Underwater Exploration Magazine - Banderas Bay, Part 1

S E CSECOND O N D E EDITION DITION

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UW exploration

Banderas Bay expeditions and photographic adventures. Since 2018.

This second edition of Underwater Exploration evolved from my National Geographic Open Explorer blog written under the title “BANDERAS BAY BIODIVERSIT Y ”. The Open Explorer platform was discontinued in September 2019 and selected projects were relaunched in June 2020 under a new name, “Field Notes”. I was fortunate enough to be selected and invited to continue reporting on my expeditions under the National Geographic Society banner.

This magazine is my attempt to keep memories of my adventures alive with the hopes to entertain and inspire others to explore and protect the underwater realm on this planet. Virtually all my dives were conducted in search of opportunities to build a photographic archive for my book “ Viva Natura: Field Guide for the Ocean Explorer”.

El Morro cave Banderas Bay, Mexico

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PAGE 9

WELCOME TO THE SOUTH -PM-

CONTENT INSIDE

My first explorations of the Southern shore both with a macro and a wide angle.

9 PAGE 17

UP CLOSE

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- fish -

species glimpse - reptile -

Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

PAGE 5

-PM-

species glimpse Argus moray eel (Muraena argus)

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RETURN TO ISABEL

- fish -

Jeweled moray eel (Muraena lentigiosa)

-PM-

Surprise encounters in the summer blue waters of El Morro.

species glimpse

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species glimpse - reptile -

Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)

Three days of underwater adventures on an offshore volcanic island in the Nayarit state.

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species glimpse - ray -

Giant manta ray (Mobula birostris) III

LA TOVARA San Blas, NAY December 21st, 2017

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THE

BEGINING

T

hanks to a humbling gesture of kindness a new door to exploration opens.

I’m gifted two complete sets of gear along with an entire underwater photography kit by a friend of mine, who decides to retire from SCUBA after decades of underwater adventures and thousands of dives.

When I read my first Cousteau book at the age of seven in landlocked Czechoslovakia and decide to become a scuba diver, I receive lots of funny looks. Well, here I am. This is a big deal. A dream decades in making. Time to dust off properly my 20 year old PADI certification and take diving to a new level. Viva Natura goes underwater.

Stay tuned. ... mil gracias Manuel

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A

lthough I have been diving regularly for the last few years, I never actually owned scuba equipment. Much less a good underwater photography set up. So I figured that getting acquainted with my new gear is definitely a good idea. I was thinking along the lines of a safe, controlled environment, preferably freshwater (in case of some unexpected leakage in the camera housing). Swimming pool sounded like an anti climatic option though. After some contemplation, I came up with a better plan.

And now, here I am - 3 hours drive from my home in the neighboring state of Nayarit, at the site of a wonderfully preserved mangrove forest called La Tovara. In its upper reaches there are several freshwater wells that feed its channels. During our dry season (winter), the water here can get very clear.

It doesn’t hurt that I know well the staff of a local crocodile sanctuary, situated directly on one of the springs. I have all the backup and comfort I need. That is, helpful hands to carry gear, plastic chair and two tables to prep everything.

Conditions are perfect. There is a bit of debris floating on the surface, but one foot below the water is fantastically clear.

The main spring is about 60 feet long and 30 feet wide, with its deepest section at about 20 feet. At such “depth” I have virtually hours of air in my 2 tanks. This particular pit is fenced off from the main water course. A healthy number of American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) call these waters their home and the protective fence was put in place a few years ago to separate the mangroves from a popular tourist spot. I should be safe behind it, but I don’t want any surprises. I dive in to check integrity of the submerged fence and explore it thoroughly top to bottom along its entire length. Fence looks good - no holes in the mesh, bottom well anchored by a wall of boulders. I am good to go.

Everything works great and I am getting comfortable with the scuba gear and camera rig. After a while I can start concentrating on what is around me. I am especially interested in the endemic Sliders (Trachemys ornata). These turtles are quite common around here, but they can be extremely shy. I see a few, but to get a decent shot with my wide angle lens I have to be very close. That proves to be tricky. Finally I find a patient foot long turtle hidden under a submerged log and get my shot. With the gear thoroughly tested, I return home ready for what comes next.

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LA TOVARA

“ DIVING IN THE HOME OF THE AMERICAN CROCODILE”

LA TOVARA San Blas, NAY December 21st, 2017

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SHARKS and 15.000 PAIRS OF MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRDS

I

n the company of my son Adam and a group of divers I head for Isla Isabel roughly 70 km from the ancient port of San Blas. This 2 km sq volcanic island enjoys the status of a national park since 1980, when Mexican government took in its hands formal protection of the area. In the consequent years a considerable and ultimately successful effort was made to eradicate rats and feral cats. That was a great news for native species, especially the thousands of sea birds that nest here. Today, Isabel is home to over 90 species of birds.

It is estimated that 15 thousand pairs of Magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) nest here.

One reason I am returning to Isabel however is found not on the island itself, but en route to it. Quite a large number of Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) come to feed in the area in the winter and spring months. A year ago we were able to spot 8 of these wonderful animals on our way to the island.

The largest one was longer than our 21 foot boat. Unfortunately, I didn’t have proper equipment for UW photography then. Now I do and I mean to use it. Very few people in Banderas Bay are aware of the local Whale sharks and I would like to bring home photos to include them in my Viva Natura environmental awareness program.

We load up at 6 AM in the San Blas marina. With all the dive equipment, provisions and us on board, the boat sits low in the water. I know we are in good hands though. The local government certified guides have done this for living for decades now. This proves to be a very good thing indeed an hour later when we hit very large offshore swells. To navigate here safely, skill

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ISLA ISABEL San Blas, NAY January 26th, 2018

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ISLA ISABEL San Blas, NAY January 27th, 2018

is needed, but Emilio, our captain, looks unfazed. He crests and surfs the waves with a smile and confidence of a true pro.

We have other issues though - the water surface is so rough that spotting the relatively small whale shark dorsals will be a challenge today. We won’t give up easily. I have my fins and snorkel within reach and cradle my camera rig to keep it from bouncing around. I can be in the water in seconds. But, as an hour goes by without a sighting, we are starting to get used to the idea that there might not be shark swim today after all.

After 2 more hours being drenched by salt spray whipped into our faces by head wind, we arrive to Isabel.

Never mind - there will be another opportunity to look for sharks on the way back. Now, to shuttle our gear to the camp site, have something to eat and rest. Tomorrow we dive.

M

y first day on Isabel starts before sunrise. Damian, a local guide, meets up with me before day break to climb the light house hill behind our camp.

My wish to see sunrise from the highest point of the island means an early wake up call for Damian, too.

You are not allowed to walk around the National park alone. There are simply too many birds nesting on the ground to allow for an uncontrolled foot traffic.

I can see he doesn’t mind though. He is all smiles, his enthusiasm genuine.

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He must have climbed the hill hundreds of times before. Yet here he is, ready to do it again.

The climb is short, but very steep.

We take our first steps in an almost complete darkness, but only a few minutes later the sky starts brightening up. We get to the top in time for the sunrise. I wanted to be here when the first rays of sun hit the summit to record a video clip of Blue-footed boobies (Sula nebouxii) during their courtship.

With hundreds of birds around, it is not difficult to find a well situated couple and set up my camera. I don’t have to wait long for them to start. Feet showing, nest material tossing, sky gazing and spreading of wings are all part of this dance.

There is an interesting sound track to go with it all, too. Males emit whistling sounds, females more guttural croaking.

In a few minutes I get the footage I came for. We rest, take a few more pictures and then slowly descend to grab a bite before our first dive.

When I get back from the lighthouse our camp is slowly waking up. We are served a light breakfast, expecting to have a good lunch once we arrive from our dives. The camping and dining conditions are quite rustic, but the food and attention of our guides are excellent. We satisfy our early morning appetite with

tea, cereal and fruit and get ready to go. Most of our gear stays on the boat so all I need to carry is my camera. The campground is about 400 meters from the beach. On this short trek you can greet hundreds of Frigatebirds sitting within arms reach on the stunted vegetation. They gaze down at us without much interest as we walk by. Unalarmed - used to visitors.

We plan to dive on the western side of the island, but as our boat rounds the point, it becomes apparent, that the swells are not through with us yet. The exposed side of Isabel is awash with large waves crashing into the cliffs. We have to find another place to dive. We select a more sheltered area and jump in.

The conditions are not great. So much wave action has produced low visibility even here. Never mind, we all love being underwater and there is always something interesting to see.

W

e spend the next 2 days diving around the island. Bad visibility and swells chase us from a dive site to a dive site, but we are determined to enjoy ourselves. For me, this is a great opportunity to practice underwater photography in challenging conditions and I am, as well as the rest of the team, happy for the privilege to be here.

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SPECIES GLIMPSE JEWELED MORAY EEL (Muraena lentiginosa)

A

fairly common eel most often found in rocky crevices or among boulders on the sea floor. Fast and nimble hunter of fish, shrimp and crabs. I found these eels usually quite patient, although they prefer to observe a diver from the safety of their hiding places.

Here, in Banderas Bay, I have seen both fairly dark individuals with bright yellow spots and quite light colored ones, with yellowish background color and yellow spots rimmed with black.

It is a far ranging species that can be found from the Gulf of California south to Peru and Galapagos Islands.

CONCHAS CHINAS Puerto Vallarta, JAL June 5th, 2018

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“ AS WE COME CLOSER, HE UNWINDS FROM INSIDE THE TIRE TO GAPE AT US”

Argus moray eel (Muraena argus)

THE SOUTH

ISLA ISABEL San Blas, NAY January 26th, 2018

LAS CALETAS Banderas Bay, JAL February 23rd 2018

T

oday I am accompanying my son Adam on his practical navigation exam, part of his Advanced OW PADI course. The destination is southern shore area called Las Caletas. This cove, accessible only by water has been protected by a local tour operating company for over a decade now. So, the marine life has been able to bounce back quite a bit. I should have a lot to photograph. My main goal is to get some photos of a resident Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), who often hides under a boulder close to the shore.

I am also told about a very large Argus moray eel (Muraena argus) living inside a discarded tire at about 80 feet depth where the sandy bottom becomes a steep slope plunging into the depths. Sounds great to me.

During winter Banderas Bay gets considerably colder and visibility underwater often drops to only a few feet. Expecting iffy conditions, we are pleasantly surprised upon our arrival. The water looks actually quite clear. Fantastic - lucky day!

Our trio - my son Adam, his instructor and myself jump in. While the two go through their prescribed exercises I look for my objectives. I find the Green

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Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

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LAS CALETAS Banderas Bay, JAL February 23rd 2018

turtle quite easily and thanks to its patience manage to take a shot (opposite).

Now I will need my son’s instructor’s help to point me out the moray eel. I find my buddies easily and watch Adam complete his navigation routine. A few minutes later we dive to deeper water over a sandy slope. Boulders are gone and so is most of the fish. In a strange way, this section resembles a big desert dune.

Then I see the eel. As promised, it is big.

As we come closer, he unwinds from inside the tire to look and gape at us. I park myself right next to him and gradually get within inches of his lair. He doesn’t seem to mind. I take a few photos and a video clip and then decide to hang out for a bit longer just marveling at this incredible fish.

So elegant, patient and friendly.

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cold and deep at

EL MORRO Banderas Bay, NAY April 5th, 2018

E

l Morro is probably my favorite dive site in Banderas Bay. It is a medium sized pinnacle breaking surface about 7 miles south of Marietas Islands. Being on the outer edge of the bay, it is often subject to larger swells and currents.

When conditions are right though, it is a great place to dive. Above the water surface the rock is fairly uninteresting. Too small to harbor much bird life or vegetation.

Underwater, however there are tunnels, gullies and passages, caves large and small (in some sleeping Nurse sharks can be found). Almost the entire rock is covered with a colorful reef. Fish and other marine life abound.

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Today, we want to explore the deeper parts of the rock wall. It will be cold down there, for sure.

This being winter, visibility is likely going to be poor as well, so I decide to carry a macro lens instead of my wide angle. I will focus on the small life today.

Once in the water, we notice that the ocean is a soup of salps. They are everywhere. In long, largelinked chains that undulate like waves right below the surface. I am amazed at the sight .. and a bit disappointed. With my macro I will not be able to take a photo of an

entire chain to show its size. At least I take a close up of one of the “chain links”.

Then the “thumbs down” sign comes and we descend slowly to about 100 feet, turn and head north along the wall. I keep close to the reef and look for my macro shots.

Then, as I turn right to locate my dive buddies, I see a large Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) approaching from the open water. This is the second time I miss my wide angle today.

Never mind I think and raise my camera. I half expect the focus to fail.

There is little ambient light and lots

Brittle sea stars and a sponge

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of suspended particles to throw the auto focus off.

But somehow all works out and my camera locks on instantly. I take the shot. The turtle is much farther away than my previous macro subjects and I haven’t managed to adjust my strobes. They rake the frame and bounce off the thousands suspended particles floating around. What I get is a sea turtle swimming in a snow storm effect. Yet I somehow don’t mind the result (photo).

We keep ascending to stay within non deco limits and to escape the deeper cold water. We finish our dive in shallow parts of the reef and finally ascend to the “Salp soup” again for our safety stop. The Salps are now joined by clouds of Ctenophora of many shapes and sizes. The ocean around us flickers with their “electric” pulses.

EL MORRO Banderas Bay NAY April 5th, 2018

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Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

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UP CLOSE

with I

t is the middle of summer. Water is 86 degrees Fahrenheit and the visibility great. It is time to take photos of some underwater seascapes.

There is no better place to do it then El Morro. That is why only two days after diving in British Columbia I am underwater again. Dry suit with 36 pounds of lead is a distant memory. I am joining several other divers on this outing and I can see that some didn’t even bother with wetsuits. When we arrive, the color of water is deep blue. We can see the bottom at 80 feet.

Those, who live or dive in the Caribbean might consider this “a normal” day. Here, on the Pacific coast it isn’t. For us, this is a rare treat.

We sink along El Morro’s eastern wall and hit the bottom, then proceed alongside it, braving a weak current. After a few minutes of going through tunnels and caves, for which this dive site is famous, we spot a shadow of a Giant manta ray (Mobula birostris) below us. I watch the animal take a wide circle that I estimate should bring it back to where we are waiting. I zoom out, prep my strobes and wait for it. Sure enough, the manta glides back. I misjudge its intentions though and see it suddenly change the course and head directly to me. I have no time to back off and the manta is over me in an instant. I know perfectly that it is too close to fit in my wide angle, but snap a photo anyway.

The manta proves to be a very curious individual and it is us, who cut short the game in the end. We are deep and our dive computers are starting to remind us of our non decompression limits. Unfortunately I don’t get a chance for another shot. Perhaps next time.

We ascend and spend the rest of the dive in a relatively shallow water where clouds of fish swarm the pinnacle (following pages).

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Giant manta ray (Mobula birostris)

EL MORRO Banderas Bay NAY August 18th, 2018

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Cortez rainbow wrasse (Thalassoma lucasanum) and Scissortail Damselfish (Chromis atrilobata) milling around a shallow water pinnacle at the El Morro.

EL MORRO Banderas Bay NAY August 18th, 2018

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diving with a

THE BOULDERS Banderas Bay, NAY September 28th, 2018

T

oday I would like try my luck taking some macro shots of the marine live along the Southern shore.

My plan is to dive shallow and spend as much time as possible exploring only a few rocks. I have never done a shore dive in the South though and wonder where best to go. Then I remember an open invitation by my friends who live close to Boca de Tomatlan. The water around their house would be perfect. There is even an elevator that can bring my gear from the street (road) level down to the ocean some 120 feet below.

I give Dennis and Joaquin a call and explain my intentions. They do not hesitate a second. I can show up anytime. “How about today?�, I ask.

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work on my shots.

An hour later I am standing all geared up on the shore below their house. The entry to the water is via a few rocky steps. I get slapped around a little bit by the waves, but judge the water below the steps deep enough for a safe plunge. I get in and swim out away from the rocks. As soon as I dive I can see I will have plenty to entertain myself with.

In the end I spend almost 3 hours underwater, going through both my tanks. I am having too much fun. Sometimes I am only a few feet below the surface, the scuba allowing me the luxury of time to

I come home with a good crop of macros. I find I will need to invest in a laser guided snoot - my improvised plastic bottle works great in dark conditions, but the weak guide light is useless in well lit shallows.

Spotted sharpnosed puffer (Canthigaster punctatissima)

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California gorgonian (Muricea californica)

Rose flower urchin (Toxopneustes roseus)

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Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus)

Pyramid sea star (Pharia pyramidata)

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MOUNTED AR T WOR K DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP

COMPLETE SET OF PHOTOS INCLUDED IN THE MAGAZINE, PLUS BONUS You can order any photo included in the magazine and have it delivered to your doorstep framed and professionally mounted in variety of sizes. Simple print (frameless) options are also available. Calculate cost by adding a photo to your shopping cart and selecting printing and framing options.

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YOU R

P U RCHASE

OF

MY

PH OTOGRAPH SH E LPS

M E

FU ND :

The creation of my new book: VIVA NATURA: FIELD GUIDE FOR THE OCEAN EXPLORER An easy to use field guide to the underwater realm. Similar in design and functionality to my Viva Natura: Field Guide to the amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, this new book will be loaded with photographs of the Eastern Pacific sea life.

To acquire original high quality images, I am diving as much as my life dynamics allow me, while I keeping my day job. Your purchases allow me to continue working on this project.

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