I first met Donna many years ago while I was living in Cozumel. We were both dive instructors back then, and when I started planning a trip to Baja, she was the first person who came to mind. You see, over the years Donna had become an expert in the area. With her extensive knowledge and experience, she crafted the perfect itinerary for us from scratch! Now, we're thrilled to have her share her insights and expertise about Baja California's underwater secrets with all of you.
Tell us a bit about yourself, what do you love most about living in Baja California, Mexico?
My name is Donna Schechter, I'm 35 years old, originally from Israel, but for the last 12 years I have been living and working in a few different countries around the world. 6 years ago, I arrived at Cabo San Lucas after a friend invited me to check it out and offered me some work as a dive instructor in his new company. I loved it and decided to stay, and I've been here ever since.
I've been a scuba instructor for 10 years, and a freediving instructor for 5.5 years. I now run my own freediving and tour operation, teach courses, organize and guide private & public tours and work with different organizations and operators in the area. The name of my is 2C's Freediving. I'm located in Cabo San Lucas but operate throughout the whole southern part of the peninsula.
A few of my favorite things in Baja are the fact that much of the area hasn't been exploited and fully explored yet, there are many 'hidden gems' and new phenomenon are being discovered all the time; I love the seasonality of this area too. Everything changes every 2 or 3 months - from the weather to ocean conditions, to the types of wildlife we can find and activities we can offer. It keeps you on your toes, another thing I love about Baja are the surprise encounters. The environment here is so dynamic that very often we find things we do not expect, like special marine and dessert wildlife or beautiful spots and conditions.
Can you share one of your most memorable underwater experiences in Baja?
A few years ago, I think it was in May of 2019, I was guiding a dive in Cabo San Lucas. The water was the coldest I had experienced here, and my client were hoping to see whales on the surface interval, even though whale season was over. I had explained that to my guests and tried to put reasonable expectations in their minds. We jumped into the cold water (14c/57f) and started descending over the sandy slope at Neptune's Finger. I turned around to check on the divers, and when I turned back to face the direction, I was swimming at, suddenly a huge humpback whale came right to us! The water was as clear as it can get (30m/100ft vis) and the whale came so close to me, I felt like I had to lean back when it was marking the distance it wanted us to keep from it using the gigantic pectoral fin. And then, to top that off, a tiny calf approached and joined big mama whale!! They swam away, the baby riding his mom's back, after checking us out for a few seconds. With the cold water and all the excitement, the dive didn't last very long. But I'm pretty sure neither me nor my guests will forget it any time soon...
What challenges do you face as a diver in Baja?
For me, one of the biggest challenges we face as divers here in Baja California Sur are the changing, sometimes unpredictable, ocean conditions. The unique UW terrain and seasonality of the area bring many species of marine animals to our shores, but they can also cause big swells, surge and currents, differing visibility and water temperatures. At some times of the year, we get hurricanes and strong winds that make it impossible to dive or spend any time in the ocean. And sometimes the air temperature is much higher than the water temperature, causing many discomforts while preparing for a dive...
What are your favorite locations or dive sites in Baja, and why?
There are many amazing places to dive and encounter marine wildlife in Baja California Sur, and as the conditions change throughout the year, so do the locations where we get the best interactions. My favorite location changes with the seasons - in the winter I love experiencing the whale migration, and watching different whale species in Los Cabos, Loreto and the lagoons on the Pacific side of the peninsula. In the early spring the shark encounters in Los Cabos is the best. Later in spring and early summer, La Paz & La Ventana are the place to be to see the Mobula ray aggregation and many other migrating species. In the summer and early fall scuba and freediving in Cabo San Lucas and Cabo Pulmo national park is usually exceptional (when the weather is not too rough, as that's our stormy season). And in fall and early winter there's nowhere better to be than in Magdalena Bay for the sardine run.
What sort of animals do you typically see in Baja? And which are your favorites?
We are extremely lucky to be able to see many species of bigger animals here in the Baja peninsula. Different species of whales and marine mammals pass by here on their migration or stay in the area during a specific season. We can see California sea lions almost all year round, as well as different kinds of dolphins. We have resident white tip reef sharks and bull sharks in different locations, along with some more oceanic and migratory species of sharks and rays that come seasonally. And various types of fish congregate leading to spectacular sightings of mating and hunting behaviors.
My favorites are the great whales we encounter. The specific species changes with the different interactions I experience. Humpbacks give awe inspiring shows while they are here over the winter; Grey whales get up close and personal during the short season the spend in the lagoons; sperm whales can be seen in gigantic pods of over 100 individuals; and the blue whales just blow my mind with their beauty and unimaginable size. There are many others I can talk about all day long, but I guess the article is not supposed to be that long :)
Do you have any recommendations for new travelers to the area?
My recommendation for new travelers in the area is - don't expect to see everything on one trip. Plan to come back again in different times of the year to experience all kinds of incredible wildlife. And if you cannot return on another occasion, check with the local operators which time of year is the best to see most of the animals you'd love to find, and what gear they would recommend bringing, as the conditions might require different exposure protection, some wildlife is better to see from the boat or the surface while freediving and snorkeling rather than scuba diving.
Have you ever encountered any unexpected or dangerous situations while diving in the region?
It happens here that conditions are not as we expect. I have had occasions when the surge was stronger than I thought it would be, or the current was different UW than what it seemed like in the surface... That can lead to complicated or even dangerous situations. I once had experienced a down-current that had pushed me quite deep with no warning, leading to me losing sight of the diver I was guiding. But he reacted properly and ended his dive after a few seconds of search, same as I had done. We found each other on the surface and decided to get back to the boat and not continue our dive.
What first inspired you to live this life so connected to the ocean?
When I first started diving, back in 2013, I didn't really know what I was getting into, I didn't have much experience with the ocean. But The Open Water course was so incredible! I had never been underwater before, and it was an experience that changed my life. I knew I wanted to be a Divemaster even before I finished the course. I felt very natural and connected in the water and my instructor told me I was very good, so I did my Advanced course that same week! After that all I wanted to do was dive, and I followed my path, always to places with ocean and diving related opportunities.
I don't know exactly what it is that draws me to the ocean all the time, but it has taught me so much about myself and life, that I don't see myself ever spending much time away from it. It's a part of me and I am a part of it.
Check out the amazing trip Donna organized for us!
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