Many of us have been lucky enough to enjoy the splendor of diving off the Baja Peninsula. This same scuba mecca has been hit hard by the strongest hurricane to ever hit Mexico’s west coast: Hurricane Odile. “This natural disaster has left thousands homeless. Families have been torn apart and there are children in need of the basics, like diapers and formula,” says Cindi Walters, long time Cabo resident and diver who will be making a supply truck run down to Cabo San Lucas within days with essential items like tarps, food, clean water and baby food.
The Bisbee family, organizers of the annual Black and Blue Marlin Tournament held in Cabo San Lucas, have established a relief fund where proceeds will aid to help the under-privileged residents of Cabo San Lucas recover from this week’s disaster, which will include critical shelter, food and helping those individually-owned sport-fishing businesses that were directly impacted. Donations can be made here:
https://bisbeesconservationfund.org/donate/CaboRelief
The Red Cross is on the scene to aid with the long road to recovery. They are in need of your cash donations, large or small. Scuba.com has made donations to both Bisbee and the Red Cross. We are asking divers and dive organizations around the World to come together to chip in to help out people we have probably interacted with during dive excursions and visits to Cabo.
Two popular diving boats that operate in Baja: The Nautilus Explorer and the Sol Mar V are advocating for donations to a non-profit organization called Waves for Water. Waves for Water specializes in getting small portable water filters through large scale potable water solutions to any region that need them. They are experts at quickly deciding which filters would be best for each region, based on needs in various areas. You can donate here. http://www.wavesforwater.org/fundraiser/hurricane-odile-baja-relief
Baja is a true gift to the diving community. Many of us have enjoyed some of its legendary dives, including Land’s End and Gordo Banks. Please, let’s pull together as divers to help this very special and hard hit region to get healed up fast.
Please find a relief fund that resonates with you and donate. Small donations really do add up and truly do make a difference as the past has proven. Thank you, Divers.
