Whale shark adds to magic at Cabo Pulmo marine park

This whale shark photo was e-mailed to Outposts on Saturday by Mark Rayor, owner of Vista Sea Sport  in Buena Vista in the East Cape region of Baja California.

It was snapped earlier this summer by Bill Boyce, who — as I had more than once during my traveling days on the beat — emerged from his dives at Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park enlightened regarding the effectiveness of marine reserves.

That issue is heating up in Southern California, the next theater for the state Department of Fish and Game’s expanding network of controversial marine-protected areas. Right or wrong, sportfishing businesses will suffer when closure sites are announced, and anglers will lose some of their favorite fishing areas.

But those who claim there is no proof that closing areas to fishing enhances marine life within those areas need only to dive with Rayor, an avid angler, who has witnessed first-hand a remarkable improvement since Cabo Pulmo was established in 1995.

"The formation of Cabo Pulmo Marine Park has been a huge success," Rayor said in his e-mail of the scuba diving destination about 60 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. "The fish seem to know they are protected and many species have sought refuge and made it their home. I believe it is the only place left in Baja that has not been over-fished and is truly spectacular."

(Longtime Southern California divers also might point to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and its flourishing kelp beds as evidence of rejuvenation.)

Most impressive to me were the size of the groupers within Cabo Pulmo’s park boundaries. They were bigger each of the three years I was there, and seemed capable of swallowing a human during my last trip two or three years ago.

The meandering arms of living coral teemed with colorful fishes. Rubbery eels swayed like serpents under a spell. Marauding jacks swam by the thousands as one, eclipsing the sun as might a giant cloud.

As for whale sharks, I’ve never seen one at Pulmo. Rayor says they show sporadically in early summer and again in early fall. Of course, they’re merely a bonus to any dive in the Sea of Cortez, and the La Paz area to the north might be a better call for divers hoping to swim with them.

But Pulmo, which spans roughly nine miles in length and reaches seaward up to four miles, truly is a special dive site. I wish I were there, after cyber-conversing with Rayor.

"Diving is outstanding right now," he wrote. "Water is tidy-bowl blue and 85 degrees at depth."

—Pete Thomas

Photo: Mark Rayor swims with a docile whale shark earlier this summer at Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park in the Sea of Cortez.
Credit: Bill Boyce

Comments

[Randall Simpson]

Yep...Cabo Pulmo is a great little place to dive & hide away for a few days. A lot of visitors to Cabo Pulmo don't want to talk about if for fear of it being truly discovered & hence....ruined by man. Too many traveler's will crush this place. It is delicate & pristine. No resorts, few amenities and few tourist. Just the way a select few adventure travelers prefer their destinations. I have visited several times myself & will be spending an entire week there this Decemeber 2008....by myself as a solo traveler I might add. I look forward to walking the beaches with no other foot prints and no beach peddlers. You can walk for miles & not see a single person. Just the barking of sea lions and waves laughing at you for not diving in. Yep......a little secret that I can't believe I am even telling strangers about.
(Sorry Pulmo Fans...I will shut up now.)

Randall