SAILING CAMELOT

Today we move from Bahia Los Angeles to one of the many islands scattered around the Bay. It’s a very short hop; Isla La Ventana is not even 3 miles away.

Isla Ventana (The Window Island) gets its name from a very characteristic rock arch that somewhat resembles -what else!- a window.

La Ventana - The Window

The other side of La Ventana

We claim our spot and soon Camelot is comfortably nested in the small bay. We’re the only boat anchored here; it’s so nice to have the place all to ourselves!

Occasionally, however, the peace gets disrupted by the random Panga bringing a bunch of loud tourists to visit the beach for a few hours. Also the fishermen -the ones that stay out all night to fish for squid- drive their Pangas to the beach at the crack of dawn, finding a quiet spot to do their fish cleaning before taking their catch to the market.

A few words about squid: this particular area of the Sea of Cortez is home to the Humboldt Squid.

They are very aggressive, hunt in schools of 1200 and can move at speeds up to 13 knots. They travel at depths of 2300 feet during the day, coming to the surface at night to feed. They can grow up to 6 feet in length, reaching a weight of about 100 lbs. They have the ability of changing colors instantly and many scientists believe this to be a complex form of communication. They go from dark red-brown to white in a fraction of a second, appearing as a flash. Because of this ability and their aggressive feeding nature (they also eat other injured squid), local fishermen call this squid El Diablo Rojo (Red Devil). The Pangueros fish for this squid using hand lines, very hard and dangerous work. It is said that at least one fisherman a month is lost to the Humboldt Squid.

Obviously, swimming at night in this area (or falling off the boat) is not recommended…

Cactus with a Twist?

The Avian Song And Dance Show

Isla Ventana lies in the heart of Bahia de Los Angeles and is surrounded by a handful of smaller island, absolutely perfect for dinghy excursions, prompting us to quickly deploy our colorful craft and zoom off to explore.

The first thing we notice is that this place is Avian Paradise, absolutely packed with birds. I have never seen so many different kinds in such a small place! And of course in most instances I don’t even know what I’m looking at, but that doesn’t prevent me from being mesmerized by what I see.

I have no idea what kind of bird this is...

... but it sure is pretty!

On day two of our stay we set up for a dinghy circumnavigation of this small island, a very pleasant task easily accomplished in less than two hours. We also visit three other neighboring islets, all of them hosting contingents of birds.

Hmmm, I wonder if my nail polish is dry yet...

Oh, I'm SO going to get you!

We spend three very quiet days here, basically just enjoying the peace. We read, we swim, we eat and we sleep -not necessarily in that order. Our stress level is non-existent!

After only three days we both get a little restless: Tom starts missing the company of his friends still parked in Bahia Los Angeles and I want to try to use the Internet Café’ there. Also, there is a party scheduled for August 31st and we would have to return anyway.

What has Blue Feet and a Black Mask?

A Blue Footed Booby!

Amazingly beautiful and graceful in flight

So on Monday 29th, having fully satisfied our need for solitude and exploration, we take the very brief trip back to Bahia de Los Angeles.

Pic 15