Page 340 - Mexico Diving From the Caribbean to Pacific Isles
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he Park is home to over 800 species of The water was at its warmest, between 80 Isla Santa Catalina, and they are not found
to 85 degrees, in late October, it’s not warm in the more northerly islands of the Marine
T marine life. These islands offer amazing enough on average for coral reefs, so ma- Park. The clear, warm waters around the is-
rine life lives on coastlines of boulders, thick lands are home to an incredibly diverse and
fishing, kayaking and scuba diving explora- walks and rocky, rubbled bottoms. Off the colorful array of marine organisms. The wa-
tions. The waters connect with the Sierra Gi- north end of Isla Carmen there is a 120 foot ter is too warm for giant kelp growth, but
ganta, bestowing a spectacular vista on visi- sunken freighter and a twin engine plane to not warm enough for coral reef formation.
tors. Diving in these waters is a feast for the explore. One of the best place for scuba div- As a consequence, the marine life seems to
eyes; you’ll find an incredible panorama of ing is the smaller islands of Danzante, here reflect a transition zone between tropical
the spectacular world under the sea. Diving there a string of vertical walls. The water tem- and temperate Eastern Pacific ecosystems.
here is mostly conducted around the five un- perature in Loreto is 68 to 72 degrees year- Although there are no coral reefs, the waters
inhabited islands across the bay from Loreto round with good visibility, making it one are known for the abundance of sea fans.
(Carmen, Coronado and Danzete are most of the best places in Baja for scuba diving. The sponges, soft corals, gorgonians, and
visited, while Monserrate and Santa Catali- sea fans which predominate the otherwise
na are farther south and require special-re- T he Loreto National Marine Park rep- rocky underwater landscape are widely di-
quest trips), their 50-mile stretch making up resents the northernmost range of a verse in their shapes and colors. While not
the Loreto National Marine Park. Depending number of tropical marine species, whose as spectacular as hard coral reefs, these sea
on wind and waves, the three islands clos- southern range extends all the way to South fan gardens can be quite colorful and im-
est to town take between 20 and 45 minutes America. A few of those, such as the Moorish pressive, especially on vertical rock faces.
to reach via fishing pangas that fill the ma- Idol angelfish, range no farther north than
rina. Loreto’s marine park is the northern-
most range for many tropical Pacific species.
