Pete Thomas Outdoors

Decorah bald eagle, after long journey, may be returning home

Remember the three bald eaglets of Decorah, Iowa, who won the hearts of millions of people who watched them hatch and grow into fledglings last spring?

One of the young raptors appears to be coming home, according to a satellite tracking device placed on the bird by the Raptor Research Project, the same group that had installed a high-definition web-cam to monitor the eaglets' treetop nest at the Decorah Fish Hatchery.

(A new camera has been installed and fans can watch the eagles' parents rebuilding their nest in the Ustream feed below.)

 

D-1 surprised project director Bob Anderson by traveling on such a lengthy journey beginning in late August, first about 200 miles to Yellow Lake in northwest Wisconsin, then to Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota.

Anderson had expected the eagle to stay closer to Decorah or stake out territory along the Mississippi River. After a stay at Lake Superior, D-1 returned to Yellow Lake and on Oct. 15 left on a course toward Decorah.

Anderson was quoted as saying he he believes the raptor will spend the winter close to the Mississippi River, where open water will allow for suitable hunting.

Meanwhile the bald eagle parents, who did such a remarkable job of rearing all three eaglets to a successful fledge, are rebuilding their nest. By December they'll be in full courtship, and if that goes well more eggs will be laid in February and fans can enjoy a second season of what undoubtedly became the world's most popular nature reality show.

Giant python found in Florida after devouring 76-pound deer

If the 16-foot Burmese python was easy to capture and kill, it might have been because the snake had just consumed a 76-pound deer in the South Florida Everglades. 

Burmese pythons are one of many invasive wildlife species in Florida and officials would like to remove as many as possible.

The unusually large python was discovered Thursday by workers with the South Florida Water Management District.

They contacted officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, who captured and killed the snake with a shotgun blast. It had a 44-inch girth where the deer had settled, fully intact.

Scott Hardin, exotic species coordinator for the commission, told the Sun-Sentinel said pythons this large are rare, and downplayed the danger to humans posed by the presence of pythons.

"I would never say the danger is zero," Hardin said. "If a snake that size wrapped you up you'd be in trouble. But snakes that size are extremely rare. The ones brought in here are in the four- to eight-foot range."

The giant python was found in the western portion of Miami-Dade County. Burmese pythons are believed to have gained a foothold because of pet owners who illegally turn the reptiles loose after they become too large or bothersome to be cared for as pets.

-- Image is courtesy of South Florida Water Management District 

Surfer bitten by shark near Monterey expected to recover

A surfer bitten by a shark Saturday morning off Marina State Beach north of Monterey, Calif., remained hospitalized Sunday night, but was expected to recover from wounds to his neck and right arm.

Eric Tarantino, 27, was fortunate that his red surfboard bore the brunt of the attack, and that the bite narrowly missed vital arteries. The shark, presumably a large great white, tore a 19-inch chunk from the board.

Bev Mikalonis, spokeswoman for Regional Medical Center of San Jose, told the San Jose Mercury News that the doctor treating Tarantino referred to the surfer as "the luckiest unlucky guy he's ever met" because the wound was so close to the jugular vein and carotid artery.

The attack occurred just after 7 a.m. Signs warning people to stay out of the water have been posted from Ford Ord to Moss Landing and will remain up through the week.

The incident occurred nine days after an Oregon surfer escaped injury after a large shark bit savagely into the front of his board, briefly lifting the board and surfer out of the water.

White sharks are ambush hunters that prey largely on seals and sea lions, and surfers sitting or paddling at the surface may resemble natural prey in the eyes of the apex predators.

Kelly Slater offers glimpse of latest creation: the perfect wave

If Kelly Slater says the artificial wave he's in the process of creating is going to be "the best wave anyone's ever made," it's probably true.

The 10-time world surfing champion has been teasing the surfing universe with mere glimpses of what's to come and today posted the accompanying video to his Facebook page. But it remains unclear when the Kelly Slater Wave Company technology is going to debut publicly, or become widely available as the champ strives to "recreate the surfing experience."

Those will be major steps toward introducing surfing to the landlocked masses if its purpose is not restricted to pro-level surfing; and for delivering the sport to a more mainstream audience and possibly, someday, to the Olympics.

If Slater's wave is that much better than artificial waves already featured at a sparse number of wave parks and resort hotels, surfing just might catch on in places where it presently does not exist.

Will an unlikely destination such as, say, Nebraska, someday produce a champion-caliber surfer? Probably not, but it will be interesting to see what kind of inroads Slater can make. He's done just about everything else he has set his mind to, so far.

"This is the future," he says in the video. "The wave I've been dreaming about my whole life."

Gun ownership rises sharply in U.S., poll finds

If you recently purchased a gun, chances are one of your neighbors did, too.

A Gallup Poll released this week reveals that 47% of adults in the United States claim to have a gun in their home or on their property. That's a 41% increase from a year ago and the 47% figure is the highest Gallup has reported since 1993.

Reasons for the spike are unclear.  The ailing economy  and a perceived threat of more crime could be one factor. A Democratic president, who is more likely to support gun-control measures, could be another.

In related news, a separate Gallup Poll shows that a record-low 26% of adult U.S. citizens favor a ban on the ownership of handguns by ordinary citizens. By comparison, 60% of citizens polled in 1959 favored a ban on handguns.

What this says about society now versus then is open to debate. But either more people believe that having a gun for protection is more important today, or more people are willing to report ownership of weapons.

The Gallup Poll found that Republicans and Independents are more likely to admit they own a gun than Democrats (55% to 40%). But the number of Democrats claiming to own a gun is up from 32% last October.

Also, the number of women claiming to own a gun is at an all-time high of 43%.

Overall, the South has the highest level of gun ownership (54%), while the East has the lowest (36%). The Midwest was second highest (51%), and the West was at 43%.

 Some might find this news a bit scary, while others will find it comforting.

Is it legal to use noise suppressors at a range or while hunting?

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Pete Thomas Outdoors, on Thursday or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly California Outdoors Q&A column:

Question: Is it legal to use noise suppressors (mistakenly called silencers) on rifles and handguns? I know that porting, venting, flash collars and muzzle brakes are OK to use at target ranges and while legally hunting in California. Can a noise suppressor that is attached to the front end of the barrel, or that slides over the front end of the barrel, be lawfully used at a target range or while legally hunting anywhere in California? (Tony N., Sr.)

Answer: No, stay completely away from silencers. It is a felony for any person, firm or corporation within the state to possess a silencer (California Penal Code, section 12520). Upon conviction, punishment includes imprisonment in the state prison or a fine not to exceed $10,000, or both. A silencer is defined as "… any device or attachment of any kind designed, used or intended for use in silencing, diminishing or muffling the report of a firearm." This definition and law also applies to any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a silencer (California Penal Code, section 12500).

Q: Why do most, if not all, boats for hire ban taking beer or liquor aboard? I have worked as a deckhand and fully understand the safety concerns, as well as what large amounts of space coolers full of beer for up to 70 people on a half-day trip might take up. What I am wondering though is whether there are any U.S. Coast Guard or Department of Fish and Game laws against it that I can quote for people who ask. Many of the anglers I’ve spoken with over the years get angry because they think the boat is just trying to make a buck. (Rob M.)

U.S. issues Travel Alert as Hurricane Rina nears Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula

The U.S. Department of State on Wednesday issued a Travel Alert for the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, on the Yucatan Peninsula, because of the onset of Hurricane Rina.

This includes popular resort areas Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. Rina, as of early Wednesday afternoon, was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, located about 185 miles south-southeast of Cozumel.

Rina is expected to make landfall early Thursday, and the National Hurricane Center has issued a Hurricane Warning for the northeast coast of the peninsula from just north of Punta Gruesa to San Felipe (this includes Tulum, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos and Cancun).

The Department of State is recommending that U.S. Citizens in the Quintana Roo area prepare themselves for the storm's approach and to carry their passports and travel documents or secure them in a safe, waterproof location. They also should let family and friends know of their precise whereabouts.

Because of Rina's compact size, according to The Weather Channel on Wednesday, "it is impossible today to specify which, if any, land areas on Yucatan will receive hurricane conditions."

It's unlikely that Rina, as it veers toward the northeast and skirts the northwestern edge of Cuba, will reach Florida as a hurricane. But the it could do so as a weaker tropical storm.   

-- Graphic is courtesy of The Weather Channel

Monterey Bay Aquarium releases captive great white shark

*This post was updated at 1:30 p.m.

The latest great white shark to have been on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium was set free Tuesday afternoon two miles west of the Goleta Pier, south of Point Conception in Southern California waters, after a 55-day stay at the popular waterfront facility.

The young male shark, the sixth white shark to have been featured in the facility's million-gallon Open Sea exhibit, had begun to navigate erratically, a sign that exhibit confines had become too small.

Aquarium spokesman Ken Peterson said via email: "He was sometimes rubbing against the walls of the exhibit as he swam. While this wasn't a problem now, our veterinarian and husbandry team were concerned that, if the behavior continued, it could cause abrasions."

Jon Hoech, director of husbandry, added in a news release: "These decisions are always governed by our concern for the health and well-being of these animals under our care. It became clear that it was time to release him."

Like the five previous captive sharks, this one has been tagged and its movements will be monitored. One tag is an archival device that will pop free relatively soon. Another is an internal tag with a life of up to five years. It will signal scientists each time it nears buoys that are part of a system stretching down the California and Baja California coasts. Scientists hope to learn more about the movements and behavior of white sharks as they begin to mature.

Updates will be posted on the aquarium's Facebook page and Twitter account, and on its Sea Notes blog.

The shark weighed only 43.2 pounds when he was captured during the summer off Malibu. It weighed 52 pounds and measured 4 feet 10 inches at the time of his release. Below is a video, filmed by a visitor, showing the shark on Monday, its final day in captivity.

Photo showing the young white shark on display is by Monterey Bay Aquarium/Tyson Rininger

 

Speed-flying star Antoine Montant dies in French Alps mishap

Antoine Montant, a champion speed flier and thrill-seeking skier and BASE jumper, has died during a solo BASE jumping expedition in the French Alps, presumably after his parachute failed to open.

The Frenchman's body was discovered by police Sunday in the Haute-Savoie region, a day after his girlfriend had reported him missing. His chute reportedly had not been deployed. Local authorities are investigating.

Montant, 30, was a multiple speed-flying competition winner and stuntman. (Speed-flying blends skiing and paragliding.)

He always sought more exciting and creative ways down the slopes. As an example, the  accompanying video shows helmet-cam footage of Montant sliding on the rail of the old cable car at Chamonix last December.

On Tuesday, Red Bull released a statement about its star athlete, part of which reads: "His talent was matched only by his imagination for ways to get back down to the valley floor. Even though he achieved some amazing feats, Antoine's exploits in alpine skiing were not widely known. But unlike many extreme skiing purists, Antoine was first and foremost an inventor. He liked finding unlikely routes and blending types."

Montant learned many of his skills from his older brother, Valéry, who was killed during a skiing accident in 2006.

Blue whale gives passengers off Dana Point an eyeful (video)

This may go down as the most amazing blue whale season tp date in Southern California, in terms of consistent sightings over a wide area and close encounters. And perhaps the most amazing encounter of all was that Friday involving a giant blue whale that swam just a few feet from a woman inside the small underwater viewing pod of a boat out of Dana Point., Calif.

Video of the encounter, which was filmed aboard a catamaran operated by Capt. Dave's Dolphin & Whale Safari, was released Monday.  Pay special attention between the 48- and 57-second mark, as that's when you can see the whale's eye, just above the inner edge of the mouth line, in the slow-motion footage.

In the video, one female passenger can be heard describing the encounter as "a miracle." Leslie Jeanne Morava is credited with the underwater footage, while Capt. Dave Anderson shot from above-surface.

Orange County has been a hot spot for the past week,  as blue whales have gathered en masse to gorge on shrimp-like krill. There also are fin whales in the area, so passengers, if they're fortunate, are able to see the world's two largest whale species on the same voyage. (Blue whales are the largest, reaching lengths of 100 feet and weights of up to 150 tons.)

However, it probably won't be long until the blue whales depart for warmer waters to the south. Last year at this time, most of them had already left.