Destination Baja Sur is a Fishing, Travel and Cultural Experience Muy Buena...Especially with QMaxx
Have you been bitten by the Baja Bug? Bill Boyce has, and he wants to share with audiences what he's found just a few hundred miles south of San Diego. The rugged landscape, warm waters of the Sea of Cortez. The people, who are even warmer. And a culture and culinary delights that are a feast for the senses.
Biologist, photojournalist and lifelong fisherman Bill Boyce has kicked off the second season of Destination Baja Sur with his desire to bring the pure joy of life on the southern Baja peninsula.
Destination Baja Sur is a Unique Viewing Experience
Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau described the Sea of Cortez as "the world's aquarium," and that’s a fair assessment. The Sea of Cortez was formed about 5 million years ago through the same volcanic activity along the San Andreas fault that created the Baja peninsula.
Baja Sur (the southern part of the peninsula) is known for its beaches, fishing, tourism and outdoor sports—off-roading, diving, surfing and, of course, fishing. In fact, the Sea of Cortez is home to some of the most diverse sea life, boasting more than 900 varieties of fish and 2000 species of invertebrate marine life. Some found only in the Sea of Cortez.
While the Sea of Cortez has little lunar tide movement, the tidal activity in the nearby Pacific creates a sort of vertical current with a lifting motion that constantly churns the sea floor and stirs up nutrients to keep the abundant marine life well fed.
But no picture of Baja Sur is complete without getting to know the people and experiencing the culture, food and all that Baja Sur has to offer. Destination Baja Sur is that complete picture. Host Bill Boyce has brought more than a fishing show to television on the Pursuit Channel and the Internet via Amazon Prime. He’s served up Baja on a big, beautiful plate.
Bitten by the Baja Bug…A Lifelong Love Affair
“I first went to Baja in the early 1970s with my parents, and I fell in love,” says Bill. So deep was that feeling, he promised himself to return when he was old enough to drive.
Fast forward about 10 years when Bill returned to Baja in his travel trailer, planning to spend the winter. "The first day that I parked my trailer on the beach," he recalls, "and looked out at the volcanic islands and watched the sun rise over the Sea of Cortez, I knew I'd found my paradise." The trailer stayed, and Bill returned regularly.
That was almost 38 years ago. And in that time, Bill discovered every aspect of the Baja life. He came to know the people, appreciate both their culture and commitment to family and the simple life, savor the food and dedicate himself to the fishing.
Today he's using his love of fishing and talents as a photojournalist to entice viewers who've never visited Baja Sur as well as remind past visitors that it's time to return. "This is not simply a fishing show," he emphasizes. Each week, his enthusiasm pulls audiences into the experience. You feel as though you're in the truck travelling the dusty roads of Baja, in the boat with his fishing pals (you can almost feel the tug of a big one on your line), diving to watch the marine life in its habitat and delighting in the local cuisine. You'll practically taste the salt and sweet tequila as the first sip of a Margarita passes your lips.
Bill brings a unique perspective to his Baja Sur series. "This is the land and way of life that has shaped my perspective on living and shown me that I don't need to chase the dollar to prove I'm a success." It's a credo he wants to share with everyone who watches.
Baja People Have It Figured Out
It's worth spending a few paragraphs talking about the people of Baja Sur since you can't
have a conversation with Bill without him emphasizing their warmth, their devotion to family, their love of outdoor sports and the simple life they embrace.
"The Mexican culture is something to learn from," he explains. "Their happiness is not rooted in the material. I first saw this at age 24 when I went back down on my own." He's spent a lifetime absorbing those lessons.
Next to family, fishing is an important part of life for the Mexicans in Baja. They've also embraced many popular sports introduced by American visitors. And they're good at everything on land and on the water, Bill adds.
While we hear so much about the drug crime and cartels in Mexico, Bill emphasizes that Baja Sur definitely is not a place to fear. The proof is in watching Bill and friends communing with the people, enjoying meals at local restaurants and becoming a part of life in Baja Sur.
Watch a few minutes of Destination Baja Sur, and you'll be adding a visit to your bucket list.
In Baja It's Either Duct Tape or QMaxx
In a few of the episodes, you'll see Bill using QMaxx products on his fishing tackle, boat trailer and outboard motor. As he explains: "For all its beauty, Baja is an environment where you need to take care of your equipment. It's sandy, dusty and salty. All things that can rust, corrode and gum up the works on your gear. If you're not prepared, things can go sideways."
In fact, the Sea of Cortez is slightly saltier than the open ocean. Salt spray, combined with humidity and gritty dust can wreak havoc on vehicles, electrical connections, tools and, well, anything metal.
We introduced Bill to the cleaning, lubricating and rust preventing powers of QMaxx. "I'm not one to take someone's word,” he says. “I need to test things out for myself.” He started by cleaning a pair of rusty pliers onboard his boat. "QMaxx Industrial Strength cleaned and freed the rust-frozen pivot point. I sprayed it a second time with QMaxx SALT to protect the metal. And where I'd normally have to spray them almost every week, the QMaxx lasts several months between applications."
Bill's so impressed that he's now spraying down his Suzuki 300 outboard with QMaxx before going out on the water. "If I didn't trust QMaxx SALT, I wouldn't be spraying it on something as expensive as my Suzuki 300."
But that's not all. Bill treats the electrical connections on the back panel of his dash and the leaf springs on his truck and trailer. His fishing tackle gets a good QMaxx treatment as well—protecting reels, fishing rod guides and reel seats against saltwater corrosion and providing superior lubrication. And the outboards on the Bill Boyce Edition PowerSkiff boats being build in Long Beach all receive QMaxx protection before leaving the manufacturer.
“In Baja, you won’t find a parts store or repair shop just down the street. Here it's either duct tape or QMaxx."