San Juanico

March 28-29

The northern anchorage at San Juanico with osprey rock to left.

Powering up to the gorgeous harbor at San Juanico we followed Salish Sea at a leisurely pace. This bay, full of towering rocks with osprey nests, is surrounded by mountains and cliffs with fascinating geology. We anchored and headed ashore to search for obsidian chunks and shells. In the cliffs, formed by volcanic processes, the usual in Baja, are veins of obsidian, layers of sandstone like ash and possibly middens of shells.  Our geology hike started with a stop at the “cruisers’ tree,” more like a bush, where visitors have left mementoes of their stay. Some carved names into the soft rock, some used flotsam and jetsam, and some made elaborate creations from scratch.

The next morning we crossed the bay and walked the beaches of the other side. Sting rays swam under the boat near shore. We wandered into a mangrove swamp unlike others we’d seen. Few birds lived there but tiny snails and minnows did populate its waters. White rings of salt rime on the shores reveal the effects of the winter drought. It’s normal but does seem to reduce the bird and fish population around here. Few pelicans, cormorants and gulls patrol. Perhaps the osprey are a deterrent. Their nest with two young calling frequently provided constant entertainment from our close vantage point at anchor.

In our early morning dinghy excursion to the back side of the towers we tried a bit of fishing with no luck. The osprey babies poked their heads up over the sticks and bits of green rope and netting. Both parents were on the nest quite often. Though we fished with little luck, a campers on the beach trolling in a tiny yellow kayak told us he had hooked many fish but released them. Two days later, talking with a couple from Blue Jacket, the boat that took our "parking spot"in San Juanico, found out that the kayaker had come looking for us with his next day's catch, only to find a replacement cruiser anchored where we'd been. Blue Jacket's crew became the happy recipient of that bounty!