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Lifestyles Profile - Isabel Cárdenas Isabel Cárdenas did not arrive in Vallarta by chance; she had, in fact, a very good reason for coming here. Isabel is an oceanographer and Bahía Banderas is a paradise for nature lovers with its unique blend of ocean, mountain, fauna and flora. She decided to share her passion and profession by setting up her own business called Open Air Expeditions in 1995, not only to make a living, but also to promote eco-tourism in this region. Though she confesses all the marketing drove her crazy at times, with patience, a bit of accounting and a lot of hard work she has managed to establish her business. To go out on a trip with Isabel is quite a wild experience. Her extensive knowledge of nature has even an aesthetic quality as she speaks of the ways and whys of each little creature in the animal kingdom. In a fresh and provoking manner--for Isabel is also a great storyteller--she explains how a whale’s courtship can turn into a clash of titans and how the popular notion that whales are monogamous is but a romantic fairytale. Her demystification and mystification of wildlife is colourfully inspiring, for she projects her own vision grounded on meticulous and scientific observation. In her opinion, crocodiles are the “misunderstood” creatures of this bay. She claims that cute little turtles and leaping, smiling dolphins always draw everyone’s attention, but what about these prehistoric creatures with a toothy smile, extravagant gait and penetrating scales? Isabel is surprised to see the terror they incite and their lack of appeal and recommends everyone should visit the University’s reptilarium to get over the impact of appearances. Animals are like people, she claims, you just have to know them. However, she has her soft spot, too. Those humpback whales that visit our bay every year have a special place in her heart. “They are majestic,” she says and, as she speaks, she seems to wander off into the spell of that moment when, for the very first time, she was hypnotized by a whale’s magnetic stare. “Do you know, this eye contact can last up to a minute?” she says, amazed, and her bewildering remarks spark another and another question.

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