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sea turtle

"The Devil's Road" Main Expedition, Day 37

April 6th (La Paz)

Today we intended to drive out to a resort community on a spit of land in the La Paz Bay called El Mogote. This place is shrouded in controversy. On the peninsula is a 1,700-acre resort called Paraiso del Mar. It was planned to have 2 golf courses, over 3,000 homes and condominiums, a marina, a town plaza, and other amenities. The developer did not receive the proper clearances and approvals from the government prior to beginning construction, and abandoned the project in order to flee criminal prosecution. So, this "resort" sits with partial occupation and no means of access, except via water taxi. The "road" is notoriously sandy with a depth and texture that will swallow most 4x4 vehicles.

Our attempt to get there was denied about a mile into the section along the dunes. The sand kept getting deeper and the sand patches got longer. I dumped my bike once, which gave JT the chance to film how to right these heavy beasts. Then it was JT's turn. He attempted to turn around and found his bike chain deep in sand with no way to get out. We took this opportunity to film the procedure of getting unstuck. It all went well and we were both pleased to turn a bad situation into a good one. The swim in the bay helped, too, since we were sweating in the heat of the Baja sun after that ordeal.

The El Mogote has another story that needs to be mentioned. There are a number of shark fishing operations and is also a sea turtle nesting site. The turtles come to this peninsula to lay their eggs and the locals have instituted a "Protect and Release" policy. Forty-five days after the eggs have been laid, the babies hatch and the locals help get them to the water.

We met a wonderfully interesting man tonight named David from Alaska. He is riding a bicycle along the Baja Divide trail (the length of the peninsula). We had a beer and several tacos together as we swapped stories. We had seen him several times in multiple places along our route and were glad to get his story and comments on film.

"The Devil's Road" Main Expedition, Day 43

Guest blog by Associate Producer Bri Bruce

Went into town to try to meet Rigoberto at his tequila shop for an interview only to find he had gone to Jalisco for the week. Instead, we bought food for the next few days and wandered about town. 

After returning, I drove south alone along the dirt road to a large hotel down the beach to rent a surfboard. Being a longboarder, I rented  the only longboard they had, a blue and yellow eight-footer that had seen better days. Knowing that the wind was blowing offshore, and the tide was dropping, I rushed back to the condo and paddled out to the point just before sundown. I spent the golden hour riding chest high waves, one after the other, all by myself. 

Once the sun set behind the peninsula, I put my board on the beach and went bodysurfing with JT until dark. Papa came out to watch us, laughing as we acted like children rolling around in the surf, letting the waves push us up the slope of sand, and then the undertow take us back out.

Later, all of us watched the moon rise over the gulf, a big golden orb pushing through the mirage-like layer of heat over the ocean. For some time we stood watching the sky grow darker and the stars come into view. We pointed out all the constellations we knew, and the stars that comprised them: Sirius, Rigel, Betelgeuse the brightest.

We ended the day by cooking a meal together and sharing stories of the journey thus far. 

Looking south toward the point.

Looking south toward the point.

The carapace of a sea turtle carcass washed ashore. 

The carapace of a sea turtle carcass washed ashore. 

VIDEO: Julio Solis, Waterkeeper

Check out this inspirational video of Waterkeeper Alliance conservationist Julio Solis, whom the Broken Wagon Films team had the honor of meeting during the preliminary expedition. 

The MoveShake film series presents the story of Julio Solis, a sea turtle conservationist in Puerto San Carlos, Baja California, Mexico. In his youth, Julio was a poacher of sea turtles until a life changing mentor shifted his perspective about his relationship with the ocean. Julio is now working to protect the sea turtles by running a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Magdalena Bay’s natural resources. His story is one of perseverance and personal growth as he works to change the tide for the future of his community. 

Day 9, Preliminary Expedition: May 24, 2016

May 24, 2016 (Day 9)

I woke well before dawn to the sound of a familiar buzz. Mosquitoes! There were thousands of them all swarming around my head and especially into, on, and around my ears. Greg soon followed suit in waking to the sound and JT was, seemingly, sleeping peacefully with his shirt swaddled around his head, just a small hole around his mouth so he could breath. He, too, was miserable.

We packed faster that I thought would be possible. At the launch ramp, the tide was low, but still suitable for an easy launch. Julio joined us for a tour of the islands and the bay. We headed for Isla Santa Margarita, the farthest island from San Carlos. In 1905, Nelson and Goldman landed on the east side where unsuccessful attempts were made to can sea turtle meat for export. We found the frame of a small house on the beach, the only remaining marker of the cannery. According to Julio, there were still ruins of the old canning facility.

Halfway across the bay, the wind picked up and the conditions began to deteriorate. The decision was collectively made to abandon the attempt to visit Isla Santa Margarita for the closer and more interesting Isla Magdalena. We first landed by an old pier, the site of a phosphorus mining operation that had been overtaken by a seasonal shark fishing camp.

Next we moved up the eastern coast of Isla Magdalena to the village of Magdalena. Here the crew was treated to a quick and informative tour of the village and a short history lesson by one of the town’s elders.

The village of Magdalena.

When Nelson and Goldman were here, the orcilla lichen business was in decline. This lichen was gathered, processed, and shipped to Europe for use in the textile business as a dye. It was very expensive and of good quality. The only business being conducted at the time of their visit was the selling of beef to visiting vessels and the shipment of sea turtles to San Francisco. We learned that in the height of the turtle business, they were processing over 100 turtles a day.

We left the village after learning that the fishermen of the island were not fishing today because the weather and water conditions were too rough. So, we ducked into a nearby mangrove lagoon to film.

We ended the day with a three-hour drive to Mulege, a shower, dinner, and bed at the Serinidad Hotel.