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| The webcam is working again. Here's the LINK, which also has time lapse of the past 24 hours. |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Two new Ultramar ferries are on their way from the UK, with a capacity for 450 passengers each, on three levels. The Port Authority says >20,000 passengers have been arriving to the island daily on weekends, now that summer vacation season is in full swing.-photo from Ultramar FB site
Yesterday's Sunset (from Maravilla Caribe Bed & Beach by Bruce).
12th Annual Whale Shark Festival on the Town Square this weekend.--schedule below in the Events section. Photo by Arturo Peña-Thanks!
Yesterday's calm seas & at Flying Gurnard--photos from Jim Silver with Agua Adventures EcoDivers
From the City....
The caption reminds you to yield to pedestrians at pedestrian crossings.
North Beach has earned the Blue Flag designation & will raise the flag at an event today at 11:30a. This international award involves meeting 33 criteria related to cleanliness, safety, access, and environmental concerns. VIDEO
VIDEO-Gerardo A. T., 27, died from decompression yesterday afternoon.
From January to June 2019 Quintana Roo received almost six million passengers in six ports.
In June 2019, there were 37,046 more passengers in the Isla Mujeres Maritime Terminal than June 2018, which is an increase of 8.7 percent, according to the Port Authority, APIQRoo
In the case of the Isla Mujeres and Cozumel ferries, there was a 51.83 percent increase in vehicle transport. "In these months, we had a movement of 183 thousand 325 vehicles, which exceed 120 thousand 742 that were reported from January to June last year,"
There will be an All-Stars game of the Libema league on July 28th at the El Pescadores field in Isla Mujeres, in front of Chedraui. Participating teams include Selección de Isla Hol-box, Taxistas de Cancún, Piratas de Bacalar, Selección de Kantunilkin, Piratas de Chetumal and the Pescadores de Isla Mujeres. (Time isn't mentioned, they usually start at noon or 1p)
Civil Protection is installing warning signs on beaches where swimming is prohibited. VIDEO
Municipal workers are restoring the photo-op "Isla Mujeres" sign behind the Casa de la Cultura, which will be made of materials that are salt-resistant, and should be ready in early August. (photo)
The municipal government is working hand in hand with the state and federal governments on the issue of sargasso.
At a meeting in the City Council room, the Director of ZOFEMAT (the Federal Zone agency) in Isla Mujeres, Keren Pinto, said that although Isla Mujeres is free of sargasso, we are on alert and not lowering our guard. We continue to work constantly, seven days a week. She said they are working in coordination with the three levels of government, following the instructions of the Mayor and in coordination with the Navy. Isla Mujeres is an organized municipality with ongoing cleaning work of the beaches so that tourist who visit us enjoy clean beaches that are free of sargasso. (photo from City Council room)
The Red Cross gave first aid to a woman and transported her to the Community Hospital who was suffering from symptoms of heat stress and 'acute colitis' while she was downtown on the main street. (photos of woman standing on sidewalk, in front of chair, being assisted by Red Cross personnel, in front of a souvenir shop)
Civil Protection is installing new warning signs on Media Luna beach where swimming is prohibited (photo)
A fisherman with the cooperative Patria & Progreso passed away before getting to the Hyperbaric Chamber after three dives to depths of over 120 feet. (photo)
From Por Esto :
Fisherman-diver dies from decompression
Fallece un pescador
On Tuesday afternoon, fisherman Gerardo A.T., 27 suffered severe decompression and passed away, after diving three times to a depth of more than 120 feet, according to preliminary information. He was a member of the Patria & Progresso cooperative, and died before reaching the Hyperbaric Chamber.It is noted that while this season of hot weather ("la canícula) and calm seas are beneficial for the nautical sector of the tourism industry, it is a different situation for the lobster fishermen, because the lobsters don't emerge in these conditions. When the divers become more desperate to find lobster, they dive deeply and don't pay careful attention to taking the required time to ascend, which puts them at risk of suffering decompression.
(There have been at least a dozen cases of decompression since the lobster catching season began at the first of this month. In the previous eight-month season, a record-breaking 74 cases were treated, & there were another 20 cases during the off-season.
A class was held at the beginning of the season about avoiding decompression illness, which is caused by nitrogen dissolving in blood & tissues from ascending too rapidly. Other factors that can increase risk include use of alcohol or drugs (including the previous day), overexertion/fatigue, dehydration, and poor physical condition.)
New warning signs & red flags for Half Moon Beach/ Playa Media Luna
Renuevan letreros en playa La Media Luna
The Media Luna beach, located behind the Casa de la Cultura, is considered one of the most dangerous beaches, and swimming is prohibited there. Personnel with Civil Protection are replacing the old warning signs with new ones, and will install new red flags on Wednesday.The Civil Protection Director said that the lifeguards have been dealing daily with people who ignore these safety instructions, and he hopes the new signs will help. He said, "Prevention will always be the best weapon for the lifeguard team, so that their lives or those of any other person won't be put at risk.”
In response to a question, he said that they intend to install similar signs along Caribbean beaches, which are increasingly frequented by tourists and local people, particularly the inhabitants of the colonias of La Gloria, Amplificacion La Gloria, and Guadalupana, because they are also dangerous. He said that since they are not considered as public beaches, the presence of lifeguards isn't being contemplated, which is why users will be at their own risk if they decide to swim there.
He said, “What we want to make clear with the signs that are placed on the beaches of the Caribbean Sea is that it is forbidden to swim in the absence of lifeguards, it is not a public beach as such and therefore, I repeat, whoever does, will be at their own risk".
Hundreds of visitors every day
Centenas de visitantes cada día
Taxis: Worse than everTaxis, peor que nunca
Last year in December, the City Council approved the Regulations for the Provision of the Public Service of Urban Passenger Transportation on Established Route Buses, which became law after it was officially published. Once this was in place, it was only necessary to establish the process for bidding, which authorities said would take place during March, to determine the winning company that could begin operating within a month, that is, in April.However, now it is the summer holiday season, months later, and tourists and residents must chose between walking or using the monopolistic taxi service, which lends itself to abuses by the cabbies. Many taxistas pass by local residents because rates are higher for tourists, ignoring the needs of the daily customers. Frustration reaches its peak during high seasons, when taxi drivers will pass by locals (whose rates are discounted 50%) to pick up foreigners who are a few meters beyond.
There are taxistas who charge as tho they are a collective, according to the number of people, although this is not how their concession says they should operate. Others will pass by two or more people, preferring to pick up single passengers to earn 60 pesos from four (resident) passengers, each paying 15 pesos to travel between downtown and their colonia.
Many taxistas prefer to spend their day at the siteos (stands) in front of Garrafon and Dolphin Discovery waiting for the higher fares, rather than going to the downtown siteo, where ferry passengers are lining up waiting, who include locals returning from Cancun, as well as tourists. In addition, before midnight, taxis 'disappear as if by magic', leaving dozens of people waiting for a long time, until the increased nocturnal fares apply, which in the case of tourists, increases 'exorbitantly'.
It has been three years since the concession for the Turicun Isla bus company expired, but really they stopped operating at the end of 2015, after fifteen years of service that had many ups and downs. The City Council still hasn't issued an announcement seeking bids for bus service on the island, despite citizen complaints and promises made by officials during their political campaigns.
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Rest in Peace Don Eloy, aka 'Dollar'--you will be remembered fondly & missed greatly.
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| View from the rooms. |
MaraVilla Caribe Bed & Beach Three rentals with large glass doors overlooking our white sand beach and the beautiful Caribbean sea, with kitchenettes & fast WIFI. In the coastal neighborhood of Bachilleres, among upscale villas & boutique hotelitos, convenient to downtown or the colonias, yet separate. Quiet & Private.
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| Kitchen in a large studio. (Sur & Norte are identical) |
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| Kitchenette in small room, Medio. There's a table & chairs across from it & a double bed. |
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| A large slider opens from each of the 3 rooms onto the patio where each has a table & chairs, hammock & clotheslines. The BBQ is behind the pole, and the outdoor shower is outa the pic at left. |
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| Large studio (Norte), I'm standing in the kitchen. A queen & single bed. |
Free amenities such as hammocks,bikes, BBQ grills, safes, portable beach chairs & beach towels, washer & dryer, loungers. Breathtaking panoramic views from the rooftop terrace. Large sliding doors open to a patio & our backyard-beach, overlooking the Caribbean sea. Upstairs room also available. Downtown is ~ a mile away; if you don't feel like walking, flag a $2 taxi. Parking. You can enjoy the music & crowds downtown, then come home our quiet neighborhood of Bachilleres where you'll sleep to the sounds of the sea.. $275/$325/$425 wk $40/50/$65nt Monthly Discounts
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| Large studio (Sur) with Queen & Single bed. Slider door & view are behind me. |
Fine dining a few steps away at Da Luisa or try the neighborhood eateries a couple blocks farther. Within ten minutes walk are a variety of restaurants including Mango Cafe, Brisas, Manolitos, La Chatita, Green Verde, Kash Kechen Chuc, and the large department store-grocery , Chedraui. Visit marinas, bars, & beach clubs that are minutes away by bike or on foot. Attend Yoga classes a couple villas away at hotelito Casa Ixchel. Fresh juice, produce & tortillas a few blocks away in the village, as well as a variety of other stores and small local restaurants. It takes 20-30 minutes to walk downtown.
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Full moon rising over the Caribbean
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July 16 7:35 July 17 8:22 July 18 9:04 July 19 9:43 July 20 10:20 July 21 10:54 Painting by Pamela Haase Sunset ~7:30p Sunrise ~6:10a |
July Events
Provided by MaraVilla Caribe & Isla Mujeres Daily News & Events
On Saturdays at 8a-10a, Plogging events to clean up the island are held, meetup locations at this LINK . Bring your refillable bottle & they'll supply gloves, water, & bags, Here's the Accion Isla LINK
Wednesday nights at 8:45p, a new bicycling group invite people to join them for healthy recreation, meeting at Juarez & Abasolo. Lights required, helmet recommended. LINK
In July, fishermen in this region are banned from catching Octopus, Shrimp, & Conch LINK
The baseball games at the El Pescador stadium in front of Chedraui are usually held on Sundays, starting around 1p, when there's a 'home' game.
The new date for the Women's Fishing Tournament "El Dorado del Caribe" hasn't been announced yet.
Turtle nesting season continues throughout July. The turtles nest along the eastern beaches in the wee hours of the night and Tortugranja staff and volunteers gather the eggs and incubate them in a pen outside the facility. Three species nest annually in Isla Mujeres; Greens, Loggerheads, and Hawksbills. The sex of the turtles is determined by the temperature of the sand, which is common in reptiles.
Whale shark tour season continues throughout July, ending in mid-September. The eight-month lobster catching season begins July 1st, and this year's prices are: whole live- 400 to 450 pesos per kilo; whole dead-350 to 400; and tails- 580 to 600 pesos (~$16us/lb-tails).
Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower July 12-August 23, peaking in late July
Saturday, July 6 Barracuda Fishing Tournament with a scooter for first prize, TV's for second and third, and cash for fourth and fifth places. It's sponsored by the political party PRI and will have a DJ & other activities starting at 11am.
Saturday, July 6th at 4p, Connor Williams, offensive guard for the Dallas Cowboys, will sign autographs & do photo-ops with fans at the soccer field in Salina Chica. Then the "Isla Mujeres Bowl 2019" will be held in two categories of players up to age 13; and those of 15 years and up in separate male & female teams. Free. This will be "touch football", played according International Flag Football rules.
Saturday, July 13 Plogging clean up 8a-10a Sac Bajo
Firday, July 19 You're invited to the 1st International Festival of Children's Folklorico Dancing on Friday on the Town Square at 8p featuring troupes from Mexico City, Veracruz, Baja California Norte, Nuevo León, Guerrero, Tabasco, Nayarit, & Jalisco, as well as from Colombia.
Fri-Sun, July 26-28- 12th Annual Whale Shark Festival
The events whose locations aren't given are probably on the Town Square, the talks in Spanish are probably inside the Palacio-Town Hall.
Friday, July 26
6p Motorcycle Clubs Caravan
6:30 Inaugural Event on the East Malecon Esplanade, Downtown
7p Grand Opening of the new tourism attraction "El Malecon del Sabor" Food Park
8p Folklorico Dance performance by "Mestizas de Agua Sallada"
9p Performance by "Renatta Dance Studio Academy"
Saturday, July 27
6p-8p Children's "Lightning" Basketball Tournament on downtown court by Town Square
7p Presentations (in Spanish) on the topics "Acoustic & Satellite Telemetry of Whale Sharks" and "Estimations About Whale Shark Behavior" by specialists Emilio de la Parra Galván, Eugenio de la Parra Galván & Rafael de la Parra.
7p-9p Cocktail Demonstrations by the "Isla Mujeres Bartenders Collectivo"
9p Folklorico Dance performances by the troupes "Al Son del Corazon", "Abuelitas de INAPAM", & "El Corazon de Conchi"
Sunday, July 28 7p Presentation (in Spanish) by Pamela Vazquez of Saving Our Sharks organization
7p-9p Cocktail Demonstrations by the "Isla Mujeres Bartenders Collectivo"
8p Noches Magicas performance by "Latin Dancers Dance Studio"
Sources for Weather Information:
LINK to Civil Protection Q Roo weather bulletin (Spanish)
LINK to Mexico National Weather Service (Spanish)
LINK to satellite images for the Mexico National Weather Service
LINK to GOES East Band 16 GIF (animation)
LINK to a private weather station on Isla Mujeres
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