Salt Evaporation Ponds

View of Isla San Franciso

We Finally Escape

The Sea of Cortez extends 600 miles from Cabo to Guaymas.
The Sea of Cortez is the second most diverse marine body in the world. It is home to 31 species of whales and dolphins. The region also serves as a breeding ground for sea lions and marine turtles, and is a migratory corridor for 210 bird species. There are some 500 fish species, 4848 known species of invertebrates, 626 forms of algae live in the region.
With a vast geologic history of plates pulling apart and creating new crust under the Sea of Cortez, the islands which lie near the fault lines expose colourful striate layers of pink, ivory and black rock. The contrast in colours . The islands are both volcanic and non volcanic in origin.
We motored by Los Islotes where Ken and Alanna swam with the Sea Lions at Christmas.
Isla San Francisco is a beautiful crescent shaped bay. The sand is fine white, the water a crystal blue. Great for snorkeling and swimming. The water here is still a little cool.

We continued to Isla San Jose to an abandoned salt mining operation on Punta Salinas. This salt operation was closed about 10 years ago. The people that worked here were brought over from San Evaristo, 4 nm across the strait..

Salt evaporation ponds are shallow man-made ponds designed to produce salts from sea water. The seawater or brine is fed into large ponds and water is drawn out through natural evaporation which allows the salt to be subsequently harvested. The ponds also provide a productive resting and feeding ground for birds.
Due to variable algae concentrations, vivid colors, from pale green to bright red, are created in the evaporation ponds. The color indicates the salinity of the ponds. Micro-organisms change their hues as the salinity of the pond increases. In low to mid-salinity ponds, green algae are predominant. In middle to high salinity ponds, an algae called Dunaliella salina shifts the color to red. Millions of tiny brine shrimp create an orange cast in mid-salinity. I will add pictures to this when I have email.
We stayed the evening in San Evaristo. A very busy fishing village tucked in the Giganta Mountain Range. This little village has a desalination plant giving the people drinking water. There is a school, tienda (store) and a cemetery. They too have salt evaporation ponds. Trucks drive in to bring supplies from La Paz taking back the fish to sell in the city.
I am quite surprise that we have not seen much wildlife with the exception of flying mantas, and the odd dolphin.
It is nice to be away from the marina again. The temps are 100F/38C .

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Navy checking out raft made by Scouts



Well this was a busy week getting ready to shove off. FINALLY we departed on Thurs. but as another boater says La Paz has a magnet that brings you back!



4 hr out and 4 hrs back to the same spot. A beautiful day, no wind, no waves, sunny. When we go to anchor the windlass slowly lets the chain down. Smoke is coming from the winches motor. I tell Ken to stop. He comes down and examines, and a decision is made to go back to La Paz to have it fixed. Emotional LET DOWN, but we will be anchoring for 4 mths and longer. If the winch is not working we could be in trouble. If in an emergency we had to lift the anchor in a hurry it wouldn't happen. I know we have to go back. In the past I would have freaked. I have learnt on this journey to be patient. There is nothing to gain by not being safe. That means ALL systems work. So................... here we are again.

Today being Father's Day there is quite a bit going on in town.

The Baja 400 departed at 0800 hr. One of the harshest tests for man – and machine – is the Baja 400. Every year, the hundreds of drivers the race attracts push themselves and their vehicles over roughly 400 non-stop kilometres across the Baja California desert. It’s madness.
The course starts in La Paz and ends 30 km south of here. The cars will be back by 1900 hr. tonight. It is an off road race through desert. It reaches tempt of 115 degrees fairenheit. There are several categories of cars from dune buggies, to heavier types. Saturday night the parties were on all over the town showing off the teams


There were probably 30 cars in total. The Marina we are staying in has several cars that they run in all races including the Baja 1000.


Next was the Scouts of Mexico. The groups had come from all over the Baja California Sur for the weekend. Camping and enjoying many games. Whole families participate.


This morning they were busy building rafts from floats, sticks and rope/string. The Navy was out examining the entries to make sure that they all complied with the rules.


The races were on. The teams had to paddle 4 km. Fun was had by all.


The restaurants were filled with families taking Dad out for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner.


The church bells are ringing more often so there were probably extra services to mark the day.


We took a local chicken bus to the Walmart. We have done it before no problems. I believe we have been here TOO LONG. When I get asked if I speak English by an American and Ken gets asked for directions from a Mexican.


The part is to be here tomorrow. Lets pray it is. I want to be North of here. Tropical depressions are now occuring and for insurance La Paz is not covered. We need to be about 120 km north of here.


Just 2 days ago a tropical depression hit Puerto Vallarta. It is about 700 km from here. The outside Pacific Baja and lower Pacific Mexico is having high winds and waves. Tropical depressions are the beginnings of a hurricane. NOT a hurricane but they bring strong winds and large waves.


We have had days around 102 degrees or 40 celsius. The nights cool down with corumal winds. A phenomon on La Paz. For this reason they use fans not air conditioning.

We are hoping that the part comes and tomorrow we shove off, but I guess life is what it is and if we don't get out of here we will look for new things to explore.

We are in the routine of getting ready to leave in a few days. The lists are made and being checked off as they are completed.

Our plans are to depart on Wed. should all go well. The final dentist appt. is on Tues, the water tank is sealed and ready for a fill up.

Most groceries are bought and stored, leaving only the fresh fruits and vegetables to pick up the night before. Need to exchange our pesos into smaller denominations as the small villages have difficulty cashing anything over 20 pesos.

The difference with this portion of the trip is that it will consist mostly of anchorages and there will be limited availablitiy of fresh produce that can be bought in small fishing villages.

The Sea of Cortez is full of fish, crabs, scallops all for our enjoyment. I have added a friends picture of the crab they bought off a fisherman.

Who knew they had crab like this down here. Can't wait to try one. They caught it just outside of Santa Rosalia. (Rani and Chris sorry I pirated your picture)

Finally after a year, I have the weather figured out. It has been a challenge. Mexico does not report the weather like Canada and the US. It ceases to amaze me the number of boaters that are out here blind. When I have asked the question "How do you recieve your weather reports?" I have had answers like: Just look out the door --- Don't worry about it ----- Listen to other boaters who know how to get the weather ------- etc. Mal (bad).

I have now printed off the times of the SSB Nets (which give weather reports along with following the where abouts of boaters).

I have signed up to buoyweather weather that will send me daily updates for the requests that I make.

I have all the weigh points figured out for the weather forcasts.

Another endevour is to use the radar at all times when underway. Usually we only use it at night but we need to be extemely proficient to go through the Tehuantepec. The trouble with Mexican charts are that they are just plain bad.

While doing the Tehuantepec we need to be just 1/2 mile off the shore. This will mean relying on the radar. Our plotter will apear to be driving over land. This summer I must get comfortable knowing that even though it shows that we are on the land we are actually safe. Trust the radar and the depth sounder. Most times we are anchored 2 miles inland with the bad charts.

While we are out the blogs will be updated through Single Side Band Radio. This means that I will not be able to add pictures. When at an area with internet I will go back and add the appropriate pictures to the previous blogs. All the photos will be put into the Sea of Cortez picture album when at an internet service areas.

The weather temperatures have now gone over the 100 degree mark and we are both looking forward to jumping off the boat into crystal clear warm water. Until next week. I look forward to exploring and having more history, new experiences to share.

Museo Mulege Entering Sierra de la Giaganta

Mision Santa Roslia de Mulege

We are not ones to sit still for too long. So a trip inland was planned.
We rented a car and wandered into the Sierra del la Giganta.
The Sierra de la Giganta is a mountain range of Baja California Sur state in northwestern Mexico. The range extends parallel to the coast of the Gulf of California, west of the town of Loreto. The Sierra de la Giganta is one of the landforms in the Peninsular Ranges, which extend 1500 km (900 miles) from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula.
Our first overnight stop would be Ciudad Constitucion. We had stayed there in December when Alanna came to visit. We went out for dinner than proceeded to get pulled over by the policia. (Why we still do not know ) I must say Ken is getting as good as me at butchering the beautiful language of espanol, but at least he is trying to speak the language. I am sure the policia were sorry they pulled us over. Anyways they were helpful letting us know where to park to watch the musical show that was happening in the square. It was fun.
The next morning we headed out to Loreto and to find the Mision San Francisco Javier.
Ciudad Constitucion is flat low agricultural land. This marks the first encounter with the dramatic Sierra de la Giganta’s. This jagged and rocky mountain range gives the appearance of rising straight from the depths of the Sea of Cortez. As we snaked our way along the highway we witnessed the different rock formations, red, black, sandstone. The cacti were beginning to blossom with a white flower. Below were beautiful white sandy beaches surrounded with turquoise water. I wished I could have taken geography to be able to appreciate the type of rock.
We stopped along a road side beach surrounded by scallop shells. Temperatures of the water around 85. The temperature outside 105.
Once in Loreto we obtained a room then headed out to find the Mision San Francisco Javier. The Mision is nestled in the heart of the Sierra La Giganta Mountains. A lone road leads into town passing scenic farms and working ranches. The treasure at the journey’s end is La Mision de San Javier, the best preserved and most beautiful mission on the Baja Peninsula. The trip left my finger nails in the side of the car. The first 1/3 of the road was brand new, the second 1/3 under construction. Side of the mountain being blown up. Big crosses along the road where the people had probably fallen off the cliff! Anyways the end was well worth the effort. The church itself is in excellent condition, with original walls, floors and venerable religious artworks. Irrigation canals from the time of the Jesuits – the first on the peninsula – still water the local fields. They did appear fairly stagnant to us.
Loreto is a charming town. It is quickly becoming a center for tourism for North Americans. Loreto has an International Airport. Loreto (or Conchó) was the first Spanish settlement on the Baja California Sur. It served as the capital of Las Californias from 1697 to 1777, until it was moved to La Paz due to a bad storm. The city of 10,283 people (2005 census) is located on the coast of the Sea of Cortez..
The town was founded in 1697 by Jesuit missionaries. The Mision Nuestra Senora de Loreto was founded in the town in 1752., Attached to the Mision Nuestra Senora de Loreto is a museo that explains the church system of so long ago. I was interested to see that the priests came from well to do families from Spain and had to pay their own way and pay for the Spanish army that was brought over from Spain. That would never happen in todays world.
Our next day trip took us to Mulege pronounced (moo lay hay). Mulege is luch. Hundreds of brilliant green date palms line the bank of the Rio Santa Rosalia.The village rests between two mountains in a tranquil valley that opens to a white sand beach and cyrstal clear waters. Orchards surround the village.
It was here that a trip to a church had us attending a service. We arrived to take pictures only to have the priest come to us and ask where we were from and invite us to attend. Could you say No. Would look REAL BAD if you did. So an hour later after communion began we left. Didn’t hurt us any. Just a lot of stares but inviting and friendly people.
The church Mision Santa Rosalia de Mulege . It was founded in 1705 and completed in 1766. It stands above the town on a hill. The mision functioned until 1828 when the decling indigenous population led to its abandonment. It has been remodeled several times but the walls and floors are original. We had an hour to look at the walls. The walls are 5’ thick cut out of lava rock blocks. Pretty impressive.

Not to let everyone think we only check out churches and cemetaries. While in Mulege we checked out the Museum. Before it housed artifacts it housed prisoners. This was a prison wian experiment with the penal system.The inmates enjoyed a great deal of liberty. Prisoners usually left at 6am for jobs in town, returning at 6pm. They could even attend town dances and a number of them married within the community.

One of the atifacts is the massive shell of a Star 48B space launched motor, which dropped out of the sky in 2000 in a near by field.
This is just a highlight of our trip. We saw so much more but I don’t want to bore anyone.

Check out the new pictures under the photo album Sea of Cortez. This will be the pictures of the summer.