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Outside Magazine August 2003

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DESTINATIONS: Scuba Camping
Spirited Away
Baja's Isla Espíritu Santo conjures up endless scuba sites and miles of sand for camping by

By Granville Greene


	Sunset at the Sea Stacks (Corbis)

I'M HOVERING ON THE SURFACE of Mexico's Sea of Cortez with a pod of sleek pilot whales. A few feet away, a 12-footer rolls on its back and eyeballs me for a long moment before slipping into the deep with a flip of its fluke. Then the pod arcs out of the jade water and moves toward the open sea. Having had my cetacean fix for the day, I hop into the waiting panga and head back to desolate, cardón-cactus-studded Isla Espíritu Santo, where iced Pacificos and salsa-smothered fish tacos await.

The Sea of Cortez is Big Animal country. There are few other places on the planet (especially in late summer, when the water is crystal clear) where you can see such a multitudinous array of pelagics—whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, manta rays, and even the 80-foot blue whale, the largest creature on earth. With 31 species of marine mammals and 500 species of fish, there's plenty to tick off on your diving life list. But Baja's wilderness isn't all underwater. It gets even better—this is kick-back-and-camp country, and watching HBO in a five-star resort complex with the A/C blasting doesn't have to be part of the program. Instead, recover from your day of diving with a mellow hike to a deserted beach or a paddle around a well-protected bay, followed by a restful night's sleep under a moonroof zipped open to the stars. But be forewarned: Unless you want to get parboiled in neoprene agony between dives, early fall is the best time to visit, when temperatures drop from their 110-degree July peak.

Base yourself on uninhabited Espíritu Santo, 23,383 acres of rose-colored rock a 12-mile panga ride from Baja California Sur's state capital, La Paz. You'll find a half-dozen of the best dive sites a short boat ride away, which lets you avoid the tiresome schleps to and from the city. Plus, the island's western edge is riddled with coves sheltering white-sand beaches, ideal sites from which to launch diving, snorkeling, and sea-kayaking expeditions.

My scuba buddy Brad Doane and I booked a three-day Dive Safari package with La Paz-based Baja Quest. The trip came with a small crew, who set up base camp (complete with sun showers and a toilet) on the best beach on the island, Playa Candelero. When we arrived, all we had to do was pitch the tent provided by Baja Quest and unroll our sleeping bags. Rosario Nuñez, the chef, prepared picnic lunches and assured us that the cervezas would be chilled upon our return. We shared the quarter-mile stretch of bleached sand with a group of eight Japanese sea kayakers, who didn't speak much English but who plied us with unidentifiable pickled treats they'd brought from home.

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