Beautiful Birthday Bash

If you ever have a chance to spend your 48th birthday on one of the Islas de Marietta in the Bahia de Banderas, jump at it. If it is anything like mine you can’t go wrong.

To get to the Islas de Marietta from Yelapa we took a motor launch 15 miles across the middle of the Bahia de Banderas, a body of water that is large, very deep, and open to the sea. The waves were fairly large and fast, but low, like mountains with very gradual slopes. Heading into them in our motor launch on this cloudy morning, they thunderously pound the hull. Every now and then the pilot, Luis, would rapidly decelerate to avoid catching too much air… At the bow, a young man stood lookout, stabilizing himself by leaning back on the bowline.

Only 10 minutes out our lookout gestured to port and signed for Luis to slow down. A giant manta ray was flapping along, wingtips clearing the surface about 8 feet apart. Luis nosed closer so we could see the shadowy dark expanse of this mysterious creature before it dove. Later, as we emerged into the full sun of the middle of the Bahia, we slowed for a spouting family of humpbacks, cavorting near the surface, all of us thrilling to being slow close to these magical leviathans. A final dramatic full tailfin signaled the sounding of the family and the end of the show. (Though we didn’t get as much drama as these folks.)

Soon a white glow on the horizon signaled our approach to the islands – they are white from all the bird guano. The Islas de Marietta are a wildlife preserve, habitat to 4 species of boobies and frigate birds. Soon we approached the open sea side of the islands which were being pounded by the huge surf.


Luis slowly cruised along the steep shore of one island, showing off the sea caves and arches carved into the rock. On the ledge above comical blue footed, yellow footed, and brown boobies rested.


Eventually we rounded to the lee side of the island, where Luis dropped us for snorkeling and lunch at a jewel of a beach. The small beach was bounded by a rocky ledge with an archway to another beach…



We snorkeled in one of the protected areas – still the water sucked and seethed in our rocky cove as the long large waves plowed by. The water was fairly murky, and we got fleeting glances of the psychedelic tropical fish: angelfish swooshed away by the current, electric blue spotted fish darting back under the coral. I did, however get a change to play hero on my birthday. It was sort of silly in a way -- I was swimming back, only about 15 feet from the beach in perhaps 3 feet of water. Next to me was a small woman also heading in, when the water began to suck out to sea with one of its long long pulls. “I can’t make it,” she said. “Yes you can” I said. “No, I can’t.” she said, and I could see she was genuinely panicked. So I grabbed her arm and churned my fins extra hard to bring her in the 15 feet to the beach.

The beach was fringed by a rock wall about 20 feet tall, atop of which was a ledge. We were told that no one was allowed to climb up there since it would disturb the nesting birds. The base of the rock was more eroded providing a little shady cave, and an ideal place to escape from the hot midday sun. There we enjoyed the most sublime lunch: ceviche and guacamole on crunchy tortilla crackers washed down with icy cerveza. (Oh my!)

On the way home we stopped at another exciting swimming spot, jumping off the boat into fairly deep water, we swam under a wide arch to a hidden beach. Simon clinging on to me the whole way as we swam through the dark cold water under the arch, wondering what might be down there…

The trip home was smooth and relaxed. We were going with the waves this time – no pounding, instead we would slowly climb each wave and then speedily surf down the other side. A one point we came across a whole school of baby giant manta rays, their wing tips poking out only about 2 feet apart, prompting Josie to cry out, “Oh how cute!” as only she can.