Photo captions:
Ian Croad: Ian Croad travelled from England to land this Yucatan sailfish on the Keen M.
G Alvarado: Gerardo Alvarado from Yucatan, Mexico with a nice red mutton.
Fishing Is Spectacular At Isla Mujeres
Barbara Ryan
Spring is a perfect time to visit the spectacular crystal blue waters of Isla Mujeres and Cancun. The east coast off the Yucatan Peninsula is world-renowned as an Atlantic sailfish hotspot, and is often considered among the best locations to encounter billfish. Capt. Anthony Mendillo and his crews are experts at getting their clients on the fish, whether that be for deep sea fishing, snorkeling, diving, fly fishing or whale shark encounters.
Visit their website and escape into their clientsâ blog posts of breathtaking dives with sailfish thrashing through bait pods that seem to be everywhere. There are photos from whale shark encounters, with creatures that grow to 50 feet in length and weigh in at 27,000 pounds. Imagine a snorkeling trip that safely permits you to experience the sea with these gentle giants.
There are three vessels in their fleet: the 34â Andrea M with dual Yamahas, a 36â custom diesel, Lily M, and the 41â custom diesel, Keen M. Every one of them hold tournament titles from past events and are clean, efficient and well maintained with Coast Guard approved safety equipment. The boats feature Raymarine electronics, and the team is proud to be on Raymarineâs Pro-Staff. Custom tackle is used with rods supplied by âCustom Rods By Druâ from Palm Beach, Fla. They provide a first-class âonce-in-a-lifetime-experienceâ for their clients, who refuse to settle for that. They return again and again.
Your experience with Keen International does not just begin and end at the docks. Kin and her team can also help with accommodations at the beautiful Playa la Media Luna Hotel located on Half Moon Bay, within walking distance of the fleet. You can be assured of spectacular views of the ocean and breathtaking sunsets throughout your stay. There are restaurants and shops nearby, if you can tear yourself away from this spectacular resort.
The Yucatan Peninsula also boasts lots of day trip opportunities, including the Mayan ruins in Chichen Itza, Coba and Tulum. Many of the sites, over a thousand years old, such as the palaces, temple-pyramids and ceremonial sites are in excellent condition to discover and explore the amazing culture.
A trip to Cancun doesnât cost a winning lottery ticket. Roundtrip airfare on Southwest Airlines (your first bag flies free) is regularly less than $500 and sometimes much cheaper.
So, itâs time to take matters into your own hands. Hop a flight to Cancun and escape those winter blues. Keen Mâs spring rates began in March, so donât let this opportunity pass you by.
Visit the Keen M International website at www.keen-m.com and be prepared to be amazed. Catch of the day photos are swordfish, dorado, sails, marlin, snapper and tuna.
Did I mention that client Nassim Joaquin set the Atlantic sailfish fly fishing world record with 13 releases in one day on February 1, 2011? That must have been quite an adventure. Time to book your adventure with Capt. Anthony Mendillo and his crews.