Pete Thomas Outdoors

Tropical Storm Javier takes aim at Baja peninsula; warning issued for Cabo San Lucas and La Paz

By Pete Thomas

A tropical storm warning was issued Sunday for a portion of mainland Mexico and much of Baja California Sur, including Cabo San Lucas, as Tropical Storm Javier takes aim at the Baja California peninsula.

On Sunday afternoon, Javier was located 85 miles southwest of Puerto Vallarta, and traveling west-northwest at mph. Javier boasted winds of 45 mph and was expected to strengthen, but the storm is not expected to attain hurricane strength (74 mph).

However, Javier will deliver heavy rain over a vast area – including both sides of the Baja peninsula – and could generate dangerous flooding over the next several days.

According to the Florida-based National Hurricane Center, Javier’s center will pass to the west of Baja California's tip beginning Monday. (The Cabo San Lucas port was ordered closed at 5 p.m. Sunday.) Javier is expected to make landfall far to the north, on Wednesday or Thursday.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Manzanillo to Cabo Corrientes (Puerto Vallarta) on the mainland, and from La Paz southward and westward to Santa Fe, including Cabo San Lucas, in Baja California Sur.

Javier is expected to remain a tropical storm at least through Wednesday.

–Graphic courtesy of WeatherUnderground.com

Giant whale shark spotted inside Cabo San Lucas marina; 'a first-time event'

It’s rare enough to spot a whale shark in the pristine water beyond Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, but to see one swimming inside the marina might be unheard of.

“This is a first-time event in Cabo,” Tracy Ehrenberg, general manager of Pisces Sportfishing, said of the Monday morning sighting.

The 20-foot whale shark was spotted near the back of the harbor by a man who thought it was a great white shark. "Then we heard that others said no it was a mako... then the truth came out it was actually a WHALE shark... the largest fish on the planet," Pisces stated on Facebook.

 

The footage was captured by Beto Lira, captain of Ruthless.

Whale sharks, which can measure to about 40 feet, are the world’s largest fish species. The docile plankton-eaters are also mysterious in that little is known about their migration habits.

They're sometimes spotted in the Sea of Cortez, between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, but not inside harbors, where water quality is diminished.

Added Pisces: “The fish actually swam up to the dock where the Pisces boats leave from. It caused a huge amount of excitement amongst the crews as you can tell by the filming.

"We were just commenting yesterday how clear and warm the water is and how much bait there is in the marina... not that the whale shark was after them, they are a harmless plankton eater. The only danger they pose is if you are out fishing and collide with them. They are gentle giants. What a marvelous way to start the week.

–Pete Thomas

–Note: Whale shark image atop this post is generic.

Rare 'albino' gray whale returns to Scammon's Lagoon, this time with a baby

By Pete Thomas

A gray whale believed to be albino has been documented in Scammon’s Lagoon in Baja California, Mexico, for the first time in at least three years.

The same whale was spotted in 2008 and 2009, as a juvenile. It might also have been spotted in 2013, according to at least one report.

This time, though, the white whale is traveling with her calf, who is not albino. (Both whales can be seen in the accompanying video, and a second video showing basically the same footage. The footage was captured last week.)

 

The whale’s identity was confirmed this week by Benito Bermudez, regional director of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas.

Bermudez told BCS Noticas that the whale is albino, not leucistic, a condition also caused by a lack of pigment. However, nobody has provided photos showing pink eyes, which would prove that the cetacean is albino.

Bermudez said the whale was most likely born in Scammon’s Lagoon, known locally as Laguna Ojo de Liebre. He said there are only “three or four records” of albino gray whales worldwide.

About 21,000 gray whales feed during the summer in Arctic waters, and migrate to Baja California each winter to give birth and nurse their young.

The northbound migration is just beginning, and over the next several weeks more than 1,000 gray whale mothers and calves – the last to depart – will begin their 6,500-mile journey to and beyond Alaska.

Of course one whale will stand out among the others: the now-famous white whale from Scammon's Lagoon.

–Image is a video screen grab

Hurricane Sandra still a major storm, but will weaken as it passes beneath Cabo San Lucas

Hurricane Sandra, which on Thursday morning was a major hurricane boasting sustained winds of 130 mph, is expected to weaken rapidly later in the day as it begins to veer to the northeast, toward the Mexican mainland.

Sandra is expected to pass beneath Cabo San Lucas, at Baja California’s tip, as a tropical storm (winds of 73 mph or lighter) late Friday.

There were no warnings in effect but the National Hurricane Center issued this caution in its 8 a.m. report:

"INTERESTS IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA
SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF SANDRA.  A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MAY
BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THIS AREA LATER TODAY."

Sandra, the most powerful Eastern Pacific hurricane known to have occurred this late in the year, was located 495 miles south of Baja California’s tip early Thursday.

–Hurricane Sandra image courtesy of NASA

While some in Los Cabos braced for the arrival of Hurricane Blanca, others fished

Kevin Cuevas (right) poses with 200-pound yellowfin tuna; photo via Jen Wren Sportfishing

Mark Rayor, who owns Jen Wren Sportfishing in the East Cape region of Baja California Sur, said Friday night that it was a bit too early to worry about Hurricane Blanca.

During the day, his fleet embarked in search of tuna, and one angler landed the 200-pounder shown in the accompanying image. The tuna was caught by Kevin Cuevas of Littleton, Colo., after a 4-hour battle.

“A boat near us bagged one 180lbs,” Rayor said via email. “It has been mostly dinks but once in a while a bruiser shows.”

Rayor was contacted to gauge the mood as Hurricane Blanca approaches the Los Cabos region.

“Lots of gun-shy people running around like the sky is falling,” he stated.

It’s understandable, Rayor acknowledged, given the terrifying and destructive power unleashed by a very unpredictable Hurricane Odile last September.

That was the strongest storm ever to strike Los Cabos, and many businesses are still trying to recover.

Rayor assured that he and others in the East Cape, which is about 70 miles north of Cabo San Lucas on the Sea of Cortez, are watching Blanca closely.

The storm strengthened Friday afternoon, as it churned toward slowly toward the northwest about 480 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas. It boasted maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.

The storm is not supposed to enter the Sea of Cortez. Rather, it’s supposed to pass Cabo San Lucas in the Pacific between Sunday and Monday, as it weakens, and make landfill far to the north of the resort areas.

That is the hope. However, computer models are not always accurate, and are sometimes wildly inaccurate.

Stated Tracy Ehrenberg, who owns Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas: “So far it’s totally calm, but we are going to pull our boats out [on Saturday] anyway.

“The docks still have damage from Odile so better safe than sorry. It's a huge hassle but I want our guys to be able to sleep safely and stay with their families.”

Ehrenberg, a longtime resident of Cabo San Lucas, does not trust weather reports.

“The water temp in the Sea of Cortez is high, so matter what they say, the hurricane could get sucked in there,” she said. “The water temp on the Pacific is in the high 70's and they talk about dry air, but the air is not dry, there is a dampness that has lingered for days.”

Rayor said the water temperature in the Sea of Cortez at the East Cape had been 80 degrees–very warm for this time of year–until dropping three degrees Friday because of “a nervous sea.”

Hurricanes gain strength in warm water, and weaken in cool water. Varying water conditions can alter the course of a powerful storm, so wariness among those near storm paths is understandable.

On Friday, though, it was business as usual for many in this big-game fishing paradise. Ehrenberg said boats were allowed in and out of the Cabo San Lucas marina on Friday, but that the port closed at 3 p.m., and will remain closed through Monday or Tuesday.

Rayor didn’t say whether his boats will fish Saturday. It'll depend on the weather, of course, and on the updated forecast.

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Hurricane Blanca prompts alerts for Cabo San Lucas, elsewhere in Baja California Sur

Tropical storm Blanca to become hurricane; takes aim at Los Cabos

SoCal angler lands 125-pound bluefin tuna after 2-hour fight

Another Cabo Pulmo 'fish tornado,' another incredible image

 

Tori Hester marvels at the fish tornado; photo by ©Jeff Hester

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

Jeff Hester was diving recently at Cabo Pulmo in the Sea of Cortez when he encountered a rare event described as a fish tornado.

Thousands of jacks had schooled tightly together and the massive “meatball” was spinning like a twister, leaving Jeff and his wife Tori “awestruck.”

The honeymooners were on their first trip to the renowned dive site, 60 miles north of Cabo San Lucas at Baja California’s tip.

The image was featured this week by National Geographic as its “Photo of the Day,” under the title, “All the Fish in the Sea.”

Schooling jacks comprise the fish tornado; photo by ©Jeff Hester

The image shows Tori Hester hovering just above the sea floor, slightly beneath the fish tornado, mesmerized by the  phenomenon.

“We were swimming along and saw a small band of jacks heading away from us, so we followed them,” Jeff described to GrindTv. “That small band slowly grew bigger and bigger until just off in the distance, this massive fish tornado appeared.

“I was awestruck. I had never seen anything like that before in my life.”

As a photographer, Jeff’s reaction was swift. He motioned for Tori to swim toward the tornado, so he could use her to provide a sense of scale for the image.

“I want to bring the viewer into the frame and imagine themselves as the human subject looking at this remarkable scene,” he explained.

Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, beyond a remote section of Baja’s coast, is a vast system of reefs that has been protected from fishing since 1995, allowing sea life to thrive.


Several species of jacks breeze through the area, and sometimes swim in schools so large that they can blot out the sun for divers exploring the reefs or rocky bottom.

Another famous fish tornado image was captured at Cabo Pulmo in 2012 by Octavio Aburto, showing another diver, David Castro, in a “David and Goliath” pose next to the swirling mass of fish.

Aburto, a scientist, described the tornado phenomenon as a spawning event.

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Mexico tourist dies after whale strikes boat

600-pound mako shark caught from Florida beach

Los Cabos back in business; airlines booking flights for Oct. 8

Major airlines have begun accepting reservations for commercial flights to and from Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), beginning October 8.

Unofficially, flights could resume even sooner (some are saying so, perhaps hopefully, in private).

The airport, on the outskirts of San Jose del Cabo, sustained significant damage when Hurricane Odile came ashore in the state of Baja California Sur on September 14-15.

The storm hit Cabo San Lucas, at Baja’s tip, the hardest.

Alaska Airlines on Friday at 7 p.m. updated its website to reflect that it would resume flying one daily roundtrip flight from Los Angeles to Los Cabos beginning October 8.

I  looked into this and was provided the option of booking a 10:10 a.m. flight into SJD for $179 (one-way).

The United Airlines website also is accepting flights beginning October 8. Presumably, other airlines have followed or will follow suit.

Major airlines had implied that they would not resume flights until the end of October. Some insiders, however, have suggested that this was a ploy to negotiate cheaper landing fees at SJD.

Regardless, this is a major step toward recovery. Many hotels are still closed, but reopenings are expected to occur between mid-October and the end of November. October and November are peak months for tourism throughout BCS.

Cabo Living Magazine reported Friday on its Facebook page that of the 59 Baja California Sur hotels overseen by the tourism agency Fonatur, 55 sustained hurricane damage, with 5,474 rooms affected.

Tourism Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu said power has been restored to nearly 100% of the northern part of the state, 80% in Los Cabos, 98% in La Paz, 70% in Mulegé, 75% in Comondú and 95% in Loreto.

More than 70% of gas stations in BCS are back in operation.

–Image is courtesy of Solmar Resorts

Rare whale shark sighting documented near Catalina

Whale shark swims alongside Triton sportfisher

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

The number of bizarre catches or sightings off Southern California continues to rise and on Sunday perhaps the rarest visitor to date was documented: a whale shark.

Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish, reaching lengths of 30-plus feet. And while these docile plankton-eaters are often seen by divers at destinations such as Hawaii, southern Mexico and the Sea of Cortez, they’re almost never encountered off Southern California.

The whale shark spotted Sunday, east of Santa Catalina Island, was estimated to measure 20 to 25 feet. It approached and even bumped the Triton, which runs from Long Beach Sportfishing, as anglers fished for yellowfin tuna.

 

“He was curious, almost playful,” Triton Capt. Ryan Gengler told Phil Friedman Outdoors Radio, which broke the story. “When he bumped into us, you could feel the boat shake. I could not believe my eyes.”

Like the tuna, and other exotic visitors this summer, the whale shark ventured far north of its typical range because of a wide swath of unusually warm water, stretching from southern Baja California into California.

Chris Lowe, who runs the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach, was asked via email how rare this event might be. The scientist replied:

“I’d say that is very rare for our neck of the woods. I have heard accounts of occasional manta, scalloped hammerhead sharks, and wayward tiger sharks, but whale sharks are pretty rare this far north.”

 

Whale shark swims into shadow of the Triton

Also on Sunday, an angler lost a four-hour battle with a blue marlin, another rare visitor to Southern California waters. Earlier this month, a wahoo was caught off Orange County.

That was another visitor from tropical or sub-tropical waters, and an extremely rare catch.

For nearly two months anglers have been catching yellowfin tuna and dorado at the offshore fishing grounds west of Orange County.

Whale shark bumps Triton

These fish sometimes venture into Southern California waters during late summer, but this invasion is the most prolific in several decades.

Sea surface temperatures off Southern California range from 70 to about 76 degrees, about five degrees above normal in many locations.

Many are crediting a developing El Niño, a warming in the equatorial Pacific, which alters weather patterns. The latest forecast from NOAA states that there’s a 60-65% chance of El Niño becoming fully developed during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter.

In any case, the sea surface warming stems from a lack of coastal upwelling that is typical in late spring and early summer, and caused by strong winds.

When upwelling occurs, cool waters from deep in the water column are brought to the surface and chilling occurs.Without upwelling, the water warms and gates open for species that typically are found off Mexico and elsewhere in warmer climates.

Among other rare visitors to Southern California this summer have been Bryde’s whales, also called tropical whales, and pilot whales.

Hurricane Marie sending massive surf to Southern California

Massive swells generated by Hurricane Marie off Mexico are predicted to reach Southern California beginning Tuesday.

Wave heights in some areas, notably north Orange County, are expected to exceed 20 feet on Wednesday, when the swell is expected to peak. Wave heights at the world-famous Wedge in Newport Beach could exceed 25 feet, according to a media alert issued Monday by Surfline.com.

Hurricane Marie, located about 490 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas and churning in a northwesterly direction, reached Category 5 strength on Sunday. On Monday, Marie was at Category 4 strength, still a major storm, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph.

Storm swell hits Baja California Sur north of Cabo San Lucas; photo via Pisces Sportfishing

Enormous swells began slamming the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur late Sunday, prompting officials to close the port at Cabo San Lucas, at Baja California's tip.

Southern California regions that will receive the largest waves, according to Surfline, include North Orange County, Southern Ventura County, and portions of North Los Angeles County.

But the swell should produce large surf at all south-facing areas.

Strong rip currents will be generated by the large surf, and coastal flooding is possible in low-lying areas during high tides on Wednesday and Thursday.

Hurricane Marie is expected to remain at hurricane strength until late Wednesday. It’s predicted to become a tropical storm by 5 a.m. Thursday, as it continues to weaken.

 –Pete Thomas

Baja fishing boat damaged in collision with whale shark

The boat is badly damaged but the fishermen are OK, while it remains unclear how the whale shark fared.

Whale shark image is generic

The collision occurred Saturday in the Sea of Cortez, and involved the vessel Jen Wren, which runs from the Baja California community of Buena Vista.

Mark Rayor, owner of Jen Wren Sportfishing, recalled the incident this week in his “East Cape–A day in the life” column. 

The Jen Wren had been cruising into the bright glare of the sun, and Chuy, the captain, did not see the whale shark until after it was struck.

“It had punched the shaft strut through the bottom of the boat and they were taking on a massive amount of water,” Rayor wrote.

As Rayor, aboard the Jen Wren III, sped toward the damaged vessel’s position, the Jen Wren’s crew managed to stem some of the water flow. It also managed to get the bilge pumping water out of the boat as swiftly as possible.

When Rayor arrived the transfer of anglers was safely made, and a Jen Wren III crewman, Diego, jumped over to help Chuy.

“Between Chuy, Diego and Manuel they finally got the other raw water hose off the intake and into the bilge.  Now, with both motors pumping, they were able to keep up with the water leak and limp back to Buena Vista,” Rayor wrote, adding: "I believe it was the experience and competence of skipper Chuy that saved the day and stopped a bad situation from turning into a disaster."

To be sure, since this collision occurred far offshore, the safety of the passengers was the first consideration.

Rayor explained that work is underway toward getting Jen Wren fit for fishing. It needs a new shaft, and repairs to the prop and strut.

As for the whale shark, Saturday was a day in the life it probably wishes it could start over.

Fortunately, these types of incidents are extremely rare, thanks to the sharp eyes of Baja's veteran captains and crews.

–Pete Thomas