Scuba Dive

When I heard that Hurricane Jimena, currently a category 4 storm and the tenth storm of the season in the Pacific, was barreling down on Baja California, I thought I hope it won’t hurt the scuba diving there. Then I realized I had no clue what kind of diving was there. After a little research I now hope more than ever that Jimena decides she wants an authentic tamale and veers significantly to the right into a low-population area.

The Baja peninsula actually has an amazing array of diving opportunities, from the rocky kelp forests in the north on the Pacific coast near San Diego to the only live coral reef on the western side of North America, Cabo Pulmo, on the Sea of Cortez between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas. The indigenous sea life is insane, including great white sharks, hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins, marlin, Humboldt squid, octopus, and whales. In some spots divers encounter sea lions frequently eager to play or gnaw the end of your fin.

I can’t wait to book my next trip: the Baja Peninsula has moved up to #1 on my “to dive” list. I’ll just wait until Jimena checks out of the hotel.