19/12/2020
Thank you Kirk C. for the following writeup.
Off the Southern Baja in the Sea of Cortez there’s the spectacular island of Cerralvo. I have seen it off in the distance for many years when visiting Laventana and always wanted circumnavigate it by kayak. Isla Cerralvo is approximately 20 miles long, 5 miles wide, and over 10 miles offshore of the Baja Peninsula.
With a good weather forecast and advice from Warren Bruce, I decided to attempt a counter clockwise circumnavigation of the island the next day from my campsite in LaVentana. The first step would be to make it to the southern tip over a 12 mile open water crossing in the dark. I set off at about four AM in pitch black, no moon, with the most sparking stars in the sky. The Sea of Cortez at this point was dead calm and I could just barely make out the flashing light from lighthouse at the southern tip. After starting to paddle there was the brightest phosphorescence I have ever seen. This went from the bow of my boat to the cockpit in a big triangle on both sides. About a mile off shore a westerly tail wind started to pick up and the waves were building. Around 3 miles, offshore 4-foot waves were breaking from behind in the pitch black. The phosphorescence was astounding from the front of my boat to where my paddle exited and from the surf of the breaking waves. Continuously surfing the waves by feel, in this surreal environment, I could not see the water surface but only the phosphorescence and the stars twinkling above with the dim periodic flashing of the lighthouse in the distance as my target. One of the most magical experiences ever in the kayak. Hard to describe. Maybe it’s like to going faster then the speed of light on a magic carpet surfing thru the galaxy.
After over an hour of surfing and a building wind towards the flashing light in the distance I could finally make out the silhouette of Cerralvo. Eventually the sun stared to subtly illuminate the horizon. I gradually made my way to the southern tip and past the lighthouse that had been my faithful guide.
About 6 am I worked my way around the southern tip and paddled about another half hour. I pulled over to the shore, watched the sun rise and had some breakfast of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As the sun then started to warm me I got back in the boat and continued my way north.
The next part of the journey was about 20 miles up the east side of Cerralvo. I had a light tail wind helping me along for the first half. With high, steep, red and gray cliffs, blue water, deep narrow valleys, long beaches and abundant sea life the next few hours of paddling to the north tip went very quickly.
After a stop, snack and a nap at a small rocky beach on the northern tip with views of Isla Espirito Santo and the mainland mountains, I resumed the last leg of the journey back south to LaVentana. With flat conditions, a slight headwind and I stoped for a swim in the middle of the sea of Cortez. At times escorted by the dolphins, schools of flying fish and surrounded by jumping rays. I arrived back to LaVentana about 6 P M with a nice reception from friends and a incredible sunset. Completing a 50 plus mile circumnavigation of Island Cerralvo in this special part of the world was a day to remember for sure.
