Marina Puerto Adventuras
As I'm writing this we sit at anchor behind an island in the Bahia De La Ascension. I kayaked here years ago out of Punta Allen when Jim and Margy who lived summers up the Gunflint Trail were trying to get an adventure travel business going and my ex and I had recently started Cascade Kayaks and were going to offer kayak trips down here. I've also just been told by captain we are going to be stuck here as a front from Texas is coming down and we'll have 4 to 5 foot waves here.. . So it looks like 3 days anchored here rationing our water supply before he wants to continue. Once we do continue we are only going about 20 NM to the other bay of this 'Sian Kian Biosphere Preserve'. Then an over nighter of over 70 miles I guess to the check out town 'Xcalak' I think it is....and we will be in desperate need of water by then. Xcalak has a treacherous reef which needs fairly calm seas to enter the narrow pass. I guess if it's too rough we are allowed to write a letter (at the time we are there unable to enter) and present it to the Belizean customs and immigration in San Pedro.
Anyway.....
.....We left the mooring at Puerto Morelos just before sunrise. I was not sure what to expect other than it was a marina so we would be able to get off the boat unlike our short time at Puerto Morelos. It was a short day, only about 28 NM. We arrived about 2 pm. As it turned out it was an odd place. The dredged lagoons that made up the marina were surrounded by condos...the marina office was closed Sundays. We motored around the lagoons as we attempted to contact the marina on VHF 16 with no success. Eventually we just tied up to a wall...where we stayed the 2 days we were there. I took a shower and went in search of an outlet and wifi. I found the captain eating at a buffet at the Dolphin Discovery, Manatee Snack Bar. It was the final 40 minutes and cost about $18 US. I decided to join the captain though really wish I'd checked out one of the other 7 restaurants at the 'complex'. Even worse I joined him for breakfast at the same place again ignoring about 3 other places open for breakfast. I mentioned going to another place but I think he was hoping this place would have an all you can eat breakfast buffet. It did not...in fact offering breakfast was only because they were here anyway preparing for the daily 11 am to 4 pm buffet.
OK....back to the evening of our first day here. After eating too much to get my $18's worth at the buffett the captain returned to the boat and I continued on my quest for wifi and a power outlet. I sat at the bar at Haa Hoo's Mexican restaurant with a talkative woman originally from Canada but now living near by but not in 'the complex'. I was able to charge my iPhone and iPad while using their wifi. My quest focused on contacting my Facebook friend Julia who lives in Playa Del Carmen, referred to locally as 'Playa'. The Canadian lady let me try using her phone as my iPhone with the global SIM card was not working for me. Her phone ended up being out of minutes but she snagged another local patron and I tried that phone but some recorded message in Spanish made that also unsuccessful. I had earlier sent a message on Facebook and Julia had replied recommended I add a 1 to her number and it worked. We did meet the next day in Playa for lunch. It was about a 10 minute taxi ride. We connected on Facebook because we both advocate for a Natural Law Resource Based Economy. We didn't really talk about 'The Zeitgeist Movement' that much. Anyway it was fun to meet in person.
...Back to 'complex'. This theme park condo marina complex is not really focusing on the marina. The cost was only $20 per day and the dock water was brackish only for rinsing. You had to buy drinking water. The had power pedestals but we were not at a normal marina spot so no power at our boat, nor reachable wifi. Transients are rare here most of the boats are either wealthy locals. Many of the boats cater to the 'adventure' seeking tourist. Lots if fishing charter boats though most of them will also do the snorkel tour and there were parasailing boats and 3 large passenger sailing catamarans that loaded up with 20 or more people each to go do whatever.? At the time we were here we were the only transient and the sailboat we had been next to in Isla Mujeres pulled in on our second day.
In an older cruising guide the captain had there were some shallower marina areas like 5 feet. Those have been phased out in favor of dolphin enclosures. There are about 6 separate but interconnected pens with pathways around them. All day long paying customers referred to as 'swimmers' are with the dolphins and trainers being pulled along and what not. They must have at least a dozen dolphins...or more. They have a captive breeding program as I saw at least one baby dolphin. One enclosure is next to the Manatee Snack Bar and on the other side of the Snack Bar is a pool with sea lions and another with Manatee. Again the seals do tricks and paying customers can pet them, hold the hoop they jump through and pose for photos. There were at least 3 sea lions but only 2 in the pool at the same time. You could hear at least one other inside an area with pens. Even the captive manatee of which I saw 4 including a baby were petted and fed by paying customers. Lettuce and fruit were hand fed to them at first by customers but more seriously by the trainers once the customers had left. Anyway...you get the picture.
...We left the Marina at 3 am for the longer day to Sian Kian to make sure we arrived in daylight but had good sailing often over 6 knots and got here by 2 pm.
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