Covid-19 jacked up worldwide travel, but we found a local divemaster who ran trips out of a “resort” on the Baja peninsula.
Day 1
Masks were mandatory in Mexico, so we had to wear them whenever we were out of the vehicles.Since we were foreigners, the local authorities set up a roadblock so they could spray us down with anti-viral mist.Bob gets a shot of the cool, refreshing anti-viral spray.After they speayed us, they sprayed the inside of the cars.Bob enjoys a snack on the 12 hour drive down to the Bahia.We stopped at a roadside scenic overlook, and Calum got a little too close to the ledge.I took a picture of Lea taking a picture of all of us.Hello, Donkey.The beach area of the luxurious Villa de Bahia.Calum discovered the hammock where we would all spend many comfortable hours.Once we settled in, David got serious about wading in the water at the Bahia.Bob gets ready to enjoy his 27th beverage of the morning.Sunset at the Bahia.Heading out in the spacious and luxurious panga for the first day of diving.Our first dive spot.Between dives, we frequently found ourselves right in the path of the super-pods of angry dolphins that menace these waters. We managed to fend them off with oars and shotguns.Another potentially deadly dolphin attack.A big stonefishDavid chechs out a scorpionfish.Demon pufferfish? These guys are all over the place too. We see them all over the world, but these are first ones we’ve seen with the creepy red eyes. They’re also extremely curious about divers.This is what Bob looks like from underwater when he’s floating on the surface.A really big stonefish in a really good spot to blend in and hide.I finally got a picture of one of those fish that look like a little snake with two legs under its chin.Mexican Hogfish. They look like a guest-star-alien on Star Trek with that forehead bulge. He’s about 3 feet long, and they do a pretty good job of turning away when they see a camera.This stonefish is a lot easier to see than most.Tube Blenny. These guys move into tubes that tube worms have moved out of.There’s just not much good to say about panga diving, but at least it was always there when we surfaced.
Day 2
You are here.It’s almost dinner time at the luxurious Villa Bahia.When the sun gets low, the dolphins come out of the water and steal hubcaps from tourists’ cars.Calum is always happy early in the morning. I think he’s also happy that he’s not on the other boat.When the dolphins got between us and the other boat, it was time to pull out the shotguns again.An alpha dolphin makes a final death-drive for the boat. Luckily, Bob had an oar handy.Bob looks happy. He does love bar-b-que dolphin.Another dolphin breaks away from the pod for an attack run.Between dives, there’s plenty of room to spread out in the luxurious panga.David went ashore on one of the islands, and found an orange hard hat.Bob enjoys a gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the luxurious panga.Another diver struggles desperately to escape the jaws of a whale shark. She survived, but it was close.It looks like the crown of thorns has claimed the penthouse in the starfish hotel.Another stonefishAnother one of those creepy red-eyed puffer fish.I wonder how this guitarfish got all sanded over.AngelfishA jawfish in his tunnel with stones piled up around itAnother JawfishI’m pretty sure this is a basket starfish wrapped up around a piece of coral.The face of the whale shark.This si what a whale shark looks like swimming by, just before you get swatted by its tail.
Day 3
Bob’s keeping an eye ahead with the Dispensibles colors flying behind him.We pulled alongside the other panga to trade goods and exchange news.A sea lion prowls the area, waiting for us to enter the water.This is straight out of the camera, but I like way the foreground is in focus. I’m going to look for another place to use this one.A stonefish standing on his pectoral fins.A Big GrouperA whale shark swimming right under me while I floated on the surface.Today’s whale sharkA big sea cucumberA cool looking layered rock.Bob pushes off with a finger after taking a close look at something in the rocks.A couple of blennies in a coral condo.A couple of big clams with weird orange and black lips.This si what David looks like to a lobster at night.Octopus all tucked into a crack.An octopus all stretched out and walking around.
Day 4
Pilot whales. We were happy to see them, because they chase away the murderous dolphins.We went to a fancy restaurant in town for lunch and a beer.This pufferfish was fascinated by Bob’s stuffed lionfish. He kept swimming back and forth and eyeballing the plushie tied to Bob’s tank.Another big sea cucumberCalum offers Bob an inflatable weapon on the pirate dive.Calum prepares to stab steve on the pirate dive.It looks like there was an underwater rockslide here.A frogfish. these guys are almost impossible to find most of the time. It’s unusual to see on just sitting out in the open like this.Bob took out his regulator to show me a trick he can do with his flashlight. It’s not the kind of thing anyone wants to see.This might be my best shot of a jawfish in his hole.Another tube blennie. I’m starting to like these guys.
Day 5
One thing about the Villa Bahia – You gotta give them credit for the sunrises.Bob’s looking very comfortable in his room. My room did not have a ape.A really tall Boojum tree.David didn’t really crash into Barbie with his car. Actually, a seagull crashed into his car.
