Friday’s dives here in Cabo Pulmo were just wonderful. First, we had a very experienced and responsive dive guide, Gerrardo (“Gerry,” please), and the same group of 6 divers as Thursday. Two in our party are friends from Valencia, Spain; the Ricardos (both have the same names) spotty English, but very funny and engaging gents.

The other two, Kate and Dom, are from Portland, OR. We’ve connected well with them, enjoy meals together, etc. They’re former dive instructors and guides who met and worked together for years in Malaysia. They’re mid-30s and, inevitably, when we meet folks in that age range, we wish our kids were here to meet them and engage. They’ve been back in Portland for 8 years, where they started a photography business (weddings, etc.) that seems to be thriving. This is their third time here in Cabo, which is a fairly inexpensive trip from Portland, and the wildlife is very plentiful.

Cabo Pulmo dive sites are carefully controlled in terms of which boats can go to which sites on a given day. When we get to the beach to get on our boat, we first have to stop at a little hut in which the official there checks to assure each diver has a “paid” bracelet; then the dive guides try to get to whatever site they’d like to use. Yesterday we went to El Islote, which is essentially a tiny rock which we dove a circle around over the course of 45′. [Marine reserve limits all dives to 45′.]. Was a very nice site with lots of life around.

The second dive was further south–actually not on the map referenced above. Called “the Anchor,” it lies just at the southern edge of the Marine Park. There we again saw plentiful life, and also a few white tip sharks, and also two bull sharks. Unfortunately, the bull sharks were off a good distance, so pix were dark and/or blurry.

Today was our final day of diving here. Now to pack everything back into our bags, prepare for tomorrow’s 10am pickup and drive back to Cabo San Jose. There we’ll spend the afternoon at a hotel pool until we walk to the Rocio del Mar, docked next to the hotel. We’re to board the boat at 5, and we’re very excited for this new experience.