Turtles and Tequila

The Pacific coast of Mexico captivates anyone lucky enough to experience it. I traveled the 17 miles of coastline that make up the nine bays of Huatulco and I'm still amazed at the raw beauty. The deep sapphire blue water holds untold treasures, from a coral reef to scores of sea turtles, which I glimpsed up close.

I headed to Santa Cruz harbor and hopped aboard a little boat called Tequila. Sailing to the nine bays was an idyllic journey, with salty breezes and freshly picked  avocados for guacamole in St. Agustin. But the waters were choppy on the way back and after four hours of sailing, a big dose of sea sickness smacked me with a vengeance. My crew was unfazed though, and they quickly took over photographic duties for me.

Sea turtles bobbed all over those choppy waves and I watched from a slightly steady corner as little faces popped up in the water.

We saw whole families swimming by and solo adventurers floating along.

Sea turtles nest along the beaches of Oaxaca around June and bury hundreds of eggs in the sand. They hatch two months later and make their way into the water. I spied several baby turtles that looked like they were just born a few months ago. Unfortunately, I couldn't join them for their leisurely swim, my fortitude had waned in the blistering Mexican sun, even though I was sailing on a boat called Tequila.