Hello Friends: We’ll be LIVE on facebook on Friday Feb 3, 1pm PST talking about our participation with Adventure Scientists during the last few seasons… tune in at their page. Learn in this blog post — originally published on Adventure Scientists “Field Notes” — what we discovered from sampling micro-plastics from Mexico to Ecuador along our sailing voyage.
Finally! Our all-new Video Series! Thanks to support from our new Patrons we’re able to tell the full Green Coconut Run story.
This Episode is about our misadventures leaving Turtle Bay, glorious sailing conditions down Baja Peninsula, our first major engine breakdown, and then sweet redemption discovered at Scorpion Bay, in the form of loooooong waves!
Our motto — Eating well, no matter what the tribulations at sea
ps. A note about prior videos: Our new episodes will be 10 minutes, which allows us to share the full story of our trip. Our previous videos (2-3 min) were experimental. From now on we’ll produce only full episodes on Patreon; and short 15 sec Instagram teasers. Many thanks!
The captain’s sweetheart and Aldebaran’s dive master, Sabrina, had to leave early due to an ear injury and returned home to California. We are sending her healing thoughts!!
The crew made her two short diving videos so she could live vicariously as we explore underwater treasures and share the stoke from afar.
Diving Roca Niegra — A volcano spat out this big rock, which lies 1 mile offshore in 80 feet depth. Dizzying numbers of fish congregate around the transparent blue waters. Our free dives are around 20-40 feet. Location: Santa Rosa National Park, northern Costa Rica
Video: Diving Murcielago Islands. A geographic phenomenon, the protected “Isla Murcielago” (“Bat Islands”) stick out like fingers from the mainland. We took a quick dive to cool off and find some coral and eels. Our free dives are around 15-25 feet. Location: Santa Rosa National Park, northern Costa Rica.
Moving at the pace of a leisurely beach cruiser (6-10 mph), the sailboat allows us to take in the subtleties of the landscape and seize the rare glimpses of nature otherwise inaccessible with other forms of travel. These two shorts provide a window into an underwater heaven that keeps surprising the Aldebaran crew — they are under 1min teasers for the in depth videos we hope to make during the off-season.
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Video Shorts: Magic Log (1min)… an oasis in the ocean desert. By Ryan Smith
We expected an uneventful 2 day transit, this time in the hot, calm waters 30 miles off the Michoacan coast. It was 5000 feet deep, with nothing as far as the eye could see. Luckily, Michael was keenly watching the surface of the ocean, and suddenly shouted “Floating Log! Look, there’s turtles! Let’s check it out!” A veteran Mahi Mahi hunter from his days on the Big Island (a story he’s want to recount to any virgin ears) he religiously scans the water for debris which can harbor fish. Before Captain could even halt the engine Michael had jumped in the water with mask and snorkle. He couldn’t believe what he saw! Underwater was an explosion of life, organized around this random floating log. Like giddy school children, we spent the afternoon tethered to what we termed the “Magic Log”, a wonderland rife with turtles, small sharks, countless juvenile Mahi Mahis and fish swarming around this lone structure in the ocean desert. This is just a tiny snippet of one of the most incredible underwater experiences of our lives.
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Video Short: Huatulco Seascapes (26 seconds)… the details of underwater life. By Ryan Smith
The southern state of Oaxaca is one of the most charming, diverse and beautiful regions of Mexico. From the culturally rich city of Oaxaca whose markets burst with color; the magnificent ancient ruins of Monte Alban; to the stunning coastline and national park of Huatulco; this region holds innumerable gems to explore. We quickly fell in love with the beautiful bays of Huatulco, spending weeks sailing, diving and imbibing in this tropical splendor. The time-lapse macro imagery of Huatulco Seascapes captures some of the wonders that we came across. We’ve learned that to look closely is to be surprised and amazed!
We thought it was going to be a boring day! We were crossing the Sea of Cortez, a two night passage; with ocean on all sides we came across a massive pod of spinner dolphins riding our bow and flying into wild aerials. The crew included Eric Lohela and Brian Rossini who joined us to dive the Cortez leg.
These dolphins would even impress famed snowboarder Shaun White, known for his dizzying spins.
Jaws agape, we watched the most virtuosic acrobatics we’ve seen outside the Cirque du Soleil. To capture the majesty of the dolphins underwater, Ryan dangled himself from the bow crossbars (note the blown out starboard net– it had torn the night before sailing with the Corumel south winds out of Isla Espiritu Santo).
Even mundane days can throw something splendid at you — what delights can we find by going outside and watching the world unfold?
Our video “shorts” are about delightful little moments that we come across during our sailing trip. Consider them teasers for our longer episodes (due in the next few months!)
Enjoy these nuggets of beauty. Get inspired to go outside, jump in the water, watch the sunset — you never know when you’ll find something remarkable.
Video short: “Dreams of Cortez” (56 seconds) … where sea lions dance and play with bubbles. By Ryan Smith.
Dreams of Cortez pulls from two great SCUBA dives in the Sea of Cortez. Fifty miles offshore from La Paz sits the exposed rock reef – Arricefe de foca (seal reef). Playful seals beckoned us to this rock spit, a spot that had claimed at least one ship still visible 80’ down in the gin clear water. We were amazed at the magnificent features and acrobatic creatures! (err.. including ourselves?)
Another 50 miles to the north, on the tip of the phenomenal Isla Espiritu Santu (Island of the Holy Ghost), the granite cathedral spires of the Islotes rise out of the Cortez. This surreal backdrop makes for a wild dive that is once again guarded by curious seals. These gentle beasts took a particular liking to Michael, sipping air bubbles from his regulator as he sat in wonder on the sea floor.
One of the most surprising parts of our voyage is how well we are eating!
People ask, “do you have a stove and a sink?” Here is a video that will show the whole process of catching and cooking dinner, from “Hook-to-Fork”.
This video is about a 15lb Trevally Jack, which we prepare into “Sea Venison”. We’ve been eating so many different kinds of fish that we liken some to chicken, some to beef and this one in particular to venison.. It’s a red meat, hence the “crime scene” while Sabrina sweetly fillets the fish, an integral part of our cooking experience.
–Kristian
ps. If there’s good response we’ll try to make other “hook-to-forks” about our seafood exploits and old-fashioned boat cooking like bread, yogurt, and kim chi. So thumbs up if you enjoy it.
Sailing from Ensenada in northern Baja to rugged islands in central Baja: learning to night sail, diving adventures in offshore pinnacles of San Benito, navigating the surf at Natividad, and heading to Bahia Tortuga. Fast cruising downwind with little sleep!
Check out our third video, covering our cruise through Coronados, catching beautiful tuna enroute to Ensenada, and diving for stuck anchors in Todos Santos Island. It was uploaded at great effort! Wifi is becoming an increasingly precious commodity.. Enjoy!
Enjoy our second episode… the “behind the scenes” of a cruising sailboat. Trials and tribulations of getting our little ship ready in San Diego!
Check out our highlight reel from our inaugural Channel Islands leg.
Thanks for all the support… Hope to see you on the boat soon!
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One of those spectacular animal encounters that stick with you for a long time…
We went to Santa Rosa island over Memorial Day weekend and came across this really chill group of Humpbacks. They treated us to quite an experience.
Green Coconut Run 