Isla Cedros: An Exotic Island Adventure in Your Own Backyard
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/baja-4-u/2012/mar/26/i...
Tom Gatch
March 26, 2012
How would you like to travel back in time and pay a visit to southern California as it was over a century ago? Imagine the unspoiled desert vistas,
soaring mountains and a Pacific Ocean that was teeming with fish, lobster, abalone and whales along with an abundance of other marine life.
While those days may very well be gone along the California shoreline north of the border, that is certainly not the case just off the picturesque
Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula only a few hundred miles to the south. All of these natural amenities, complete with a generous slice
of friendly Mexican culture, can still be readily found on the vibrant and remote islands of Cedros and San Benitos.
Only a relatively shot air taxi flight out of Ensenada connects travelers to Isla Cedros, which stretches 24 miles in length and is characterized by a
ruggedly beautiful sloping terrain with a host of native flora and fauna that includes coastal scrub, juniper scrub and sand dune scrub, along with
dense patches of chaparral and pristine pine forest.
The island’s two communities, El Morro and Cedros Town, are home to most of the region’s 4,500 inhabitants. While the industrial focus of El Morro
involves the processing and export of industrial salt, most of the residents of Cedros town pursue the more traditional occupation of harvesting
gourmet seafood products, such as abalone and lobster, from the rich waters that surround the island. Somewhat surprisingly, tourism is still in its
infancy here; but what does exist helps to bring in supplemental income that is vital to the local economy.
For countless decades, the great fishing that is available around Cedros and San Benito Islands was a relative secret, known mainly by local residents
and members of San Diego’s long range sportfishing fleet. The surrounding waters teem with numerous marine species, several of which are comprised of
populations that have been either greatly diminished or practically eliminated in more developed regions of our hemisphere.
Here, copious schools of large yellowtail and oversized calico bass swim with other popular gamefish such as giant black sea bass, grouper, white sea
bass on a year round basis, and are joined by dorado and several members of the tuna family during summer and late fall. In short, it is a saltwater
angler’s paradise. There are also very few places in Baja that can boast of being able to consistently produce as many huge yellowtail for visiting
fishermen on virtually a year-round basis as can the prolific waters around Cedros Island.
A plethora of desert plants, many of which are endemic, punctuate the landscape in the arid climate at lower elevations, while aggregations of oak and
the native Cedros pine sit atop the mountains at an elevation of nearly 4,000 feet, where the primary source of water is the fog-borne moisture that
is common to the island. Native animal groups also include specialized species of mule deer, rabbit, pack rat and horned lizard that are also endemic
to the island.
Sixteen miles west of Cedros Island lies the San Benitos Island group that is made up of three islands and accounts for nearly 900 hectares. A
lighthouse dating back to 1934 overlooks western San Benitos Island. The island offers the greatest diversion of species and topography, and also has
one of the islands’ most interesting hiking trails, which circumnavigates the island from the fishing village to the lighthouse on the western side.
Although there are no full time residents on San Benitos Islands, up to 70 people live in a small fishing camp on the west island during the duration
of the abalone season
During their respective breeding seasons, expansive colonies of elephant seals and sea lions fill almost every inch of beach on San Benitos Islands.
The east island is the only breeding colony of the rare Guadalupe fur seal outside of Guadalupe Island. On the soft terrain, there are literally
thousands of holes where species like storm petrels, auklets, shearwaters and murrelets nest. The total population of this group of birds is
estimated to be over 2.5 million. And, in 1999, an effort to eliminate the European rabbits introduced to these islands in the 1990s was successful.
Because of this effort, many species of plants, including endemics, are returning from the seed bank, or surviving roots. Without a doubt, the
Cedros/Benitos archipelago represents one of the most prolific havens for terrestrial wildlife and marine species this side of the Galapagos Islands
off the west coast off South America.
The best part about visiting this nearby region is that you always have the option of traveling by public or private transportation to Ensenada’s
public air facility and buying a ticket to Isla Cedros yourself, our allowing a professional operation to make your getaway a turnkey experience.
Cedros Outdoor Adventures is one company with a solid track record for making the magic of this very special ecosystem easily accessible to all modern
day adventurers, ecotourists, anglers and photographers who looking for an exotic experience in a remote setting that is still within comfortable
reach of those living north of the border.
Given rapidly rising stateside gas prices and the ever escalating cost of international air travel these days, it makes sense to try and find a
destination that is exotic, yet relatively close to home. One thing is a given, whatever the reasons that may ultimately convince you to visit this
magical region, you are bound to encounter a beautiful and uniquely fascinating outdoor experience in one of Baja’s most unique coastal island venues.
[Edited on 4-3-2012 by BajaNews]
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
