Bill Holmes - Activities - Kayaking - San Ignacio Lagoon 2/1989

Drove a rough dirt road from just north of San Juan to the fishing village of La Bocana, where we launched, paddled to a beach just inside the lagoon to rest, then paddled across the lagoon to an island to camp. Communed with the whales the next day. Explored a mangrove swamp the next, and communed with the whales a third before paddling into a horrific head wind on the way back. Women in double kayak were towed, but still could not make it around the point to La Bocana, so we landed at beach in huge swells at a beach, and Ed and another man hitchhiked to La Bocana to get his truck and trailer to load the kayaks, and the van to load the people.




Arrival




Kayaks on the beach




Dophin passing us



Taking a break at the entrance to the lagoon in calm water. Water danced as tide exited lagoon. I found myself marooned on bottom of lagoon and had to drag my kayak miles through the mud to make it to the island.




Front of tent looking inland




Back of tent looking at view




The encampment




See baby whale laying on back of mother in distance. Baby sees and and porpoise to the colorful playthings. Mom catches up with baby and turns it away from us.




Mother dives under kayak, churning up mud and gently lifts the yellow kayak into the air and replaces it in the water. The man in the kayak had his paddle across his cockpit and was holding his his 35 mm camera when it happened, yet he did not role. Nor did he take a pitcher of the even. He and everyone else with cameras were too shocked to shoot the event.




Up close and personal in the deeper and rougher part of the lagoon




The end of a good whale watching day




Landing at the mangrove swamp. Ed Gillette thinking.




Two paddlers got separated from the rest in finger parallel to us. We could hear but not see them. Lots of birds.




Whale bones as the tide leaves.




Our briefly beached kayaks will have to be dragged a ways to re-enter the water.




Windy nights covered everything inside and out with fine silt. Coyotes marooned on the island at low tide raided our camp for water.




More whales the next morning.




Spy hopping near the front of my kayak.




Spy hopping near the rear of my kayak. Two of us were in the middle of a mating with four males attacking a female.




A deep channel along our beach allowed whales to swim nearby.




A dead whale drifted ashore. I noticed some activity the previous day that could have been whales trying to keep this one afloat.




Exlierating headwind we paddled into from the mouth of the lagoon north.




About 63 miles of paddling. Twenty years later, I'm guessing the route.