Sea turtles are very intelligent creatures of nature; they continue coming to Puerto Vallarta regardless of the swine flu scare, the border town drug wars, or the global recession! They don’t visit Vallarta for its perfect climate, its eight beautiful golf courses, its world class deep sea fishing, its hundreds of fine restaurants, nightclubs and discotheques, its magnificent sunsets, or the colorful tropical flora and fauna in the surrounding Sierra Madre hillsides; they visit Vallarta strictly for its 35 miles of sandy beaches. However, the fact that they love the beaches around PV is only a small clue as to what makes the sea turtles so incredibly intelligent.

Sea turtles constitute a single radiation that was distinct from all other turtles during the Late Cretaceous Period, the “age of dinosaurs”, at least 100 million years ago. It’s hard to imagine that approximately 65 million years ago during the Cretaceous–Tertiary Extinction Event (KT Mass Extinction), the planet endured catastrophic events such as massive asteroid impacts and/or tremendous volcanic activity resulting in significant climate changes affecting all of the Earth’s plant and animal life. Sea turtles were among the few species to survive these traumatic events and related climate changes.

Today, there are only seven living species of sea turtles worldwide and members of five or six of these species manage to visit Vallarta annually. Six of the seven species have hard shells and only one has a soft shell; it’s the leatherback turtle, the largest of them all and a periodic visitor to Vallarta. The leatherbacks grow for 30 years, from hatchlings weighing about an ounce, to maturity weighing up to 1,300 pounds and measuring up to 7 feet long and 5 feet wide; they can live to be more than 80 years old.

Although sea turtles representing most of the species visit Vallarta, the majority of them are of the Olive Ridley species. They are much smaller than the leatherbacks, measuring less than 3 feet long and weighing just a little over 100 pounds with dark olive green heart shaped domed shells.

The Olive Ridley turtles hatch from their eggs weighing less than an ounce, crawl out of their buried nest clawing their way up to the surface of the sand, and then head directly to the water to begin life with approximately 100 siblings at their side. They are quite fortunate if they ever make it to the water; if certain predators (including thoughtless humans) don’t get them while they are still in the shell, many other predators such as crabs and birds are anxiously awaiting their journey across the beach to the water’s edge. Of course, as soon as these tiny delicious morsels hit the water, any fish in the area immediately welcome them as dinner! Consequently, a very small percentage of these infant sea turtles ever make it out to the open sea.

Of the few fortunate sea turtles that do survive their entrance into this cruel world, growing to maturity, which will take more than 15 years, is a formidable task. If certain fish do not get them during their first year of life, fishermen with long lines or nets are apt to accidentally catch them at any time during their maturing process, let alone at any time during their adult life. With the odds of survival stacked so heavily against the sea turtles, they are now considered to be either a threatened or an endangered species; the Olive Ridleys along the Mexican Pacific coastline are classified as an endangered species by the fisheries division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Okay, now that we know a little about these prehistoric air breathing reptiles, what is it that makes them so incredibly intelligent? Well, first you have to give them credit for surviving throughout history while almost all other forms of life didn’t! Second, they were perhaps the first creatures to have global positioning systems (GPS)! Yes, 100 million years before we mere mortals invented the GPS, the sea turtles, with their high sensitivity to the Earth’s magnetic field, always knew where they were relative to where they were born. Just imagine, these prehistoric creatures are able to swim a couple thousand miles out to sea, enjoy life floating and swimming around in the open water for up to 80 years while never losing their bearings, and still remember exactly where they were born!

Because of their incredible ability to always know their own location, upon reaching maturity at the age of 15 years or older, the females that are ready to lay their eggs always return to the sandy beach where they were born. Consequently, for about five months every year, the beaches of Puerto Vallarta are home to hundreds of female sea turtles that come ashore to nest. These are the same females that hatched on the same beautiful beaches from 15 to 50 years ago! Thus, with a lot of luck, and today with much assistance, a new generation of sea turtles begins.

In certain areas along the Pacific coastline of Mexico, the Olive Ridley sea turtles invade the shore in “arribadas” of 100 or more at a time, however in Puerto Vallarta they are generally either alone or in very small groups scattered thinly over the beach. Because of their scarcity, their homecoming to the local beaches has become a significant tourist attraction for visitors to Vallarta. More importantly, today there is a small group of volunteer conservationists, the Western Ecological Society, in Vallarta that does everything possible to protect these endangered animals. This group was first organized in 1993 and since then has done everything possible to see that the eggs and hatchlings are protected from all predators, thus giving the next generation of sea turtles a much better chance of survival. For those of you interested in knowing more about their activities, you can visit their website at Vallarta Nature and see a documentary video of local volunteers protecting turtles produced by Puerto Vallarta based Aviana Productions at Protecting Turtles.

In some respects, the intelligent sea turtles of Vallarta think in a manner similar to that of the smarter tourists that visit Vallarta; once they’ve been here, they continue returning! So, if you’ve never visited this magnificent Banderas Bay region of Mexico, perhaps it’s time you consider it. Not only will you see and do everything imaginable under ideal weather conditions in a region that can only be defined as Paradise, but from June through December, you’ll also be able to observe the nesting habits of these prehistoric sea turtles with their built in GPS and long distance navigation systems.

Picture yourself sitting in one of the many beachfront restaurants sipping a margarita after watching a glorious sunset as the main attraction, the highlight of the evening, begins; a handful of huge lumbering female sea turtles literally emerge from the water and crawl up the beach in front of your eyes in search for their nesting location. Although it’s usually too dark for filming, witnessing a sea turtle invasion is a sight that you’ll surely not soon forget!

Jim Scherrer has owned property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 25 years and resided there for the past eleven years. The mission of his series of 56 articles pertaining to retirement in Puerto Vallarta is to reveal the recent changes that have occurred in Vallarta while dispelling the misconceptions about living conditions in Mexico. For the full series of articles regarding travel to and retirement in Vallarta as well as pertinent Puerto Vallarta links, please visit us at PVREBA.

As ten year residents of Vallarta, we’ve often had the privilege and good fortune to have been there and done it. If you’re a fisherman, life just doesn’t get any better.

However, before we go fishing, let’s first check out the marina. In the well protected Puerto Vallarta marina, you will see in excess of 400 beautiful boats including multi-million dollar mega-yachts from throughout the world, million dollar fishing boats, and many sail boats from around the world.

Circling 80% of the marina’s perimeter, you’ll find over 100 fine boutiques and five star restaurants. Behind and above these establishments are condominiums, all having magnificent views of the marina with its colorful array of boats. What a glorious site!

Due to the popularity and explosive growth of Vallarta, this marina has been unable to meet the demand of the boat owners traveling to or retiring in Puerto Vallarta. Therefore, 25 years ago, Nuevo Vallarta, five miles north, was developed around a recently upgraded 230 slip marina for moorage of yachts up to 130’ long.

During the past decade, the popular Nuevo Vallarta marina has also become so busy that another marina in the La Cruz de Huanacaxtle area, seven miles further north along the Banderas Bay shoreline, had to be designed and is currently under construction. The La Cruz Marina project is expected to cost in excess of 50 million dollars and will have slips for an additional 400 yachts. This marina will also be home to a bayside promenade, restaurants, shops, condominiums, and even an outdoor theater. Of course, like the other marinas, it too will be lined with luxurious condominiums.

Realizing that in a few short years, the above marinas will be filled, the Mexican government (fonatur) has defined the ten year plan for the Nayarit Riviera, about 25 miles north of PV and just outside of the Banderas Bay. This plan incorporates a 30 mile stretch of pristine shoreline on the Pacific Ocean and includes another world class 150 slip marina for yachts and sailboats, as well as three new golf courses, shopping districts, hotels and condo complexes, restaurants and boutique shops, and even a theme park modeled after Xcaret in the Cancun area. The infrastructure and the first Greg Norman golf course are currently under construction, therefore we can estimate that the marina will be ready within five years.

If you’re fortunate, you’ll be able to rent or purchase a slip for your million dollar yacht in one of the marinas mentioned above, housing over 1,200 million dollar plus yachts. As they say in Vallarta, if you’re really fortunate, it’s your best buddy that owns the million dollar yacht or fishing boat! Of course, if your boat is like most of ours, there are thousands of small slips available in the Vallarta area and many dry storage areas.

Okay, back to the fishing, now that we have a place to dock the boat! Although the large blue and black marlin run in the summer months, so do the gringos; they usually run to the north or to Europe because summer humidity and temperatures in Vallarta are similar to those in Houston.

Most of the serious fishing starts in November when the annual Sailfish Tournament is held.

Fishing continues throughout the seven month “high season”, during which time the average daily temperature is 73*F with virtually no chance of rain.

We have fished every year for the past decade and can tell you that fishing success varies significantly from year to year, depending on ocean water temperatures and currents. Four years ago, it was not uncommon to land ten to fifteen 100 pound sails a day. During one outing, we had three on simultaneously, all “walking across the top of the water“, heading in every direction imaginable–what a catastrophe that was! Most often during the “high season”, catching one to three sails per trip would be considered typical.

On the other hand, marlin are much more unpredictable during the “high season”. They’re out there but are few and far between. When you do hook-up, it’ll be anywhere from 600-1,000 pounds and will test your stamina.

Talking about testing your stamina, try landing a 300 to 400 pound yellow fin tuna! When the tuna are running, and they do every year during the winter months in the Pacific Ocean just outside of Banderas Bay, you’ll be able to test your fishing prowess as well as your physical condition! The smaller ones, in the 30 to 70 pound range are fun to catch and will provide you plenty of entertainment. When they range from 100 to 200 pounds, they head south as soon as hooked and the fight begins. Be prepared for a one hour struggle getting them to the boat, after which you’ll be needing a cold cerveza and an hour of rest! There will be a period of time almost every year when the big fellows show up. They are in the 300 to 400 pound range, approaching world record sizes. These monsters head out and deep as soon as hooked and hopefully, as your reel is spinning and your line is evaporating in front of your eyes, you’ll have time to get harnessed into your chair. You are getting ready for the three hour fight of your life when you’ve hooked a 400 pound yellow finned tuna. If you are a normal retiree, you’ll never get it in alone without having a cardiac arrest! We’ll usually have to rotate positions every half hour or so in order to land one of these monsters. Landing a 700 pound black marlin is a job, but landing a 350 to 400 pound tuna is life threatening!

Probably the most popular fish in the Vallarta area is the dorado. They are very edible and beautiful game fish ranging from 20 to 80 pounds. Dorado are plentiful, fun to catch, and considered by many to be the best eating fish in the sea.

There are numerous other game fish in and around Banderas Bay as well as great bottom fish such as huge red snapper.

If you’re not fortunate enough to own a million dollar fishing boat, there are many charter boats that cost from $300 to $500 per day. There are also hundreds of pangas that can be chartered for bay fishing at about $30 per hour. Banderas Bay is approximately 25 miles in diameter and one of the deepest bays in the world. Therefore, catching a 100 pound sail fish or a 50 pound dorado 300 yards offshore while fishing in a panga is not uncommon. Seldom will you ever get skunked when fishing in the beautiful Vallarta waters. Also, since almost every fish that you catch is desirable for eating, most of the restaurants in Vallarta will be pleased to prepare a wonderful dinner for your entire family using your “catch of the day” as the main course.

During the “high season”, weather conditions are always perfect for fishing. Winter storms are virtually nonexistent and the ocean water is generally quite calm. Perhaps once a month, the ocean might be choppy enough to prevent you from safely leaving the 25 mile bay, however the chance of catching a thriller 20 miles out, but still in the deep bay water, always exists.

As a secondary benefit to all fishermen, the scenery from offshore with the Sierra Madres as a backdrop, has to be among the finest on the planet; always take a camera when fishing in this area. The Mexican shoreline along this Riviera is as beautiful as Pebble Beach and it seems to run forever. If you have the opportunity to take an overnight fishing trip, in all probability you’ll anchor in one of the many inlets or coves along the Riviera. As you gaze into the evening sky, you’ll see more stars than you ever dreamt existed; it’s absolutely incredible.

With a perfect climate, a magnificent shoreline, and an abundance of world class game fish, Puerto Vallarta offers what many consider to be the best deep sea fishing in the world.

The Sierra Madres have been and continue to be rich in mineral wealth containing vast deposits of gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, and tin. The problem is; the majority of us North Americans can’t do very much to prosper from or enjoy the benefits associated with these rich mineral assets. However, the Sierra Madres do possess another great asset that we can benefit from and enjoy; that is real estate!

Now, we ask, where exactly are the Sierra Madres? Well, there are actually three mountain ranges in Mexico, all referred to as the Sierra Madres. The first is the Sierra Madre Oriental range that runs about 700 miles from north to the south on the eastern side of Mexico. On the western side of Mexico, the Sierra Madre Occidental range runs about 700 miles from the US border south to an area just north of Puerto Vallarta. The Sierra Madre Del Sur begins close to where the Occidental range ends and continues south to Guatemala. The two western ranges are bisected by the Trans-Volcanic Axis which is a geologically active volcanic mountain range whose smoldering cones link the western ranges with the eastern range. This east to west volcanic range starts near Cabo Corrientes, at the southern tip of Puerto Vallarta´s Banderas Bay, and ends just south of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico.

Now that we have the geography lesson behind us, let’s just position ourselves where three of these four ranges intersect, i.e., in Puerto Vallarta. Standing in Vallarta, we look to the north and see the Sierra Madre Occidental range, to the south we see the Sierra Madre Del Sur range, and to the east we see the Trans-Volcanic Axis range. Yes, even though Puerto Vallarta is located on the Mexican Riviera along the Pacific Ocean coastline, you could say that it’s in the center of the Sierra Madres. Being located in the center of the Sierra Madres and on the Pacific Ocean, Vallarta offers some of the most scenic land anywhere on the planet.

Being located at the same latitude as Hawaii, the climate in Vallarta is essentially the same as Hawaii. With the fabulous climate, outrageous views of mountains and ocean, located only two to three hours from the US, and a progressive PAN Party in power, real estate treasures in Vallarta have been discovered!

The coastline from Riviera Nayarit, 45 miles north of Vallarta all the way south to Careyes on the Costa Alegre, 55 miles south of Vallarta, is currently undergoing a major transformation. Due to the recent legal changes pertaining to the foreign ownership of coastal land in Mexico, the stable peso, the conservative and pro-US Mexican government, and of course, the onslaught of baby boomers searching for retirement destinations, this entire 100 mile stretch of the Mexican Riviera is exploding with population growth and new development.

One of the results of Mexico’s 1917 Revolution was the Agrarian Law which provided the redistribution of land from the wealthy land owners to the farming peasants. This Agrarian Law prohibited the farmers from ever selling their land; they were only to work it. However, in 1973, the Mexican government modified the Agrarian Law, thus allowing foreign real estate investment in Mexico. Certain restricted zones were also made available to foreign buyers by establishing the fideicomiso, or bank trust. This 50 year bank trust grants the real estate title to a bank, acting as a trustee, who is obligated to follow all instructions given by the trust’s beneficiary, the foreign buyer. The Agrarian Law was again amended in 1993, allowing the ejido farmers, with unanimous consent, to privatize or regularize their land and sell off parcels to others. In 1994, NAFTA created a dispute-settlement provision to protect direct foreign investments in Mexico. Since the PAN Party took control in 2000, there have been a number of other legal changes, all designed to encourage foreign investments in Mexican real estate. They include financing, title insurance, bank trust regulations, and other tools to provide security to the foreign investor.

All Mexican land within 100 km of the borders and 50 km of the shorelines is considered as restricted zones and treated differently than the interior land. Since the beautiful western coastline property along the Mexican Riviera lies within the 50 km restricted zone, it is being slowly but surely acquired by foreigners through fideicomisos, as the ejido farmers privatize it. Of course, as it converts, its value and selling price skyrockets, thereby providing substantial new wealth for those fortunate land owning families or ejidos. There is so much magnificent coastline available, this process of conversion will probably continue for another generation.

As this coastline gets privatized, sold to foreigners, and developed, the North American baby boomer invasion continues and the local economy thrives as thousands of new construction and service jobs are created. The head of the local Chamber of Commerce has predicted the population of greater Vallarta to reach 600,000 inhabitants by 2015, making it much larger than many northern US cities such as Cleveland, Ohio. The current construction boom seems relentless as new villas, condominium complexes, shopping centers, and office buildings continue to spring up daily.

While boating in Banderas Bay, you peer across the water and see countless beautiful villas and condominiums nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madres and you must agree, “There’s gold in them thar hills”; the real treasure of the Sierra Madres is the hills themselves and the real estate contained therein. It all lies before your eyes and is now available to you in Puerto Vallarta. So, why hesitate? Come on down this winter and explore the opportunities that await you in Paradise.