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mushroomminded · 5 years

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Sharks n' Flowers

(by @f-eef)

It was a rather warm day, the sun was shining brightly, with a gentle breeze carrying the faint scent of flowers was blowing through the park, and Milo sighed contentedly as he looked upwards at the clouds.

Since there was no school today, he had decided to go to the park to sit down on the untrimmed grass to pass his time. The park was rather large, but didn’t have a playground for children, so it merely contained many trees and small flower gardens near the middle, with sidewalks placed all around the park in spirals. It really was a fancy park, and Milo had to admit that it was nice.

His favorite part about the park was the fact that it has a small pond with koi near the middle of the park, and that it was just generally soothing to look at the spotted fishes swim around calmly. He would go to the pond to watch the fishes, but he just wanted to stay in place and bask in the sun.

Cody wasn’t able to follow him to the park, he was too sick. More specifically, he’d gotten chickenpox, and Milo definitely couldn’t get close to him or else he’d get sick too. Well, he’d willingly go to Cody’s room to play games with him, but Cody’s dad wouldn’t let him anywhere near the room, so he was just alone. Though, he didn’t mind being alone for once, he did miss Cody, but he liked the quiet setting of the park. The chirping of the birds, and the faint sound of conversations were enough to distract him.

When he had closed his eyes for a few minutes in an attempt to take a quick nap, he heard a familiar, quiet voice with a slight accent.

“I’ve never seen you come here before.”

Milo opened his eyes and turned his head around and looked upwards at a familiar face. He didn’t exactly ask for the kid’s name, so he had no idea what their name was, but the kid’s appearance was rather peculiar, so Milo was easily able to recognize them.

They wore a baggy, orange turtleneck sweater, and long boots. They had also stuck a large petunia onto their hair, and just had a very warm color scheme in general, so they really stuck out from the green park setting.

“Oh, it’s you,” Milo replied tiredly, “Ummm.. Charlie, was it?”

“No, that’s not my name.”

“Right, sorry. I forgot to ask for your name anyway,” Milo only knew this kid because they had gotten themselves in detention by snapping at a teacher, whereas Milo had attempted to bite one of his classmates, so he was in the same room for detention. He had asked the kid if they wanted to help Milo find a way to distract the teacher so they could both escape from detention, and though they meekly denied the offer, Milo kept asking them if they wanted to do it, and the kid eventually caved in and helped him. And so, the two had successfully distracted the teacher by breaking a window with a book, and running out of the room while the teacher rushed up to the window to see if she could find the culprits who had broken her window. As Cody was out of town (on a road trip to another town), he didn’t have anyone else to interact with, so he decided that this kid would be a good acquaintance to have, since the kid seemed nice enough to approach. They spent a few days walking around the school quietly, and had literally never asked for each others names.

“Sooo, then, what’s your name?” Milo continued.

“Robin. What about yours? You never told me yours.”

“The name’s Milo!”

“Niiiice,” He sat down next to Milo, looking at the nearby flowers quietly, “Where’s your friend?”

“Cody’s sick,” He sighed. This was the first full conversation he had ever had with this kid, and the kid seemed a bit too awkward to continue a conversation, “He should be feeling much better in a few days though.”

Robin spent a minute or two thinking about how to reply, or he was either somehow too distracted to speak much, “.. I’m sorry to hear that he’s sick, does he just have the flu?” “No, chickenpox.” “Ah,” Robin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small flower, offering it to Milo.

“Hm?” He looked at the flower, hesitantly taking it and looking at the dull pink coloration with a reddened tint at the edge off the petals, “For me?”

“Yeah, it’s a coneflower. They’re reeeeeeally pretty, I love ‘em,” He smiled happily, “Flowers are really nice..”

“I guess, though I prefer sharks an’ fishes,” Milo smiled back, “The ocean has a bunch o’ cool things in it, like anglerfish and triggerfish and thresher sharks, there’s so many cool species there, and I bet there’s even more species of sharks that haven’t been discovered yet.”

“Sharks are cool, but I prefer lionfish.”

“Why? Sharks are much cooler!” “Because lionfish are cute! I like their lil’ spines, they look cool,” Robin pulled out a daisy from his pocket and started picking at its petals, “.. I don’t know much about sharks, so I don’t really know about why they’re cool, other than how cool they look.”

“Oh, then allow me to tell you about mako sharks! The shortfin mako’s the fastest shark, and they sometimes jump into boats!” “That’s cool, do they attack people?”

“Sharks don’t attack anyone as long as they aren’t bothered,” Milo dismissed, “Makos usually live far away from any coasts, so there’s not much of a chance of them attacking people at all.” “Heh, you sure do know a about sharks.” “I suuuure do,” He chuckled, “Sharks are a huge interest of mine, I love ‘em.”

“Well, I guess I just like nature in general, so I love sharks too.”

They spent the next hour or so speaking about sharks, with Milo educating a clueless Robin on different shark species, such as goblin sharks and hammerheads. Robin wasn’t very educated on species found in the ocean, but was fully willing to listen to Milo go on a long speech about many, many sea animals, and Robin made a small flower crown for both himself and Milo.

It ended out to be a very calm day, full of calm conversations, and Milo liked that.

#THIS IS SO WHOLESOME OH MY GOODNESS #I LOVE IT I LOVE IT #bless this is the robin/milo content i signed up for #b l ess #friend art #mico #milo #robin #fics #submission

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pinpuku · 6 years

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Team Request from @squeetastic-otter

Hi! I’d love to get a team request from you, thanks for your time regardless! My sign is Aquarius, I am an INFJ, favorite animals are puffer and triggerfish, my favorite color is turqoise blue, fav type is water and poison, my hobbies are aquarium keeping, fishing, and bug catching, I aspire to become a great ichthyologist, and I hope to live someplace near the sea that has lots of tide pools to search! As far as triats, my negatives are I am very stubborn, guarded, and antisocial. Im not a fan of trying to say whats great about me, I just hope I make the world a better place when I leave than it was when I came in. Hope that works!

This one was pretty straight forward! I hope it’’s not too obvious, but I think I have a fitting team~

♡ Cloyster is a very self protective, guarded Pokemon. It has some of the best defensive capabilities out of all Pokemon! It’s prone to be more quiet & reserved socially, but it’s not exactly ill mannered, either. It can be somewhat intimidating, but Cloyster mainly just minds its own business.

♡ Bruxish is a very weird Pokemon! It has intense coloration. It can be a little polarizing in popularity. Its psychic ability is strong & can emit intense psychic waves to ward off & discombobulate anything around it in the wild. Although Shelder is one of if its main prey in the wild, Cloyster has much too high a defense for Bruxish to break, so there won’t be any need to worry.

♡ Surskit is a bug/water type Pokemon. It’s pretty easy to handle. It likes to be near water, and its sweet nectar-like fluid makes it less attractive to Flying type Pokemon. This also can be made into pretty tasty syrup! It will get along particularly with Shellos.

♡ Qwilfish was a given! It’s the only pufferfish Pokemon out there. It’s not a great swimmer, so be sure to never let it swim in rough seas when you’re out exploring the tide pools! Despite being a poison type, it’s not particularly dangerous unless it is in self defense-mode.

♡ Shellos! Its natural habitat is tide pools. It will be more than willing to explore rocky ocean coasts with you. It also won’t mind spending some time in its natural habitat. Plus, its coloration is quite nice. Shellos has a much more social & sunny personality compared to the rest of your team. It will be the moodmaker for sure! It can do goofy things with its body, and can prove to be a very entertaining Pokemon. Just make sure not to press too hard against its skin. The poisonous purple liquid it oozes under stress is not pleasant, even though it’s not a traditional poison type. This Pokemon likes to be outside during rain & storms.

♡ Skrelp! It’s a somewhat antisocial Pokemon when not around others of its kind. But it will be pretty easy to raise. It’s slow & pretty stationary of a Pokemon. Just make sure to wash your hands after handling! Its natural poisons are probably the most caustic in your team. It will be good buddies with Qwilfish, though. They will enjoy to spend quiet time together in calm waters.

Hope you like your team! I feel you’d be a water type specialist!

#pokemon #request #pokemon team #pkmn #pokeblog #spoiledpout #spoiled-pout #pokemon professor #poketeam #poketrainer #water type #submission

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bettabbys · 7 years

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6, 8, 16? (For the Petblr ask) 💖💖

Thanks!! 💖💖6. What’s your dream tank?Honestly I’m not sure… but I love having eels at some point. I’d also like to keep a huge saltwater tank with a reef triggerfish and corals and probably other stuff but id have to plan the stocking out more8. What introduced you into pet keeping?We had a cat since I was born and I always loved animals so my parents supported that and let me get some pets growing up16. What is your favorite activity with each of your animals?My favorite with my cat Katniss is feeding her and when she's in the mood to play. With my kitty Ninja, when he cuddles with me at night! I just really enjoy watching my fish, especially when I put something new in their tank and they get curious about it! But taking pictures or videos of them is also fun I think. I like watching my leopard gecko Brie eat. I love her lil tongue lol. And Daisy my tarantula I love holding, but I also just like looking at her, she's so pretty.

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parrotfishteeth · 7 years

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I was tagged by @diascordium to do this thing, thank you for tagging me!! :)

Nickname: Just Finn or Cian... I don’t think I’ve ever been given a nickname other than just short versions of my name, but I’ve always wanted one!

Zodiac: Aries

Height: just over 5′1 :/

Last thing I googled: "villain name generator”... my villain name is Prince of Pain, apparently

Favorite Music Artist/s: Ghost !! I also really like They Might Be Giants, My Chemical Romance, Magna Carta Cartel, Bauhaus, The Faint, Oingo Boingo, Subvision, Tubeway Army... Probably some others I’m forgetting right now. My music taste is quite varied and my faves tend to juggle around for top spot over time heh...

Song Stuck in my head right now: Bela Lugosi’s Dead

What am I wear rn?: A ghost tshirt,and navy jogger bottoms (theyre comfy and im ill, so...), and some christmas socks... Very festive...

Last Movie I saw: Megamind... The last I actually saw at the pictures was Nerve, I think.

Why I chose my URL?: I just like parrotfish *shrug* i’ve always found fish with teeth cool/funny looking. I actually prefer triggerfish to parrotfish though. But both are dorky, cute, and colourful.

Do you have other blogs?: I have a few actually but the only ones that are (fairly) decently maintained are @stimbog and @spectresoul

What did your last relationship teach you?: im better off alone lol

Favorite Color: hmm, it used to be purple but I actually tend to gravitate towards bluey-green colours like turquoise

Average number of sleep: ~10 hours ? I get very tired....

Favorite Characters: This is hard... I’ll try to limit myself to one character per franchise: Simon (In The Flesh), Peridot (Steven Universe), Zim (Invader Zim), Megamind (Megamind), Pleakley (Lilo & Stitch), Suna (My Love Story), Grell (Black Butler), Hermione and Luna (Harry Potter), Ned (Pushing Daisies).... There are more I love but I’ll try not to go on for too long hah

How many blankets do you sleep with: Usually I have a fleece blanket and a duvet. I can’t sleep without at least the duvet, so in hot weather i suffer >.>

Dream Job: Heck if I know. Something not stressful that pays well. I’d love something to do with art but I’m not motivated/skilled enough to realistically pursue that :/

To do this I tag: @mojavewinchester @slowtofu @necrodad @papas-gay-ghoul @arcadeballislifegannon @gaylienz @elizzziebeth

But only if you want to, no pressure :) & If you’re seeing this and you want to do it, then I tag you too! :)

#you may be able to tell from my list of favourite characters #that i have a weakness for somewhat villainous but softhearted and dorky aliens #what can i say... its true...#also dont judge my taste in anime lol im aware there are issues #my love story is good and pure though id rec that to anyone who likes mushy romcoms with ultra cute characters #who love each other very much #ciantxt #about me #long post

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sneakygreenbean · 2 years

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The animals I look forward to the most when i visit aquariums are definitely bivalves and other mollusks, as those are my all time favorite marine friends. however, there is a place on the podium for the following flatfish:

this right here is peak humor. left facing? thats a summer flounder. right facing? my guy, take a guess.

I hold a special place in my heart for the freshwater mussels in the family Margaritiferidae, because when I lived in New Hampshire as a kid, I used to catch these in the lake. its rare to see them specifically in aquariums, because aquariums are mainly saltwater. (at least in New England)

as for mammals, I like the South African fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus), a type of eared seal (not true seals, as there are subtle differences) I saw these a few days ago at the aquarium in Boston.

I do feel its worth mentioning my favorite fish names, which I see occasionaly, depending on the aquarium. they are as follows: the French Grunt, the Permit fish, the Porgy, the Spot fish, the Wahoo, and the Weakfish. lovely creatures.

because of the book "twenty thousand leagues under the sea" i feel its worth mentioning that whenever i see a triggerfish i go absolutely insane. i feel the need to point out that it is indeed a triggerfish to everyone i meet. (Order of Plectognaths, sub-order of scleroderms, family ballistidae) (i say that too)

so yeah! i like fish a lot!

#ask game #twenty thousand leagues under the sea #triggerfish #french grunt #watch me be the first to tag at least one of these fish #Margaritiferidae #permit fish #porgy #spot fish #wahoo (fish)#weakfish #aquarium #south african fur seal #summer flounder #winter flounder #FISH #the autism

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cesium-sheep · 8 years

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we were gonna go downtown tomorrow, but matt wanted to sneak into mass effect early, so we decided to go today instead. jess came over for dinner last night, but we went to bed early, so I was actually fully awake before 10 which unfortunately isn’t common for me anymore :c but we went to pike place, and I wanted to go down to the pier to see the water better, and I mentioned the aquarium a few times but I don’t think I was being a pest? then as we were crossing the street from the underpass to the pier matt pointed towards the aquarium instead of the empty pier/park!

I got to go to the aquarium! for no reason other than I like it! it was really exciting! and I got to take my time because we didn’t have anywhere else to be! and I touched the sea urchins and the sea stars and the tube worms and the sea cucumbers and the sea anemones and I got to watch the jellyfish and the octopus was right up against the side of her tank and the cuttlefish were really active and I identified a clown triggerfish correctly and I saw sea horses and a lionfish and lots of pretty color tropical fish and halibut and an eel and lots of different hermit crabs and the harbor seals and the puffins and we got to see the diver in the big tank out front and in the underwater dome and we got to see the sea otters get fed! I think the cuttlefish were the one thing I didn’t get to look at as much as I wanted to :c and the river otters weren’t out today. but it was really really exciting and we didn’t have to wait in line at all but when we left there was a super long line to get in so we had really great timing! and matt took me to the aquarium just cuz I like it there! I love the aquarium! I love matt! (matt’s favorite part was seeing the sea otters get fed)

then we went to pike place, le panier didn’t have the sandwich we like so we just got four macarons there, then we got bagel dogs and sweet roasted nuts and some very pretty flowers that a stranger stopped us to ask where we got them, and the flowers are on the table by the door and we got rose and raspberry flavored macarons and I am tired and sore but I had fun! aquarium! fun!

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wendyimmiller · 5 years

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Snorkeling Past Solstice to Spring

Rose and Story prepare for the sea hunt at Hanauma Bay on Oahu.

Rose and I stared out the kitchen window, last month, while fat robins feasted on our deciduous hollies and a glorious evergreen 40-foot American holly. Once the berries were picked clean, the robins hung around for a few hours. They splashed around the cement pond and crapped all over the place.

American holly, Ilex opaca.

I am accustomed to the berry heist but wish the greedy robins would hold off until after Christmas and go crap somewhere else. Cut branches make beautiful Christmas decorations, but you’d better harvest them before mid-December. Rose and I weren’t bothered too much as a week later we flew to Hawaii. We left the day before the winter solstice so we could enjoy Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) with Molly, Story and our longtime friends who live there.

Deciduous holly berries with red cedar foliage, berries and lichen-covered stems, plus evergreen holly leaves. A holiday gift from our friend, Jamie Dockery.

Rose and I traded gray skies in Kentucky for lashing rain and 40 mph, winter solstice trade winds that swept the windward side of Oahu the day after we arrived.

I’m not complaining.

Two days later we made the short drive from Kailua to beautiful Hanauma Bay, beating the crowds to watch a spectacular sunrise. We staked out a spot on the beach, threw down towels and put on snorkel gear. We saw colorful tropical fish with Hawaiian names that you’ll need practice to pronounce. I’m working on “Humuhumunukunukuapua” or Humumumu for short. Reef triggerfish might be a little easier.

Reef triggerfish. Wiki Commons photo, Bernard Spragg.

I felt so lucky to be back on Oahu.

Few places are so culturally diverse and mean so much to me as Hawaii. Kentucky and Hawaii are a world apart. I grew up in segregated Louisville. Then, in 1971, in my early 20s, I worked as a hotel janitor in Waikiki with Hawaiians, Filipinos, Chinese and Portuguese.

I spent two summers on Oahu with a dozen or more college buddies. We held jobs, shared rent in cramped quarters, snorkeled at Hanauma Bay and body surfed at Makapu’u and Pounders on days off. We remain close friends almost 50 winter solstices later, in spite of the 4,000 miles that separate a few of us. (We all came back to Kentucky, eventually, but Roby, Andrea and Toni grew homesick. They returned to Hawaii, settled down, worked hard, raised families and went to the beach.)

Christmas Eve with (L-R): Toni Hartman, Andrea and Roby Bell. Davis Bell photo.

Hawaiian tourism has exploded since 1971. You can’t hide beautiful natural places for long. The roads and beaches are now crowded. My favorite beaches are still lovely, even though thin meandering lines, made of small fragments of multi-colored plastic and styrofoam, occasionally wash up on shore with mangrove seeds, marking each high tide.

Plastic and styrofoam fragments with mangrove seeds.

“Plastic Free Pipeline,” a 2019 sculpture by marine scientist and artist, Ethan Estess, is a tangle of plastic sea trash, bits of wood and miscellaneous hardware collected by volunteers off beaches on Oahu. The art piece, now at Honolulu’s Bishop Museum, will travel around the Hawaiian Islands to heighten awareness and inspire people to “Refuse, Reduce, Refuse and Recycle plastics.” Story May Lowe photo.

The tropical Hawaiian flowers and foliage made an impact on me, more than I realized in 1971. I couldn’t tell the difference, back then, between a magnolia and a mango. Nor a paw paw from a plumeria. I can now identify a few tropical plants. I know hardier Kentucky natives better than I do Hawaiian natives, but I am deeply curious about botany, and ethnic cultures, wherever I go. Hawaii, so lush and green, awakened me in many ways. I’m not sure I would have had a career in horticulture if I hadn’t absorbed a little bit of the Hawaiian tropics and culture way back when.

My granddaughter Story floats with a plumeria blossom. Molly Bush photo.

Rose and I returned home to Kentucky before the New Year and transitioned from palms to pines.

Greasy grass, Tridens flavus, in the winter meadow. Salvisa, Kentucky.

I needed to remind myself that I am the beneficiary of one extra minute of life-affirming January daylight in Kentucky with every rotation of the earth. Though I barely noticed the bonus smidge of sunlight, I did notice a few runway lights to spring, in the midst of the muted grays and browns of tree bark and meadow grasses. I can’t imagine a sedge will light your winter fire, not like the snow-white blooms of Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) or the fragrant yellow flowers of a Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis ‘Wisley Supreme’). These surprised me when I can home, blooming weeks ahead of time.

Seersucker sedge, Carex plantaginea.

A string of 60 F days, while we were away, were responsible for the early flowering. However, neither eased my temperate reentry as much as the durable and semi-evergreen, shade-loving seersucker sedge. Carex plantaginea, native to the eastern Kentucky Appalachian Mountains and much of eastern North America, immediately caught my eye on a walk around the garden. I had seen one of her kin in tropical Hawaii only a few days before.

Oahu sedge, Carex wahuensis.

I was not expecting to meet Carex wahuensis, or any carex, in the native plant garden at the fabulous Bishop Museum in Honolulu. I knew nothing about the Oahu sedge. I was suddenly smitten. I know you’re thinking jet lag had rattled my brain on the long plane ride home. All the beautiful tropical plants like candlenut (Aleurites molluccanus) or Indian mulberry (Morinda citrifolia) to write home about, and I fall in love with a native Hawaiian as dull as dirt?

Well, yes.

Kailua, Oahu at sunset. Molly Bush photo.

Now, when I make a lap around the garden, or wander around Kentucky’s woodlands, and run into the native seersucker sedge, I will remember fondly our celebration of Mele Kalikimaka with family, friends and the Oahu sedge.

Nostalgia is everlasting.

Snorkeling Past Solstice to Spring originally appeared on GardenRant on January 8, 2020.

from Gardening https://www.gardenrant.com/2020/01/snorkeling-past-solstice-to-spring.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

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turfandlawncare · 5 years

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Snorkeling Past Solstice to Spring

Rose and Story prepare for the sea hunt at Hanauma Bay on Oahu.

American holly, Ilex opaca.

Deciduous holly berries with red cedar foliage, berries and lichen-covered stems, plus evergreen holly leaves. A holiday gift from our friend, Jamie Dockery.

Rose and I traded gray skies in Kentucky for lashing rain and 40 mph, winter solstice trade winds that swept the windward side of Oahu the day after we arrived.

I’m not complaining.

Reef triggerfish. Wiki Commons photo, Bernard Spragg.

I felt so lucky to be back on Oahu.

Christmas Eve with (L-R): Toni Hartman, Andrea and Roby Bell. Davis Bell photo.

Plastic and styrofoam fragments with mangrove seeds.

My granddaughter Story floats with a plumeria blossom. Molly Bush photo.

Rose and I returned home to Kentucky before the New Year and transitioned from palms to pines.

Greasy grass, Tridens flavus, in the winter meadow. Salvisa, Kentucky.

Seersucker sedge, Carex plantaginea.

Oahu sedge, Carex wahuensis.

Well, yes.

Kailua, Oahu at sunset. Molly Bush photo.

Nostalgia is everlasting.

Snorkeling Past Solstice to Spring originally appeared on GardenRant on January 8, 2020.

from GardenRant https://ift.tt/2sOLiob

#GardenRant

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thisisluxurytravel · 5 years

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Wonderful diving live-aboard in the sea of Cortez with Quino El Guardian

I recently took an amazing cruise on the Quino Al Guardian liveaboard in the sea of Cortez. It felt exceptional being able to explore this remote part of the world. We dived with whale sharks, sea lions and many other critters that are native to this region, and we cruised through beautiful deserted landscapes. Read on for my review of the trip!

Getting to Puerto Penasco and the Sea of Cortez

The boat departs from Puerto Penasco, a town in the north of Mexico. The first option is to fly to Phoenix in the US and take a shuttle bus directly from the Phoenix airport to Puerto Penasco. The shuttle bus takes about 4 hours. The liveaboard can help you organize this shuttle bus, and the timing is coordinated with the boat departure time.

The other option, if you are already in Mexico, is to fly to Mexicali. Mexicali is about three and a half hours from Puerto Penasco. The most comfortable choice (if you like driving) is to rent a car. Alternatively, there is a bus with a company called ABC. It departs from the Mexicali central station, so you’ll need to get there from the airport. It’s much slower than driving because of the stops along the way, up to 20 minutes in some towns. The trip ended up taking five and a half hours. At least it was a beautiful scenic drive through some lovely nature reserves.

I was not impressed by Puerto Penasco, and would probably not recommend arriving there early, as there’s not much to do.

Boarding the boat

I was delighted to arrive on the boat. I was greeted by our two divemasters, Peter and Luis. They showed me to my cabin and sorted out my diving gear. I was also offered a Corona, which was very welcome given that it was 40 degrees in Puerto Penasco and I had been traveling for 18 hours.

We had some snacks, followed by a general boat briefing. We practiced the emergency drill and tried on our life jackets. I appreciated the focus on safety.

We started to navigate out of Puerto Penasco during a very picturesque sunset. Sunsets are one of the reasons I love being on a boat. They always seem even better when you’re on the water.

The dinner was served at 7:30 pm. It was an early night for most of the guests, as like me, they’d traveled from far away to take this trip.

The Sea of Cortez diving liveaboard itinerary

Day 1: Getting acquainted with diving in the sea of Cortez

Our first night was a long one. We cruised for over 18 hours to get to the Midriff Islands. The sea was quite rough, and unfortunately, many passengers got seasick. It was an unlucky start as the sea was much rougher than it should be in this part of the world. Fortunately, our return trip was completely smooth sailing.

As soon as we made it to the islands, we entered protected areas, and the boat became a lot more stable. We had a briefing introducing the diving at noon, and we started to get ready for diving around 1 pm.

La Muela dive site

We did our check dive at La Muela, which was perfect because there was minimal current. We saw two turtles, a few nudibranchs and, amazingly, at least a hundred stingrays—they were everywhere!

Los Nidos dive site

The dive site at Los Nidos is composed of rocks sticking out of the water on the north side of island Angel de la Guarda. It’s quite a striking site and I was excited about this dive. We were looking for giant jawfish. There are also nudibranchs at this site, along with stingrays. A quick note: don’t dive there if you are afraid of spiders! There were so many giant spiders here. Visibility was about 10 meters. We didn’t see many big fishes, but we did see plenty of larva fishes and shrimps and orange throat jawfish. I think that the bad weather strongly affected the visibility on our first dive, taking away much of the light.

The landscape above water is spectacular with unique rock formations. Picture a view like the grand canyon with cactuses sticking out. The sun started to set and gave us one of nature’s most beautiful shows.

Overall, it was an excellent first day, even if the diving was not out of this world. I think the bad weather and windy conditions affected the visibility and overall colors of the dive sites.

Day 2: Swimming with the whale sharks in the Los Angeles Bay

Punta don Juan dive site

We were escorted to the dive site by pelicans, and maybe it’s a little silly, but I took that as a good sign. The water here was cold: about 24 degrees. This dive site was quite similar to the day one dive sites, but we did see a few more medium size fishes. We also saw jawfishes and three octopuses. Weirdly, we found a few dead jawfish that had been eaten by something.

Next, we had a lovely whale shark encounter. We boarded local boats in Bahia de Los Angeles and went looking for whale sharks. These giants of the sea are awe-inspiring. We found some small ones from about 3 meters, up to 7 meters. They are incredibly peaceful giants and didn’t seem bothered by having a few people swimming around them.

We all got multiple chances to swim and snorkel with them. The whole whale shark experience lasted about 4 hours. It was hard work keeping up with them, a real cardio workout, but it was so spectacular and definitely worth it. We all had huge smiles on our faces.

Back on board, we had another delicious lunch. As we navigated further south, we met hundreds of dolphins jumping in the water accompanied by pelicans.

I was so exhausted by the whale shark adventure that I skipped the last dive of the day. I decided to enjoy the sunset with a Corona beer. Definitely wasn’t a bad way to spend the evening.

After dinner, we realized that thousands of sardines surrounded our boat, attracted by the lights. Of course, those sardines attracted bigger predators. A barracuda and quite a few dolphins were hunting just around the boat! We also saw a sea snake. The pelicans didn’t want to be left out, and about 50 of them came to join in the hunt all around us. It was a thrilling moment to see all this action just around the boat. What a great day in the sea of Cortez!

Day 3: Full day of diving in the Sea of Cortez

El Lavadero dive site

This dive site gets its name from the rock formations that look like old washing stones. Despite poor visibility, it was my favorite dive in the sea of Cortez so far. The stone formations are very scenic, and the black coral bushes were impressive.

The next dive sites were Corona and Caballo. They were quite similar to El Lavadero. Caballo had a strong current. The water in this part of the sea of Cortez felt much warmer, at 29 degrees.

Day 4: Playing with sea lions

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This morning we woke up to the sound of sea lions barking on the island San Pedro Martir

Moro dive site

On our fourth day of the trip, we went looking for sea lions at the Moro dive site. The Moro rock has the form of a horseshoe. We didn’t find any sea lions, but we did find a hammerhead shark hanging out after the drop-off. This dive site had excellent visibility and the most fishes we have seen so far. There is a nice area with black corals. It was a sportive dive, with a bit of current. We went through the channel to the other islands and probably covered a few kilometers. This is one of the most fantastic dive sites in the Sea of Cortez, so don’t miss it.

After the first dive, we got our briefing on how to dive with sea lions. Most of them are playful and friendly, but the alpha male usually doesn’t want to play. He if comes towards you barking and drawing a line of bubbles, it is time to back off.

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Corral dive site

The corral dive site is at the bottom of a sea lion colony. We got to dive and play with over 50 sea lions. It is a very shallow dive, just about 5 meters. You get to just hang out and let the sea lions do the rest. They are very curious and would come to check us out and do their acrobatics. Truly an amazing experience that I’ll never forget.

Arrocco dive sites

Arroco is a pretty wall with black corals. Here we got a bit of a drift, which was lovely. This dive site is covered with triggerfishes’ nests, but fortunately, the triggerfishes were not aggressive. Some sea lions came to say hi at about 20 meters.

Interacting with sea lions at the Corral dive site was so cool that we went back there for the fourth dive. I decided to snorkel, and it was a great decision. I was eye to eye with sea lions, and they were even more playful on the surface. Towards the end, the alpha male sea lion became a bit aggressive with me. He came towards me very fast and stopped in front of my face. I kept backing off, but he kept coming. Great for an end of day adrenaline rush, but I knew it was time to get back on the boat 🙂

Once we were back on board, we sat on the sun deck and ate a delicious barbecue dinner that the crew had prepared. We started with margaritas and watched the sunset. The scenery and the sunset were again spectacular. We then continued with dinner under the stars surrounded by sea lions. Again, everyone went to sleep with a massive smile on their face.

Day 5: Looking for whales

We got an earlier start since we were trying to fit three dives in before lunch, as well as an afternoon of whale watching. It was a busy day in the best way.

Chayos cave dive site

Chayos cave is located on the San Pedro de Martir island near the sea lion colonies. The dive started at an underwater cave at a depth of about 8 meters. A few female sea lions were playing in the cave.

We then continued to a wall and sloping reef with significant rock formations. Visibility was relatively good. We saw many Murray eels, starfishes, and the now usual sea lions. We also found an open shell. This dive site can have strong current so expect a drift dive. Overall it was a very nice dive.

Chitchen Itza dive site

This dive site is located on the corner of the island, and the structure above water looks like a pyramid; hence its name, Chitchen Itza. It is a gentle slope that contains the most beautiful corals on this trip so far. It also had the largest number of small and medium-sized fishes. We found turtles and of course sea lions. We also saw plenty of smaller creatures, like lobsters, nudibranchs, scorpionfishes (one of them orange!), and jellyfishes. This was a a very beautiful dive site.

The sea lions at Chitchen Itza were even more curious. Dancing with those sea lions is a priceless experience. There are not that many places in the world where you can spend time with sea lions in their natural environment with no one else around.

In the afternoon, we decided to go looking for whales. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any, but we did see a group of dolphins and had a relaxing afternoon on the top deck while navigating.

We were moving all night, and in the morning, we were back at Isla Angel de la Guardia.

Day 6: Corals and cold waters

Punto Diablo dive site

Our first dive was at Punto Diablo, a rock formation that has a wall full of black corals. We spent a lot of time on the sandy bottom. We found many blennies, crabs, and jawfishes. The water temperature was cold, at about 25 degrees.

Nudi cave dive siteThis dive site starts with a little cave, and then slopes down to a sandy bottom. There are areas with black corals and areas with a forest of algues. The topography is interesting, with plenty of cracks and corners attracting abundant wildlife. Nudibranches, octopuses, jawfishes, and we even found a guitar shark. This dive site has a dreamy feeling to it but was also very cold at 22 degrees.

Tip: bring layers and different wetsuits, as the water temperature varies widely from one day to the next. On our trip, it ranged from 22 degrees to 30 degrees.

This was the last dive of the trip. Once we were back on the boat, we started the long journey back to Puerto Penasco. We enjoyed the navigation on deck, watched our last sunset accompanied by birds, and went to sleep by the sound of the waves.

After the 12-hour trip, we reached Puerto Penasco in the early morning and boarded the shuttle to Phoenix at 7 am. The land border crossing from Mexico into the US was easier than I expected, and it only took us a few minutes. We then said goodbye to our fellow passengers and exchanged contact information with the hope of meeting again on another diving expedition.

The Quino El Guardian and Rocio del Mar boats

The Sea of Cortez itinerary is currently done by very few boats, meaning very few divers get to explore this fantastic region each year. We came across only two fishing boats during the whole week, so we really felt like we were on our own out there. You can choose between two boats, the Quino Al Guardian and the Rocio del Mar. Both are owned by the same company and share the same great staff. The Rocio del Mar is more luxurious as it has ensuite double cabins, and so it also gets booked up very quickly.

TIP: If you want the comfort of your personal cabin with an ensuite bathroom, book the Rocio del Mar very early as it is often fully booked.

I booked last minute, so I took the trip on the Quino El Guardian in a bunk bed cabin. Quino el Guardian has been redesigned to help people enjoy scuba diving and explore the underwater world. It’s also used for educational and scientific purposes. The boat allows many divers and visitors to explore the beautiful islands.

The boat is not going to win any beauty prizes, but it’s very well built and comfortable. The mission of the Quino is to provide casual camaraderie and comfortable travel experience.

The cabins on board the Quino El Guardian

The ship is 90ft long and can accommodate up to 16 passengers. It has a total of 5 cabins.

The bunk bed cabins and shared bathrooms make it look like a backpacker boat, but don’t be fooled. While the cabins are simple, the rest of the ship is very comfortable. The beds have curtains to ensure maximum privacy. The cabins have a dresser for storage purposes. A cabin with two beds is also available for couples.

TIP: Don’t bring too much luggage, as there is not much storage space. Suitcases can be stored in an area behind the bedrooms, so it is okay to bring a suitcase, but you’ll have to have it stored away.

The Quino and all its cabins have individually controlled air-conditioning.

Tip: if you don’t like cold AC, take the bottom bunk bed. If you want it more cold, take the top bunk bed.

I also found that having the bathrooms on the dive deck was very practical to rinse off after coming back from a dive. There are four bathrooms. Each bathroom is assigned to a cabin, which means that travelers can leave their toiletries in the bathroom for the duration of the trip.

The common space on the Quino El Guardian

The food and service aboard the Quino El Guardian are genuinely five-star. The crew is warm and welcoming, and that translates to a great atmosphere onboard and between the passengers.

There are plenty of very comfortable lounging areas onboard, and it was great to get to know everyone.

The dining area is spacious, seating up to 16-18 persons. The ship has wooden dining tables along with a comfortable sitting sofa. There is a drop-down screen in the dining area that was used for presentations.

Want to relax indoors? The lounge is perfectly soothing for this purpose. There are comfortable couches and sofas to relax on. There is a camera table for sorting out your underwater pictures. You can watch television as well.

The outer deck is completely organized and well-secured. The sundeck consists of chairs and loungers, perfect for enjoying the sunsets. The top floor is partly shaded, which provides an astounding view of the Mexican Coast.

The Passengers on the Quino El Guardian

About half the passengers were from the US and the other half from Europe. Most passengers were very experienced divers and had already been on multiple liveaboards. More than half the passengers on my trip were dive instructors, and most passengers had done thousands of dives. Ages ranged from 30 to 50 years old. People mingled easily and loved sharing diving stories after a good day of diving.

TIP: While most passengers on the boat were very experienced divers, it is not a requirement for the Sea of Cortez Itinerary, as all of the dives were very easy. Don’t let a lack of experience keep you from this amazing trip!

The diving organization on the Quino El Guardian

As soon as you’re aboard, you can tell that the Quino El Guardian is a boat organized for divers. The dive deck is very spacious and practical. We were organized into 2 groups that would dive 15 minutes apart. That was great because it meant we would never meet any other divers underwater.

The Sea of Cortez is still an amazingly wild and unexplored area. We didn’t cross paths any other boats while on the trip. It gave us the feeling of being in a discovery expedition.

We would reach the dive sites using a small inflatable boat. What is great is that the inflatable boat would dock on the rear platform, making loading and unloading very easy. The staff would help carry all our material in and out of the liveaboard.

There would usually be four dives a day, with the last dive being either a sunset dive or a night dive. The schedule was pretty much eating, dive, eat, dive, and repeat.

The food on the Quino El Guardian

The food was delicious and varied. You could see the chef took pride in what he prepared. Not only was it tasty, but most dishes would also be Instagram worthy. There were a lot of Mexican options like tacos, quesadillas or enchiladas, but also western food and seafood, including ribeye steak, salmon with asparagus, lasagna, and shrimp. This is among the best food I have ever had on a diving liveaboard.

TIP: I had packed some snacks but realized they were unnecessary. There is plenty of food, including snacks, available onboard at all time of the day.

Both the Quino El Guardian and the Rocio Del Mar are all-inclusive boats. Drinks offered included unlimited beers, wine, margaritas and I think even tequila. Soft drinks and juices were also available throughout the day.

Internet and telecommunication on the Sea of Cortez

I had bought a Mexican sim card (SIMTEL)before the trip, but it was not helpful for this journey. While we got a 4G signal for about 1 hour after leaving Puerto Penasco, we then lost coverage for the rest of the trip. We did get a bit of signal on day 4 in San Pedro Martir Island, but it was so weak I wasn’t even able to send or receive an email. I did manage to send four WhatsApp messages… over 7 hours. So don’t count on getting an internet connection on this trip.

If you do need to communicate with the outside world, there is a satellite phone onboard the Quino el Guardian which you can use for 2 dollars a minute.

Conclusion

The Sea of Cortez is a fantastic ecosystem that very few people get to explore. While the corals are underwhelming and visibility was not the best during our trip, there were plenty of animals to keep us entertained, including lots of sea lions. It was a wonderful trip with stunning landscapes, plenty of birds and exciting dives.

If you are used to diving the reefs of Southeast Asia ( Raja Ampat, Komodo, Triton Bay) and the Caribbean and are looking for something different, this trip is for you. Advanced photographers looking for endemic species will also be pleased.

The Quino El Guardian is a great boat. Cabins are not the most comfortable, but everything else is five stars. Food is fantastic, service outstanding and the common areas are very spacious. I highly recommend this trip and would love to come back on the Quino El Guardian.

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