Pete Thomas Outdoors

Young mountain lion killed while trying to cross L.A. freeway

With so little open space and so much human bustle in just about every direction, it should come as no surprise that a 15-month-old mountain lion was struck and killed earlier this week while trying to cross Interstate 405, just south of the Getty Center southbound freeway off-ramp.

The male kitten, named P-18, embarked on his own earlier this summer after leaving his mother's home range in Malibu Creek State Park. His slow easterly progress was tracked via GPS collar by the National Park Service as part of a long-term study on the movements of mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains. (P-18 is pictured above.)

Because male mountain lions are territorial and claim large wilderness parcels as their territory, and because there are two other male lions with GPS collars in the Santa Monica range, it's likely that the young male had been moving east, closer to civilization, in an attempt to stake out his own territory.

The death of P-18 underscores the need for safe wildlife corridor crossings, for wild animals to pass through rather than having to traverse freeways and highways.

In fact, Caltrans and several government and nonprofit partners are trying to identify suitable locations for such crossings along the 405, 118 and 101 freeways, according to a news release issued today by the National Park Service.

These crossings, intended to facilitate safe movement between the Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Susana Mountains and the Los Padres National Forest are deemed critical for the long-term health of mountain lion populations, and to ensure genetic diversity among the small population that exists within the Santa Monica Mountains.

"Mountain lions must be able to move freely between large parklands with suitable habitat throughout the course of their daily movements, as well as exchange genetic material to prevent inbreeding in specific parkland areas like the Santa Monica Mountains," said park superintendent Woody Smeck.

Since the study began in 2002, only one lion has been documented safely crossing a freeway surrounding the Santa Monica range. Ironically, it was P-12, who sired P-18. He crossed the 101 Freeway in 2009 and has been in the Santa Monica range ever since.

-- Image shows P-18 as seen via web cam before he was killed while trying to cross the 405 Freeway. Courtesy of the NPS

Rare catch of a tiny sailfish is made off Cabo San Lucas

A good fish story always seems to involve a monstrous catch or marathon battle, but perhaps more impressive is the catch of a truly tiny member of a big-game species.

Behold the sailfish in the accompanying photo. It was reeled in last Saturday off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, a Baja California angler's paradise known for its much larger billfish.  It's impressive because of its rarity: People simply do not catch baby billfish.

Chris Fuller, who was aboard the Petrolero, was fishing for tuna in the Sea of Cortez and using a live sardine and 40-pound-test line. After the ravenous little sailfish grabbed the five-inch bait, it performed the typical sailfish acrobatics for a very brief period before being pulled aboard, photographed and released. (Fuller is pitured above, holding his catch.)

Its weight was estimated at about three pounds and scientists, after inspecting the photo, guessed its age at about 4 months.

Tracy Ehrenberg, general manager of Pisces Sportfishing, which has been operating off Cabo San Lucas for more than 30 years, supplied the image for this story. She had heard of only one other tiny sailfish being caught, the other a slightly larger specimen in 2009.

The 2009 catch was not released. Measuring 42.1 inches and weighing nearly 3.7 pounds, it was recorded as the smallest sailfish to have been caught aboard a sportfishing boat out of the popular resort destination. Its age was determined to be 5 months.

Of the more recent specimen, Ehrengerg said, "I have never seen a billfish so small."

For the sake of comparison, the International Game Fish Assn. lists the all-tackle world record Pacific sailfish as a 221-pound specimen caught off Ecuador in 1947.

Scientists say both catches are important because they prove that the region off Cabo San Lucas -- at Baja California's tip, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez -- is a nursery area for sailfish.

Fuller was using a circle hook, designed to catch in the corner of a fish's mouth to allow for safer releases. Said Ehrenberg on the Pisces blog: "After a brief five minutes on the line and posing for the paparazzi, the tiny sailfish was successfully released."

Perhaps in a few years it can be recaptured at a much larger size, and become one of those other types of fish stories.

-- Image showing Chris Fuller (left), deckhand Ruben Orantes and Capt. Rob Lawford posing with juvenile sailfish is courtesy of Pisces Sportfishing

Huge surf to slam Southern California during holiday weekend

A mammoth  swell generated by an Antarctic storm will slam Southern California beginning Thursday and last through Labor Day weekend. This is great news for surfers but alarming for lifeguards who will have their hands full dealing with large holiday crowds.

Surfline forecasters are calling for waves in the five- to eight-foot range on Thursday afternoon, with the swell building into Saturday, featuring waves in excess of 10 feet on south-facing beaches and perhaps up to 20-plus feet at the famous Wedge in Newport Beach. 

As with all large Southern Hemisphere swells, there will be long lulls between giant sets. Swimmers are cautioned that monstrous waves may seem to spring up suddenly, and because of this they're advised not to venture too far from shore.

This is the same swell that greeted ASP World Tour surfers in Tahiti during a contest that was won by Kelly Slater on Monday. Surfline is predicting this will be the largest wave event of the summer and may feature some beach erosion and coastal flooding.

New York surf contest gets green light amid storm recovery

The first-ever Quiksilver Pro New York will be held as scheduled, beginning with the trials on Sunday and the main event running through as late as Sept. 15. But because the city of Long Beach is recovering from damage and flooding caused by Hurricane Irene, the festival component has been canceled.

A statement from Quiksilver reads: "The situation has been changing daily, and we recognize that city resources are focused on hurricane restoration and clean up as first priority. "In that context, we have been informed by the city that the festival and music components of the event are no longer achievable.

"The Quiksilver Pro N.Y. is first and foremost about the surf contest and Long Beach has an incredible surfing tradition and spirit. We are committed to holding the ASP tour event at Long Beach so that together we can promote the sport by bringing together the best surfers in the world to this terrific community."

The $1-million contest should provide an entertaining diversion from the post-Irene mess. Among ASP World Tour's top 34 surfers is 10-time world champion Kelly Slater, who on Monday won a contest in Tahiti to move to the top of the rankings.

This will be the sixth of 11 competitions on the World Tour schedule. Rounding out the top five in the rankings are South Africa's Jordy Smith (No. 2), Australia's Joel Parkinson, Brazil's Adriano de Souza and Australia's Owen Wright.

-- Image courtesy of Quiksilver

Kelly Slater wins at Tahiti, grabs ASP ratings lead

After more than a week of epic surf and an unparalleled display of barrel riding, Kelly Slater emerged victorious at the Billabong Pro Tahiti and reclaimed the top spot in the ASP World Tour rankings.

The 10-time world champion defeated Australia's Owen Wright, a second-year competitor, in six- to eight-foot surf at notoriously hollow Teahupoo. 

More precisely, Slater out-classed Wright and the others he faced en route to his second tour victory of the season.

Slater, 39, the second-oldest competitor on the tour, not only repeatedly chose better waves, he tucked deeper inside barrels and posted high scores on waves that that seemingly lacked scoring potential.

Having opened with a 9.50, he edged Wright by a best-two-waves score of 18.43 to 17.10, and seemed in control throughout, except when he was pitched over the falls late in the heat while trying to use his priority to prevent Wright from catching a wave.

Slater leap-frogged five surfers, all of whom were eliminated early, to claim the top spot.

 "It’s one of those weird events where you have to scramble through the early rounds," Slater said. "Every year at this event, there are few of the top guys that lose in the early rounds and you have to scramble if you want a result here. You have to be in tune with the tides, swell direction and everything to make sure you get those waves that get you the score."

Slater has surfed in only four of five competitions and will be looking to solidify his points lead during the Quiksilver Pro, which begins next week in Long Island, New York.

Wright enjoyed his best finish on the World Tour and vauled from No. 9 to No. 5 in the standings.

-- Kelly Slater image courtesy of © ASP/ Robertson

Killington Resort suffers major damage in Vermont flooding

Extensive flooding by Tropical Storm Irene has caused widespread damage in Vermont and not even the state's historic ski resort was spared.

Killington Resort, which opened in 1958, suffered a base lodge collapse and other damage, but announced on its Facebook page that it "plans to open on schedule for the 2011-12 winter season."

Power and phone service were down Monday but the resort shared this information on the same Facebook post:

"Crews are out assessing damages around the resort including structural deterioration to base lodges, lifts and roads as well as power outages.

"Following an initial overview of the storm's aftermath, the K-1 Lodge Superstar Pub's structural integrity was compromised by the volume of water running off of Roaring Brook, dislodging the building from its foundation. Killington Resort's lift towers and structures, lodging properties and golf course have sustained minimal damage.

"Summer operations of the K-1 Lodge, hiking and golf course will reopen after crews assess the damages. Mountain biking will tentatively resume after assessment of the trail network is complete. Pico Mountain summer operations are now closed for the season."

Tow surfers tackle monster waves at Teahupoo, Tahiti

 

The Billabong Pro Tahiti, underway at notorious Teahupoo, has featured giant surf and amazing barrel rides, but the most incredible session occurred during a contest lay day on Saturday -- when the waves were too large and dangerous for the paddle surfers on the ASP World Tour.

Because of the "code red" conditions, they gave way to an elite group of jet-ski tow surfers, who were pulled onto the shoulders of 15- to 25-foot waves and experienced one of the most thrilling barrel-riding tow sessions ever recorded (see video).

Among the surfers who risked life and limb -- literally, Teahupoo at that size is thunderously powerful -- were Bruce Irons, Kamalei Alexander, Dean Bowen, Dylan Longbottom, Laurie Towner, Keala Kennelly and Danilo Costa.

The waves were so round and their heaving lips were so dense that survival instincts seemed to kick in for each surfer after every drop-in. 

The contest resumed Sunday and a winner probably will be crowned later today.

Sea lampreys freak at the scent of their dead

 

A Michigan State University researcher has discovered an interesting phenomenon: sea lampreys go into what appears to be a panic-mode when exposed to the smell of their dead.

Dr. Michael Wagner found that when a mixture which included the putrefying carcasses of sea lampreys was poured into a tank of live ones, the lampreys’ frantic efforts to escape were dramatic.

"It’s kind of like a stop light, a noxious odor that causes them to run away from its source," Wagner  said.

While it makes for some rather freaky videos, it turns out that this reaction may be key to better controlling one of the most destructive invasive parasites found in the Great Lakes.

 

Sea lampreys live off of the blood and body fluids of adult fish, including lake trout and whitefish. During its life, each sea lamprey can kill 40 or more pounds of fish.

"Sea lampreys are one of the most costly and destructive Great Lakes' invaders," said Wagner, whose results were published in the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. "The effectiveness of the odor combined with the ease in which it’s obtained suggests that it will prove quite useful in controlling sea lampreys in the Great Lakes."

Currently, pheromones -- the same chemicals the lampreys rely on to attract mates and find spawning grounds -- are used to lure the creatures into large cages where they can be  destroyed or sterilized and released back into the wild.

Wagner believes that repellants could be a better alternative since even small quantities can elicit a response. The smell of death could be used to steer lampreys away from waterways or corral them into groups, making them easier to eliminate.

"By blocking certain streams with these chemical dams, sea lampreys can be steered away from environmentally sensitive areas and into waterways where pesticides could be used more effectively to eliminate a larger, more concentrated population of sea lampreys."

World's top surfers resume competition in large surf at Tahiti

 

The Billabong Pro Tahiti has resumed after several off days, with the second and perhaps third rounds scheduled to be completed Friday (watch it live above).

Surf is six to eight feet  at Teahupoo, which features thick, round barrels and is one of the most daunting venues on the ASP World Tour.

"We’ll be taking advantage of the swell and conditions on offer today so we’ll look to complete Round 2, and we’ve put Round 3 on standby for a start this afternoon," said Pritamo Ahrendt, a head judge for the ASP. "Good luck to all our competitors today."

Reward offered in attempt to apprehend trout thieves

The California Department of Fish and Game's Californians Turn In Poachers and Polluters program is offering up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thieves responsible for stealing approximately 1,000 trout from the San Joaquin Hatchery last weekend.

On Aug. 21, between 3 and 4 a.m., someone forced entry into the hatchery and stole up to 1,000 large trout, and also killed and left another 70 large trout in the process. The fish, which weighed three-to-four-pounds each, had been growing in the hatchery for three years.

DFG wardens have collected evidence at the scene and hope to get additional information from anyone who may have seen someone trying to sell the trout. The value of the fish and the cost to repair the damage to the hatchery elevate the crime to a felony.

Citizens are encouraged to be watchful for anyone attempting to sell trout on the street, at outdoors markets, or any place where trout are not normally sold. Physical descriptions, vehicle license plate numbers, time, date and locations would be extremely helpful.

The CalTIP hotline is (888) 334-2258. The toll-free telephone number operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You do not have to give your name.

-- Image of rainbow trout courtesy of Eric Engbretson / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service