive gear into the Marazul, a 26-foot panga, and Armando Geraldo, the dive master, and captain Jose "Chino" Hernandez, a 35-year Sea of Cortez veteran, zipped us out to El Bajo, a cluster of seamounts seven miles northeast of the island that are famous for attracting hammerhead sharks. Chino anchored, and we dropped 102 feet down. We missed the hammerheads, but enormous moray eels gaped at us from their rocky lairs. Afterward, we motored about 15 miles to the wreck of the Fang Ming, a 300-foot Chinese long-liner sunk in 1999 to create an artificial reef. We finned through the old barge, past fans of black coral, and circled the wheelhouse, joined by schools of barracuda. Over the next two days, we encountered an aquarium's worth of wildlife: pods of dolphins, mobula rays, sea lions, and a pair of 45-foot humpback whales.

On our last night, I hung my wetsuit to dry in the balmy sea breeze and returned to camp to find fresh pitchers of margaritas and the Japanese belting out their favorite tunes from Tokyo. Then Armando and Rosario broke into a soulful Mexican duet. Soon everyone was singing something as the sun fireballed beyond the tall cliffs of the Baja peninsula and was replaced by a full moon. We thought our crooning beat the hell out of Jimmy Buffet sing-alongs back at Carlos 'N Charlie's in La Paz, but the lurking pelicans might have begged to differ.

ACCESS + RESOURCES

OUTFITTER Baja Quest offers Dive Safaris starting at $856 per person for two nights of camping and three days of diving; three dives per day, food, scuba gear, tents, round-trip transportation from La Paz, and a four-person crew are included in the price. For $880, Baja Quest offers a four-night, three-day package, which includes all of the above, plus your first and last night at a La Paz hotel and transportation between the airport, the hotel, and the boat. (011-52-612-123-5320, www.bajaquest.com.mx)

GETTING THERE Most dive trips in the Sea of Cortez leave from La Paz. Direct flights on Aerocalifornia from Los Angeles to La Paz start at $300 round-trip. (800-237-6225, www.reservaciones.com/airlines/aerocalifornia.shtml)

LODGING Baja Quest's dive boats can pick you up at the pier by the Hotel Marina, built around a handsome central garden and swimming pool, just east of La Paz's lively Malecón. Doubles start at $85. (800-826-1138, www.hotelmarina.com.mx)

Page:

•	Subscribe to Outside and get a FREE Gift!

•	Give the gift of Outside Magazine!

•	Subscribe to Outside Online's free weekly e-mail newsletter featuring gear reviews, fitness advice, galleries, podcasts, and more.