Isla Isabela, Mexico
As we sailed south from Mazatlán, Sinola to Puerto Vallarta, Nayarit, we stopped at the remote island, Isla Isabela & the coastal town of Matanchén Bay. Both stops were filled with nature served as a stark contrast from the industrial & crowded Mazatlán.
First stop: Isla Isabela
Isla Isabela is a small volcanic island about 15 miles off the west coast of Mexico that was declared a national park in 1980. It is a refuge for over 92 species of birds, including the whistling blue-footed booby, the brown pelican, frigate “man-o-war” birds & brown gulls.
Anchoring here can be difficult, if you are lucky you can find patches of sand that are sandwiched between steep rock cliffs.
After sailing 90nm overnight, we spotted the island at sunrise. Approximately 3 nm away, the electric toilet flushed and suddenly the boat got dark & quiet. Our battery, and hence our electronics to navigate the difficult anchorage, went out. Between the sun rising, knowledge previously shared by the sailing community, and a kind Aussie who happened to be anchored and up early to fish - we were able to drop hook without losing an anchor to the depths below.
View from anchorage — east side of Isla Isabela
After a brief nap, we snorkeled around the mini rock formation east of the island - where we saw tons of fish swaying in the underwater currents. That afternoon we decided to take our dinghy to the main island. We were surprised to find ~10 fishing huts on shore, one of which was occupied by a father & son duo. We spoke to them for some time and learned they live in San Blas (about 2 hour by fishing boat) and spend 2-4 days a week on the island fishing. They joked that one of their friends who owned the hut at the end of the beach had been there for over a week and was starting to smell! It was great to talk to the locals and they guided us to the trailhead.
The scene onshore Isabela was straight from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. With birds occupying every branch, nook and cranny. This is their sanctuary and they have very little care for humans as they barely ruffle a feather when you walk by. Frigates were nested in the trees nearby, males displaying their bright red throats to impress the females while the white baby and adolescents chirped. We tiptoed our way around the island dodging these man-o-war birds with their massive beaks from above and supposed snakes from below.
The highlights were definitely seeing how biodiverse <2 sq km island can be and also meeting a blue-footed bobby family caring for their young.
