Los Islotes
Day 2 of diving began with a trip all the way out to Los Islotes in the northern tip of Isla Espíritu Santo (read about Day 1). Now, Espíritu Santo is no small cay. It's actually a fairly large island at over thirty square miles. To get an idea, here's a reference, courtesy of Google Maps.
Los Islotes
Once again, the scenery does not dissappoint.
En route to Los Islotes
En route to Los Islotes
En route to Los Islotes
After close to an hour, here's Los Islotes.
Los Islotes
Los Islotes
Los Islotes
The dive began with a large school of what I think are Panamic Porkfish.
Panamic Porkfish
I also spotted this moray eel sticking its head through the rocks. It's a bit hard to spot, but it's right in the center of the frame.
Moray Eel
There was a log of aquatic life before we were to meet the friendly sea lions here.
Blacknosed Butterflyfish or Barberfish
The main attraction at Los Islotes, the sea lions, was saved for last, towards the end of the dive. This is largely because they are closer to the surface and so it was appropriate to catch them on the way up. Pictures really don't to justice to these friendly creatures, but here's a small glimpse.
Sea Lions at Los Islotes
Playing with Sea Lions at Los Islotes
Whale Sharks
This might just have been the grand finale to the trip. Don't let their name intimidate you - these guys feed mainly on plankton. This is actually the reason they frequent the Sea of Cortez this time of year. The plankton-rich waters also meant very low visibility. This made them rather hard to spot until they were practically within arm's reach (but do not touch!). You can read a lot of amusing facts about them on Wikipedia, and so I won't repeat them here. What I will share here is that swimming with these calm and peaceful giants was yet another humbling experience that I will forever remember. Here are a few pictures from the video.
Up close with a Whale Shark
A Whale Shark feeding
What the short video here.
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