Isla Catalina - Sea of Cortez
25°35.92N
110°46.55W
Anchoring - Snorkeling
Overview
Isla Catalina is the only place in the world with rattleless rattlesnakes. We have been told they are almost extinct because of poachers. The island doesn’t have good anchorages so it is rarely visited.
Google Maps Link: Isla Catalina
Anchoring Options
There are two main large boat anchoring options that we know of on Isla Catalina. After going over the charts and google earth images I’m pretty sure there are a lot of hidden gems on this island that can be explored by dinghy or small boat in the summer months when there is not much wind.
The SW anchorage does not have as much room as it appears on the charts. The submerged rocks are abundant so we couldn’t get into the well protected area. However, we anchoring a little farther out and were fairly well protected from the swell in a stiff north wind. Obviously this anchorage is not protected from the common overnight westerlies. There are also two lobes with the lobe further NW the preferred place to drop. The neighboring lobe appears to be a rocky bottom.
The SE anchorage looks pretty bad. The water is pretty deep and after checking it out I didn’t feel I found a safe place to drop. It is listed in multiple places as an anchoring option, so we will be back in the spring of 2023 to do some more research.
Beaches
The SW beaches are coved in large rocks. Landing a dinghy seems like it would be rough on the dinghy so we haven’t done it. CONAP rules state that there is no landing on the island for recreational purposes.
Hiking & Snorkeling
There are no established hiking trails that I know of, but the desert landscape looks pretty easy to hike. Although people frequently go ashore to hike it is not permitted by CONAP rules. There is no way the snorkeling here isn’t amazing. We will report back with the best spots as soon as we find them!!
Improvements & Links
Please email me or leave a comment if you have valuable information to add to this post. I’ll continue to improve the information on this page as I learn more about this spot. If you have a blog you would like shared here please send me the link.