Whale-ista
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Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Water temps on Cortez side? Pangeros for hire?
I'm packing/planning for a week down south, wondering how water temps are doing on Cortez side, south of Santa Rosalia-ish (still working on
itinerary)
Saw a recent post about swimming with whale sharks. Can I do that in swimsuit, or bring a light (shorty) wetsuit to be safe?
Can't bring the kayak this trip (racks not set up on truck), but have a crazy idea to paddle out with a boogie board...minimalist approach!
Is it safe to approach Whale sharks and/or other critters on boogie board? Or are there other critters around that make being exposed in the water a
bad idea (orcas etc)
I suppose I can always rent a kayak or go out with a panga until I get my kayak rack set up. Are there pangeros who will take people out to see whale
sharks etc, similar to Pacific lagoon whale trips?
Thanks for ideas/suggestions.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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dirtbikr
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Posts: 72
Registered: 11-1-2011
Location: sacramento
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Mood: start slow....then taper off!
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Kayak is best, we were just down there at coyote beach, whale sharks were just out about 100 yards, two or three every morn and evening, water is
nice, paddling a boogie board would scare them off.
If you\'re not living on the EDGE... You\'re taking up too much room! Its never too late for a darkside.
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Thanks!
So... are there kayaks available to rent? Pangas for hire?
And how is swimming closer to shore- warm enough in a suit, or wetsuit needed?
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 9-19-2009
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| Quote: | Originally posted by dirtbikr
Kayak is best, we were just down there at coyote beach, whale sharks were just out about 100 yards, two or three every morn and evening, water is
nice, paddling a boogie board would scare them off. |
our experience, nothing scares em! bring a spring
suit. 
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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| Quote: | Originally posted by willardguy
| Quote: | Originally posted by dirtbikr
Kayak is best, we were just down there at coyote beach, whale sharks were just out about 100 yards, two or three every morn and evening, water is
nice, paddling a boogie board would scare them off. |
our experience, nothing scares em! bring a spring
suit. |
Ha! Thanks Willard.
For a second I thought you were going to recommend "bring a birthday suit"! THAT would scare them!
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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http://www.tempbreak.com/index.php?&cwregion=la
mess with it and change areas.
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Mulegena
Super Nomad
Posts: 2412
Registered: 11-7-2006
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Hire a panga to ferry you about. Whalesharks swim slowly but they're so big they move really fast compared to we mere mortals, even in a kayak. Also,
you're so low in the water in a kayak or swimming you just can't see them as they tend to swim just below the surface and don't even make ripples in
the water, so if you're serious about an encounter, use a boat.
Yes, you can hire a panga: Daniel on Santispac Beach or Ed of Ed'sWorld on Burro Beach. Ed rents kayaks, too.
The whalesharks have been cruising around Coyote Beach this spring but they can move wherever they want, so ask where they've been most recently seen
and get a lift to that particular bay.
Wear a bathing suit, spring suit or your birthday suit. An alternative would be a diveskin which will cover your back & limbs and protect you from
sunburn and little prickly bites from microscopic critters in the water (which is what brings the whaleshark in the first place-- dinner!)
Shuffle your feet whenever they come in contact with the ocean floor in the Sea of Cortez. There's small stingrays that hide just under the sand and
they'll whack ya' if you step on 'em (i would, too). The barb will penetrate neoprene dive shoes or gloves, so they're really no protection. There's
also the occasional scorpionfish and electric ray.
Your Sea of Cortez medical kit:
Drinking Water - stay hydrated, please
Sunscreen - for sunburn prevention
Benedryl Spray, Hydrocortisone Cream, White Vinegar - for scorpionfish and microorganism stings
Campstove & pan & washcloth - for stingray whacks; heat fresh or seawater to very hot, but not too hot; keep a hot compress on the wound until
the pain subsides; check wound for barb of the tail, remove yourself or go to clinic in town; apply bandaid and let it heal up.
Have fun!
[Edited on 3-30-2014 by Mulegena]
"Raise your words, not your voice. It's rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~Rumi
"It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
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