BAJA CALIFORNIA

Long and deserted, the contrast of the pristine blue ocean and the unique living desert make the peninsula of Baja California one of the last frontiers for the lovers of nature.

Endemic plants and animals witnessed for thousands of years the isolation of this land, inhabited only for nomadic tribes that left no signs of culture but only rupestrian paintings of unknown origin but considered now as heritage for the humanity.

Later, still nomadic tribes known as Guaycuras, Cochimies and Pericues, roamed the coasts in search of food and shelter, walking into extinction at the end of the 18th century.

CLUB CANTAMAR RESORT AND MARINA

Built in 1994 with a boat ramp, a small office building and the compressors house with the tank filling station, which in turn gave place to the actual Hotel Cantamar Beach Resort & Marina, this resort as a family management.

The whole family is involved in marketing, administration and operations, along with 32 young men and women who collaborate making sure you get the best possible service

Solidly built, accented with desert colours and stucco walls, Mexican tile floors and roofs, Cantamar is laid out in a way that ensures privacy in its small buildings.

With unparalleled ocean view, quiet air conditioning system and comfortable rustic style furniture, 35 standard rooms are perfectly fitted to offer the best of the modern life. All rooms have satellite TV and most rooms have telephone.

Two spacious jr. suites are the perfect match for those who want to upgrade their comfort, or travel as a small family group. Each suite accommodates as many as 4 persons comfortably.

A recent addition to Cantamar is a unit with supreme location only steps away from the beach, featuring only 4 apartments, each with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, full kitchenette, dining room, living room and private balcony.

The new sea-side restaurant, where Lucas and Juanita take pride of reading your thoughts and preparing the most delicious meals while you enjoy a cold drink watching the unspoiled bay view.

The swim-up bar is a favourite for the afternoon recounts of the day's adventures, featuring large screen TV set with VCR, DVD and stereo sound.

Over viewing the ocean, fresh water swimming pool deep enough for scuba training, it sits among palm trees providing shade and refuge for absolute relaxation sipping the coldest Corona beer in town.

Marina Pichilingue is strategically located to reduce the boat ride time and optimize your day for fishing, kayaking, sailing, diving, snorkelling and any other water activity of your choice.

THE DIVING IN BAJA CALIFORNIA

The Sea of Cortéz is a very narrow but deep body of water dotted with underwater mountains and canyons that produce up welling of enriched water from the depths, which in turn produce seasonal plankton blooms that contribute to the massive diversity of tropical and pelagic fish.

This diversity form such a unique ecosystem that was baptized by J. Cousteau as "The Aquarium of the World".

Marine mammals such as sea lions and resident pods of dolphins, orcas, pilot whales, sperm whales, and others, as well as transient humpback whales, blue whales, fin whales, etc. attract enthusiasts of water sports to this area, lured by the opportunity of an encounter with of those big animals.

WHALE WATCHING
Although many species of whales visit the warm protected waters of the Baja California Peninsula, the best known is the Gray Whale, due to the large numbers and migration patterns followed year after year from the Behring Sea to the Pacific Coast of Baja. .

Considered once as an endangered species and hunted near to extinction, the Gray Whale has made an impressive come back, protected by stiff Mexican and international law that designated three salt water lagoons as sanctuaries where they mate and give birth during the months of January to March, when they make the trip back to the north, some of them pregnant, some of them with calves, but all of them happy after performing their ancient rite of reproduction.

Whale Watching Tours can be made in many ways, from the simple one-day trip, to the most sophisticated liveaboard or camping all inclusive trips, in conjunction with sea kayaking and natural history interests.

SOCORRO LIVEABOARD - SEA ESCAPE

SEA ESCAPE is a 110 ft aluminium vessel originally built as a crew boat and servicing the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, rebuilt and operated as a sport fishing Liveaboard in Biloxi, Mississippi, is again refurbished and now enters as part of the Cantamar Fleet covering two of the most exciting dive destinations in the Pacific Ocean: Guadalupe Island from August to October, and Revillagigedo Islands (Socorro) from November to April.

Fully air conditioned, private staterooms, nice galley, a huge living room and lots of spaces in the stern for the diving gear make SEA ESCAPE the perfect vessel for your next dive vacations.

MV SEA ESCAPE - Sample Itinerary

Day 1
“Sea Escape” departs around 9:00 a.m. so we will pick you up at your hotel at 7:00 to drive you to the pier. It takes about 24 hrs navigation to the first island; you can bring your favourite home movies to play in our TV room. Also you can take advantage of this long spare time to take a nitrox class; this will surely increase your bottom time on your dives at Socorro Island!

Day 2
Arrive around 8:00 a.m., first dive will be after breakfast, the first dives are for “adaptation”, testing buoyancy, new dive equipment and/or cameras has to be done in a shallow, well protected dive site. 3 to 4 dives are done depending on weather conditions.

Days 3-6
Visit most of the dive sites in the Revillagigedo islands which includes Socorro island among others, spectacular schools of hammerhead sharks, giant mantas, yellow fin tuna, skip jacks, white tip sharks, silkys and Galapagos sharks are commonly encounter while diving.

Day 7
After doing 3 dives we start the 24 hrs journey back to Cabo San Lucas, there is plenty of time to compare your adventures, digital photos and video.

Day 8
Arrival at Cabo San Lucas is estimated around 5 p.m. One of our vans will take you to your hotel.

THE DIVE CENTRE - BAJA DIVING AND SERVICES

Located inside the hotel area to the Marina and run by very professionals guide and instructors, managed by the owner of Club Cantamar offer diving courses, nitrox, rebreather, equipment hire and a huge fleet of diving boats.

The heart of the scuba operation is composed by a battery of 5 high pressure compressors, with a tandem filtering system and 500 aluminium scuba tanks, with international valve.

A large battery of well ventilated private lockers, with double lock for security purposes, make your diving experience less tiring, as you can rinse your gear 10 m from the dock and hang it, instead of carrying it to your room, wash it in the shower and have your room as a real mess.

As part of their technical diving operation, Baja Diving & Service is a certified blend, repair and training centre for ANDI and TDI.

Nitrox- 70 scuba tanks, oxygen clean, are available with any mixture of your choice, at reasonable rates.

The Club Cantamar is the only Dive Resort in Mexico fitted with a decompression chamber in premises, and the operation is in charge of Fernando Aguilar Sr., after exhaustive training in the University Of Southern California (USC), in Catalina Island.

LIVEABOARD in the Sea of Cortez also available on request.

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