Big fish make big splash:
After only a few hours on the boat... 
All the hard work paid off! The day's catch was a 320lb Blue Marlin and an 80lb Sailfish: (Ask me about the 620lb rare Black Marlin Julie's husband caught on their last trip!)
What happens to the catch, might you ask? The captain and his team sell them at the fish market and keep the profits. Who took our men on this fabulous trip? The Captain, Mr. Alfredo Vargas. And is he available to take your husband out to sea too? Why yes, check out his website here.And here is the fabulous Captain with his granddaughter Diana, the following day when we took the boat to Ixtapa Island - a private island about a mile off the coast of Ixtapa:
On the approach and the kids were excited:
Brace yourselves, the following is very rare indeed. So, as we approached Ixtapa Island, we saw from a distance what we thought were flying fish. As we moved closer, we decided they were sting rays - and even closer, the final observation was telling, they were Manta Rays. And they were jumping. 20-30 of them, in an orchestrated performance that is sure to top even the prized water show at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. There was no noise, except for the rhythmic splash as they landed back in the water. It was unreal. We slowly moved closer and looked over the edge of the boat, there must have been 50+ rays swimming in the clear water with a few sea turtles in the mix. It was science up close and personal and something our kids will not soon forget:
Finally, we landed and enjoyed the pristine beach and clear water. Jules & I snorkeled over coral reefs and brightly colored fish, dodged a few Barracuda looking things that turned out to be needle fish. The kids rented water bikes and rode "the banana". All this while the Captain arranged for the kitchen on the island to cook us up a feast...
We started with this... Mexican style ceviche with fresh Bonita Fish - less than 1 hour old:
And then the real deal, a bounty of lobster tails and snapper grilled two ways served with rice, guacamole, and fresh tortillas. Heaven. And our friendly El Capitan ready to enjoy. Such a delight! 
We explored much of the island, walking to the beach on the other side where the guys had been snorkeling earlier. The beach was just as lovely:
We stepped into the water. And then we looked down. And swimming around our ankles were an abundance of Parrot Fish, Angel Fish, and school-master Snapper. The kids had a ball with the harmless fish. And Julie & I shared knowing glances of the guilt of taking our kids out of school for this trip erasing because this experience was more then they could ever learn in the classroom: 
After all our up-close-and-personal experiences with creatures of the blue, fish tales were the talk of the casa during the days that follows. The most interesting story of all was about this photo below. There was an earthquake off the coast of Zihuatanejo in 1994. The Vargas family, being a career fisher family, were out at sea the following day. And a brother caught an Oar Fish. A very rare fish from the deep darkness of the sea. Read more here and here:
Should you decide to accompany your husband on this trip, fear not, The Tides Resort is waiting to pamper you with a full-service spa and gourmet fare.
