Our visit to Isla San Diego was mellow, the stuff of island fantasies.

Getting there wasn’t mellow, though. We went into the wind and the motion was pretty unpleasant. Brian went below to work and I watched the boat as she slammed up and down on small waves. Several hours later we were stoked to see the island with pretty orange walls rising high in a pyramid shape above a pebbly gray beach.

This was a secure place to stay; we anchored in 50 feet of water well away from shore. We settled in and soon went for a dive. It turned out to be beyond dreamy and one of our favorite dives in Mexico. Every now and then one of those peak experiences in life sneaks up on you when you least expect it. This was one of those times.

This dive site looks like nothing special from the topside. It’s a small, flat rock with sea lions lounging on top. Underwater treasures await below the surface. My friend Leanne told me about a beautiful, coral encrusted cave here, and now we were about to find it. There were no words that could do this cave justice. It needed to be seen and felt. We dropped into the water and descended.

The cave had three openings large enough for a person to swim through. The cave entrances were at depths of 20-30 feet. One curved entrance was decorated with orange and purple sea fans, a foot wide, lined up in what seemed to be a somewhat organized fashion. Small orange cup coral, puffy and soft, was sprinkled liberally on the walls.

I swam slowly into the entrance lined with sea fans, the largest one, and smiled as I saw lobsters poking shyly out of a hole in the floor. Small fish peered at me from holes in the wall. This cave was like a giant block of swiss cheese with many holes to offer sanctuary to small creatures. Now there were two big black diver fish in the cave! Light filtered in from the openings, providing enough light to see as I moved further inside the cave.

The coral was in good condition and we were careful with our movements in the confined areas. I drifted toward a colorful wall and found it completely encrusted with many corals competing for space. Everything was orange, yellow and purple, twisting together in the most grotesque and beautiful shapes.

I’ve never been diving in a cave or a cavern. Swimming through this lovely cavern was an exhilarating moment. A first. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.

This was a fascinating place which felt safe to enjoy. I felt pretty hesitant about the large sea lions lounging on the rocks above the cave. Sea lions and caves seem to go together, and encountering those beasts in the small cave was not my idea of a good time.

The sea lions did not appear while we explored the cave, but we saw one swooping through a school of fish later on in the dive. He wasn’t interested in us.

Many thanks, peaceful creatures of the sea, for letting us explore your magical cave and leaving us alone!

This island adventure, along with Las Animas, has turned us on to some new and stunning diving in Mexico. We’ve spent a lot of time exploring during our last two winters of cruising in Mexico, and this winter we are finding the most incredible places!