Mexico
Isla Cerralvo
Volcanic ridges rise offshore from La Ventana above reefs shaped by Gulf currents.
From the beach at La Ventana the island is a long volcanic silhouette across the channel. Under the surface, its reefs and rock walls hold the current's traffic: jacks, rays and whatever the season sends past.
Isla Cerralvo, officially renamed Isla Jacques Cousteau, rises offshore from La Ventana and El Sargento, its surrounding reefs worked by local boat operators for diving, snorkelling and seasonal wildlife watching. The island itself has no visitor facilities, so everything for the day crosses in the boat. Hammerheads, mantas and whales pass on their own calendar, never on demand.
Friends
Boat out under a local operator and dive the current-swept reefs together.
Solo
Base in La Ventana and take the island's water on its own seasonal terms.
- Isla Cerralvo, officially Isla Jacques Cousteau, rises offshore from La Ventana and El Sargento.
- Boat operators use nearby reefs and rocks for diving, snorkelling and seasonal wildlife observation.
- The island has no visitor facilities, and hammerheads, mantas or whales cannot be promised.
La Ventana's operators pack the day's lunch into the boat; the island has no visitor facilities of its own.
Meals bracket the crossing on the mainland shore, where the launch beaches are.
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