Catpain's Log #6: Curious Giants

San Benedicto Entrance

San Benedicto Volcano

aoirse found the wind about 12 hours out on our way to San Benedicto, a medium sized island in the Revillegedo archipelago, 310 miles off the mainland coast. The archipelago is a rarely vistited small group of mostly uninhabited volcanic islands renowned for its underwater scenery. Stories of Manta Rays, Whale sharks, Humpbacks and tropical fish made an easy decision for us to give it a shot before embarking on the ensuing long crossing to French Polynesia. San Benedicto loomed impressively on the third morning, well before sunrise - an exciting moment after three days of little more than clear blue ocean, stars and sun - I couldn't restrain from shouting "Land Ho!", much to the chagrin of the 5 folks sleeping soundly below. I was unprepared for the beauty of this island, with so much said about the quality of the diving and little about the islands themselves, I imagined an uninteresting arid landscape. Massive, brilliant red cliffs sank sharply into the pounding break at the north end, while the south side reminded me of the ash rivers created after Mt. St. Helens went off in 1980. Deep rivulets of gray, hardened ash presented a most impressive contrast to the red basalt surrounding the dormant volcano.

Saoirse and San Benedicto

We anchored all alone about 10 am in a large bay that one imagines few people ever see. Shortly thereafter two Humpback whales (a mother and calf) rounded the southern tip of the island, providing a playful display of breaching and fin slapping- stirring hopes of great diving the next day. That day started a few hours ago. Our giant friends rounded the southern tip about the same time, but this time took a different track. The mother and her calf suddenly veered off their course to investigate this new floating intrusion with the 6 leering humans! The two came to within 20 feet of us and then went into a slow circle around the entire boat. You could imagine the underwater lesson, "ok dear, this is something you need to learn to avoid at all costs - we are much bigger, but if you hit them they all die and it leaves you with an incredible headache!" Could we hear them sing? Sure enough, as they pulled away we slowly entered the water and there it was - the high pitched, almost aching sound of the Humpback, in regular succession and unmistakable.