Slow Baja - Antonio "Toni" Reséndiz Campo Archelon Bahía De Los Ángeles

Episode Date: October 27, 2023

In 1978, shortly after graduating as an oceanologist, Antonio Reséndiz Senior went to live in Bahía de los Ángeles. They called him "Crazy" Reséndiz since he arrived with almost nothing and lived in a tent on the beach.  Commercial exploitation of the turtle had skyrocketed, and the species was on the brink of extinction. The National Fisheries Institute and Reséndiz created the first Center for the Study and Conservation of Sea Turtles in Bahía de los Ángeles. Today, the sea turtle is no longer in danger of extinction, and the scientific knowledge about its lifecycle is extensive. One of the turtles that Antonio kept in captivity was released carrying a radio tracker. A year later, this turtle appeared in Senday Bay, Japan. An epic journey of eleven thousand five hundred kilometers!  Antonio "Toni" Reséndiz Jr. runs the eco-tourism resort, Campo Archelon on the grounds of the now-defunct turtle research center. On today's Slow Baja Podcast, we discuss his history at Campo Archelon and his focus on sustainability in every aspect of life, from reducing, reusing, and recycling to creating a hamburger from Tonno, a little-loved member of the tuna family. If you visit, have a meal at Toni's locally-focused Cafe Siete Filos, although I strongly suggest sharing your plates as the portions are sizable. Campo Archelon is Slow Baja Approved.  Visit their website here: https://www.campoarchelon.com/ Enjoy this Slow Baja Podcast conversation with Toni Reséndiz. Get your Baja insurance here: https://www.bajabound.com/quote/?r=fl9vypdv2t More information on Slow Baja Adventures: https://www.slowbaja.com/adventures

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And glue tread. You know, it's a great product. I'm not big on stuff, but everybody should have a glue tread tire patch kit if they're going to Baja. All right. End a story on that. Today's show is with Antonio from Campo Archelon. It's a show that was recorded quite a while ago back in February when I was on

my Baja XL recording trip. And Antonio's really got a lovely story. His father is a turtle researcher who brought a lot of understanding to the world of turtles and educated an awful lot of people there. And Campo Archelon is a really interesting spot in Bahia de Los Angeles. So without further ado, let's get on to Antonio and Campo Archelon. It's Slow Baja. We're in Bejia de Los Angeles at the beautiful Campo Archelon. And this is your father's turtle sanctuary, correct? Yes.

And we had dinner last night and breakfast this morning at Cafe Setefilos. And you're doing something, I think, really amazing, wonderful, commendable, very slow Baja. you've got a very interesting passion for the local, for the local product. So when I came in last night and said I wanted a tequila, I didn't bring my bottle of tequila fortaleza with me, who's my sponsor and fabulous, I came in and you have a local, a small brand tequila. And tell me about that.

You don't need to tell me about the tequila. You can tell me about the tequila, but tell me about your approach here is what I'm trying to say. Well, in Sietiophilos Café, first of all, I am a fan of coffee. It's something that when I move from Ensenada to Bahia, it's something that I miss, no, a good espresso, good coffee. And, well, in Baja, specifically in Ensenada, there's really good products, no? You can have, I mean, it's a Mediterranean weather. you have the wine, you have olive oil.

There's really good cheese producers. Obviously, we have all the seafood. You know, we can have like lobster, bluefin tuna. We can have not specific from Ensenada, but from other parts of Vaha, we have a bologna. I mean, it's kind of funny because there's, these frogs are really expensive in other parts of the world. And he's kind of really normal, no? So, you know, when I'm. moved back to Bahia

the idea was to use these really good ingredients that we have in the state and the ingredients that we can have in Bay Area Sanchez like the fish so and also the good thing of eating local

you're supporting a small business you know I mean for me it will be more easy to buy for example the cheese from the Lala

there are a big meal company or commercial products. They come every Tuesday. They come right here. It's cheaper. But no, I want once a month to Ensenada to get this cheese from

Radel Castillo is the name of the valley. He goes to Esinojos Negroes. It's like 20 minutes from Ensenada. And I go to this specific cheese. Tell me about the cheese producer. Who do you go?

A cheese store. And I buy it directly. from them and they, I mean, it's a small business. I didn't know who I am. They kind of like that I come all the way from Bayer to get their cheese. And I mean, it's the one that I use here in the cafe. So, and also when you eat more local, it's better for in the environment, no? When you eat more local product, it's less transportation, less CO2 in the atmosphere.

I mean, it's, and also it's good, no? It's not like, I'm using something because it's only local, no, because it's really good. it's really tasty. So, Cafesia tephilos is, in the end, it's really simple preparations, but all the ingredients are fresh and local, and that's in the end, that's why it's tasty, no, because it's... And large. They're large portions.

Yeah, I eat a lot, so I want to be generous, no? And I'm going to say interject for just a second here. I hope Slow Baja listeners are going to come to Bejad de Los Angeles, stay at Campo Arcelain, camp, or rent a casita or what have you, and eat at this fabulous cafe. But share a plate. Please, share a plate. I had your suggestion last night.

I had the smoked fish, uh, cassidia. I should have only eaten half. I ate both. It was amazing. Put me right to sleep. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it was really lovely.

And you're smoking the fish yourself. You said you smoke the fish. You smoke the meat. Uh-huh. We do the dressing. We do the, I mean, uh, the idea is try to, there's, uh,

it's a simple dish, like it's a cassadilla. But we make, I mean, we make the tortilla, we smoke the fish, we do the dressing for the salad. We use a chippolde majo. We make it. And it's like we do a lot of things before. So when we finish the dish, in the end, the preparation is easy. But how to get that ingredients, like that's the process before. That's the one that is interesting, no?

Yeah. So you say it's a simple dish. but it's simple yet sophisticated. So somebody's caught the fish. You've smoked the fish in house. You've made the tortilla. I mean, this is what I'm getting to. You've driven to Ensenado to get the cheese

that you've hand selected and have a relation. That's like a surprise. So here's what we're talking about. And that's what I'm saying. It really is, it's different. You're doing something yet to cut above. You're doing something. I'm so excited to finally be here because I wanted to be here

on my previous trips and you've been sold out. So I've stayed at the house down the beach. But just driving in, you've got the signs. Reduce, reuse, recycle. You can say it in Spanish for me. See, yes. Your philosophies? The idea is to reduce, reuse, recycle in that order.

No? Yeah. Well, that was my dad idea. That was like that kind of marketing or advertising. When you're coming here, are you already telling you that it's a place that we, care about the garbage that we produce we care about the nature we care about enjoy the islands you know it's kind of all this message that you when you enter to Comperchalan you understand like what is our idea of a place no yeah and tell me about your dad okay yeah

tell me about the turtles and how this place really yeah my dad um he was from Mexico City and he moved to Ensenada to study oceanography. And one time he met some people from Bahia, some fishermen. They bind him and he just fell in love of the place. You know, as a being from Mexico City, like there, he was from Coyacan. It's a really traditional neighborhood in Mexico City. you don't have a lot of nature there the big most natural thing is some squirrel

in the forest this kind of yeah in the town park yeah that's the the nature of nature that they have over there so imagine coming here in Bahia a place in the middle of in the late 70s

you have all this nature and he just fell in love of the place and he was able to work in conservation of titular In that time, Bayeo Los Angeles, there was no electricity. So, I mean, you don't have ice to preserve the fish. So the main product was turtle, because turtle, you know, they survived without water, no?

So in that time, it was legal. Like the commercialized through meat was kind of normal. You have like taco stands, but they were serving turtle. was really normal in Baja. But the problem was nobody was doing like a research about the population or nobody care in that time.

In the world in general, no. And when he moved here, he realized that the way, nobody was respecting the limits. They're supposed to have some limits in the, there was a cooperativa like a cooperative.

So So as opposed to have a man of Tudu they catch per year, let's say. Nobody was doing that. Oh, the size, no, there was supposed to be a certain size of Tudoros that you can catch, but they were using any size. And so, yeah, and everything, I mean, nobody was, nobody cared. Like the restaurants they serve Tudu, the tourist company, Tudor, the same. Casa Dias, Mamadias, Mammadius.

He was famous. He was famous for that. And I mean, it was, and it's okay if the populations are healthy. But they were getting extinct, you know? So here in Villar Los Angeles and a lot of places in Mexico, scientists and my dad and my mom, you know, they start to work with the fishermen and try to make them understand that if we continued this way.

way, tourists are going to be extinct. And Mexico is a really important place for turtles in the world. You know, we have really important feeding grounds like the Sea of Cortez. Also, we have a lot nesting grounds. Six of the seven pieces of turtles we have in Mexico. It's a really important place for turtles, no? So, yeah, he spent, well, he passed away already, and he passed, basically all his life here in Bahia.

And yeah, and also the idea was to create opportunities. What he teach me is like, okay, the fisherman is the, it's not the problem, it's the solution. These people are really poor. We need to understand that. My dad used to say, it's amazing how we finish a product for nothing. Because it's like, okay, you finish with all the. tools but let's say they make money the the the fisherman he was able to give education to their parents or their kids sorry they have a nice house they have a nice car no they were in poverty

so it's like nobody's winning you know so let's create other opportunities to so these fishermen can have another option no because bah is tough no it's like in this part of bahia you know now we have Wi-Fi, we have electricity, but in the past was really hard, you know. So it's not like we have farming. It's not like we have other way of living, you know? It's the sea. It's the sea.

You had some mining. You had some mining and you had the sea. And mining was hard. And I mean, it's, so we start to create ecotourism. Because, I mean, the people in the, for example, ecotourism, like people, coming to Bahia to see the well sharks, for example, that now is like a big attraction. 20 years ago, nobody did that.

Absolutely. It's crazy. The local fishermen, they're like, people pay 200 doors to see a stupid shark that you can eat. You know, they're like, yeah, yeah, people do it. Wow. So the fishermen, they don't know. The people from Bahia, they don't know. If you never leave Bahia this small town, I mean, you never, you're thinking is really different that people from the city.

and the idea is to promote the tourism because in a responsible way but that's the way that you can do conservation in the end no if locals protect the nature of their place is the best way of conservation so if you make a living if they need nature to have a business or make money that's a way that you can preserve better the environment. So that's the idea. More than the business that we're creating is to promote the ecotourism in Bahia is what we're doing. Tell me a little bit about what's happening here, Campo Arshelon.

What's happening here? What opportunities are you bringing here? People can stay here. People can camp here. We're here on the Baja Exile. And we stayed in a friend, Mike Nulte's hangar, which isn't available.

so that's a friend deal that I got. But you had many of the rallyers camping here. What do you have, you have homes that people own or rent? Tell me about this place. This is a campground. I mean, where we have this tour century is like 200 meters south. And then my dad became a human member. So we started as a campground because there was people who want to stay with us

or help with the tour program. and they want to help. I mean, they want to spend a summer here and we need a place to, they need a shade, they need showers, toilets. So we kind of start like as a campground that way,

not like a business idea, more like for the volunteers, you know, that they were helping in the Citro project. And then we start with some cabins because there was so windy in winter. So we need like some protection of the wind. And yeah.

And like, When my dad retired in 2006, we see that people were coming after he was retired and the project of the city was finished. People were still coming and we like see that this opportunity in doing rental. So yeah, we have cabins. We have palapas for camping. We had just the campground. And I mean, we have cabins with internet and air conditioning and two small palapas, simple palapas. So you can have a little bit of, we want to preserve the idea of a Camberon too, no?

So the idea in Campercheland is you're going to be outside, not in your room, no. I mean, it's going to be the necessary comfort, the necessary comfort that you need, but the idea is that you're going to be outside, no? And walk me through the seasons. What happens here in the winter, the spring, the summer, the fall? Why do people come to this place? Well, we have different kind of tourism. Why should people come to this place?

Well, yeah. Well, to be honest, we're really happy and we have tourists all year round, no? I mean, it's funny because Bahia is a destination is really far away. It's really nice that people plan their trip to come to Bahia. They send my message, Antonio,

when you are available, because we, to be honest, we're really lucky and we have, you know, you need to resolve with time. No, you've been booked. whenever I wanted to come. So, and we were really small too, no? But people, for example, they make their plan depending of the available house, what's available.

But we have different kind of tourism. I mean, we have right now in winter, we have, for example, people who are going to city Grey Wheels in Greenwich and we're in their way so they stay here. Oh, lots of band life people. people from Canada or from cold weather. Then we're going to have Semarasantes. It's going to be mostly Mexican families, mostly families from the state, you know,

from Mexicalia, Sanada, Tijuana. And then we have off-road Nora in May. That is really windy. It's really windy, but it's nice to have these off-road people because they don't care of the race. So it's funny because it's the worst winds. in the year and this one probably most people are in baya and then a lot of sport fishing lots of sport fishing in baya and and summer well sharks from june to october and

yeah winter christmas i mean it's really i mean also we want to keep not i mean we can maybe sometimes higher the prices, but we want to keep it also in a way that we have Mexicans too, no? I mean, the month that I make more money is in July when it's more hot and it's like 80% Mexicans, no? So, I mean, it's, uh, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, like, like, um, I mean, touristy, but, but, but still for, uh, like, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't tourist, you know, like, have everybody, no? Yeah, it's beautiful and it's rugged, and it really feels like Baja.

And it looks to me like some people have personal homes here that they're renting from your family or from the, I don't know how it works here. But no, well, I have some friends who my dad saw some lots before, but yeah, my neighbor mostly he do that. My neighbor, Campo Dages, he rent a, lots and people So it's Daggett's this way, yeah

town is this way and here let's get back to your offerings what's the best way for people to to be in touch with you Or we're in social media, we're in Facebook, Instagram even we have TikTok

TikTok, you're making TikTok videos the new generations you know and and also our web page Yeah All right so talk Tell me about those addresses They'll be in the show notes of course Well, if you Google Camparchelon, by Los Angeles, you're going to find us.

And there's a webpage. You can make a reservation through the web page or to social media too. So can I ask you? I hear you're a famed winner of a contest in making hamburgers. Oh, yeah. At all right. Out of Toro, the fish that nobody wants to eat. No, yeah, yeah.

It's like I always curious about trying to, I mean, I, I really care about the sustainable side of food, no? It's like, because my background of my dad was an environmentalist, so I have this way of thinking, but I went to winemaker school and culinary school. So I have this, before I was a winemaker, so I had this idea of the ingredient, of local, organic, but also important for environment. And the problem in sometimes in the fish industry is a lot of ways. So there's a lot of good animals that nobody won because they have a different.

I mean, they're not texture flavor. Yeah. What have you. Yeah. So this we have this fish here because of Toro. They don't know if they call it skipjack. I don't know if it's the right one. But it's like a fish that is a, the meat is.

It's super bloody. Yeah. And there are a lot. And every time they're really strong predators. They're crazy predators. They go super close to when sometimes you see how the small fish they're getting out of the water. Yeah. And you see whole schools of them chasing the fish around.

You see the toros. No, they're chasing all the way to the shore. No, it's crazy. And they're big fish. And nobody, nobody, don't, nobody care about this, this fish. because the meat is really hard. Is there a market for that? And some people catch them and throw it away or use it for baits.

So it's when I move here and I'm like, well, we can do this. So I try to smoke it. I try to do different preparations. And I say, I'm going to make a hamburger because, you know, it's like, it's dark. You know, you see the meat and you never thought that that's a fish. So I always... So, yeah, I have this idea to make a hamburger with that. And I mean, it's not like the most tasty hamburger of the world,

but if I don't tell you, you're going to eat it. And you're going to... For sure it's better than some... For some, you know, burger fast food. But, I mean, you make the hamburger. You put a lot of different spices because it's really strong flavor. And, yeah, there was a contest in Bahia. and like a small and I say I'm gonna make the the hamburgers and everybody was like

this is fish oh this is total you know even the fishermen they were like wow no it's a way that you can eat this and and yeah I mean I mean I make like I did me like a thousand pesos that was really good for what I cost it but the idea is to there's try to use other ingredients other products no to back because everybody wants gelat, everybody want tuna, but there's a lot of good fish and we need to balance, no, the food change too, no? So, so yeah, sometimes when somebody catch a, they're big, no, but sometimes in my friends who are fishermen, they catch a toadra, I make hamburgers. And, yeah, it's a, I mean, you put a lot of bacon too, so it's a, you know, you put it enough. You put enough bacon on anything.

It's good, right? It's good. No, yeah. Maybe you need to have. You should try everybody. Try skip jack or do a hamburger and it will be nice. It's the best way to eat it. Yeah, maybe Friday night Toro hamburgers is a specialty in the house.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What else do you do? You say you're trained winemaker. Yes. And you're a chef. I used to more a winemaker. I know I went to culinary school, but I was more a winemaker, yeah. Can you talk a little bit about the Valle and what's happened there?

and it's crazy now. No, yes, I mean, I... A couple hundred wine makers there now? Yeah, it's an industry that is growing. It's an industry that is changing the face of Mexico, no? Like, you know, in Mexico, sometimes we have a really bad reputation, no? I mean, so, so it's like when you say, I'm going wine tasting in Mexico, it's like, what? and and it's kind of really you never think about that but actually you know there's really good wines

there's really good producers it's uh i mean now elvara lupe they have i think they have like there was like the last year was the san peligrino 50 best from latin america and i think i was like three restaurants from ensanada during the wadalupe valley yeah i mean and Found him got a nice award there. Yes, yes. And Himalon and Manzanilla, I think, was there too. And, yeah. And that, I mean, was kind of the same like Bahia, no?

Like 20 years ago, San Antonio, Las Minas, Francisco, was super far away and was not developed. And now it's like super expensive. And now the problem is it's growing a little bit. a lot of people think it's going the wrong direction and it's a good example for Bahia for me because who never knows when somebody

I mean if you have an airport in Guerrero Negro International Airport Baye change you know the accessibility that people can get here. It's so far away and you know bad roads bring good people no and I used to say that my the winemakers in the past used to say

that know that you go to Guadalupe Valley and terrible rows. We used to have the worst rows. But it's amazing how people arrive to the wineries, and how wine tasting. That's kind of the adventure too, no. So, I mean, still, La Joupe Valley, a place that is like my other home, my other side of my life. And I know everybody there and I still go often to buy wine for the cafe. But yeah, it's a really cool place. So I find it hard to fathom and to process. Yeah, I find it hard to fathom and process how to make sense with a couple hundred

wineries. It's like Napa or Sonoma now. There's so many. Name two or three. And then we've got to head down the road so we're going to let you go and we're going to get on our way. But name two places, three places that you really like there are the wines that you like. Well, I mean, it's a, depends. If you have kids or you have dogs and the experience that you want, but I'm going to the places that I work that I'm really fortunate to work there I would say Las Nubes Winery is a really nice one there also the view is amazing say it again the name last Nubes last Nubes last Nouve as the cloud in Spanish yeah the other

one that I recommend that I work also there is Vinyas de Garza with Amado Garza the Garza family really good wine beautiful winery and the other one that that I recommend is obviously Casa de Piedra, Casa de Piedra from Hugo da Costa. Hugo da Costa is the Mexican who basically changed the grandfather. The wine industry, yeah. And he's a really, they're both Victor Segura from Las Nues,

Amado Garza from Garza and Hugo da Costa. They're, I mean, they were a really good example for me as a person and as a business people. And I mean, there's lots of wineries. You should go to Cruz. there is a small winemaker now. He's doing really good or Plata, but I mean, there's a lot

of options, but I think for the beginning, go to Las Nues, go to de Nias de Garza and go to Casa Piedra. It's a good start. All right. And to close it up here, when's the best time of year to come to Bia de Los Angeles and stay at Campo Archelon?

October. October, I think, it's the best one in Baja in general, no? Like, yeah, it's not too hot. You can sleep without air conditioning. you still able to see the Welsh sharks. Most of the days are nice. Yeah, October is the best money in Bay Area, Los Angeles. All right, we're going to leave it right there, folks.

Antonio, really great to meet you. So nice to be here at Campo Arsalan. So wonderful to eat at the cafe. And we'll be seeing you in October. Thank you for the interview. And, yeah, a pleasure. All right. We did it.

Okay. Hey, well, I hope you like that. It is October. right now. That show was recorded many months ago when I was on a recording sweep through Baja and winter. And I'm glad to be able to share it with you now. And Baha de Los Angeles is a don't miss Slow Baja approved spot. But I really feel like you do need to kind of get out in nature there. There's, there's, it just gets more and more beautiful. The further out you go and the more time you're spending in nature there. Campo Archelon is a great place to start. Slow Baja approved.

Café Cieti Filos, fabulous food. All right. Well, if you like what I'm doing, if you like getting to know these people, seeing this stuff in person, sitting there next to me. Well, you got to support the show. You got to drop a taco in the tank if you got some tacos in your pocket. You can do that through the donate link. And while you're on slowbaha.com, clicking that donate link. Of course, you should check out the Slow Baja shop. We've got some hats in.

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