Pete Thomas Outdoors

Massive sheephead (21.13 pounds) caught off Dana Point

 

Randy Beebe (left) poses next to his monster sheephead catch, being held by Capt. Chris Pica

 

While many are hoping that a predicted El Niño will lure exotic species of game fish into Southern California waters, a resident sheephead was turning heads on Saturday.

The California sheephead, caught by Randy Beebe aboard the Reel Fun out of Dana Wharf Sportfishing in Dana Point, tipped the scale at 21.13 pounds.

It was the largest sheephead anyone at the landing had seen, and it’s much larger than the typical 3- to 7-pound sheephead caught by Southern California anglers.

However, it falls short of the International Game Fish Assn. world record sheephead, a 28-pound 6-ounce specimen caught at Mexico’s Revillagigedo Islands in 1999.

The California state record is a 30-pound 8-ounce  sheephead off Newport Beach in 2009. That catch, however, was not approved by the IGFA.

California sheephead are found from about Monterey to central Mexico.

Beebe, who is from Laguna Niguel, was fishing with the Dana Wharf Rod and Reel Club. The fish was filleted and shared with other anglers.

The Reel Fun was captained by Chris Pica.

Unusual whales, dolphins you won't want to miss this summer

California’s summer whale-watching season has begun, and many are on lookout for gargantuan blue whales, which spend parts of summer and fall gorging on krill. Not to be overlooked, however, are numerous smaller whales and dolphins. But among these thousands upon thousands of cetaceans, only a small number truly stand out, so we’ve compiled a list of what tourists might watch out for during their next ocean odyssey.

5 whales, dolphins you might see off California:

Hook (blue whale, pictured above)

The peculiar shape of this mammal's tail fluke, most likely the result of a birth defect or an orca bite early in life, has inspired many nicknames. But "Hook" is the name that stuck, and when Hook is sighted news spreads rapidly via social media. Last summer, when Hook remained off the Los Angeles area for several days, one whale-watching business was ferrying media out for a look. Hook loves to raise its tail fluke high into the air before deep-water dives, and that could be because the mammal needs the extra body push downward to make up for the lack of power in its fluke. Spotted from San Diego to Monterey. Click for video.

 

Patches (offshore bottlenose dolphin; pictured above)

Name needs no explanation. Easy to spot among its gray pod members. Coloration ranges from various shades of gray, to pink and white. Spotted sporadically beginning in 2006, mostly off Southern California. Often seen with 50 to 100 ordinary bottlenose dolphins. Typically boat friendly. Spotted last week off the Los Angeles area. Click for video.

Delta (blue whale; pictured above) Another mammal made famous by the shape of its tail fluke, the ends of which are turned upward like winglets on an airplane wing. First known sighting was 1987 in the Gulf of the Farallones west of San Francisco. Early on, most sightings were off northern Central California, but in recent years Delta has favored Southern California waters. Click for video.

Chopfin (killer whale, pictured above)

Easy to discern because of its square and tattered dorsal fin, which was damaged several years ago, most likely, as a result of a net entanglement, and later shredded, most likely, by a boat propeller. Researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger calls him the poster boy for human interaction involving fishing gear and boat propellers. “But it doesn’t handicap him,” the researcher said. Spotted as far north as Washington and as far south as Southern California, but is usually seen off Monterey. [caption id="attachment_118426" align="alignnone" width="620"]

Kinko (blue whale, pictured above)

A large female named because of a distinct kink on the left side of her fluke. Also boasts distinct markings on her back, but easiest identification is when she reveals her fluke during deep dives in search of krill. Kinko is a mom; she was spotted in 2011 with a calf. Another crowd favorite. Spotted last week off Dana Point. Donna Kalez, general manager of Dana Wharf Whale Watching, said Kinko loves to fluke off the Dana Point headland. Click here for video.

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv Outdoor

–Photos (top to bottom): Hook the blue whale by Alan Gibby/Zone57; Patches the offshore bottlenose dolphin by ©Melissa Galieti; Delta the blue whale by ©Frank Brennan/Dana Wharf Whale Watching; Chopfin the killer whale by ©Cody Martin;  Kinko the blue whale by Frank Brennan/Dana Wharf Whale Watching

Vampire squid pays surprise visit to Gulf of Mexico explorers

Video screen grab

Scientists using a remotely-operated vehicle to explore the depths of Gulf of Mexico on Friday marveled at the sight of rarely-observed vampire squid, swimming lazily above the sea floor.

The sighting was documented by the crew aboard EVNautilus, and the footage shows the fascinating cephalopod moving slowly, yet gracefully in the gentle current.

 

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which last month acquired a vampire squid, they're an ancient species that possess characteristics of a squid and an octopus. Its Latin name, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, translates to “vampire squid from hell.”

Contrary to its name, however, the vampire squid does not eat blood. Rather, it scavenges largely on marine snow—organic detritus—and decaying animal carcasses.

The richly colored critter boasts incredibly large eyes and can turn itself inside out to escape predators. Vampire squid are thought to reside at lightless depths between 2,000 and 3,000 feet.

Aside from the Gulf of Mexico, they've been observed in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) and off Monterey Bay. The EVNautilus is studying the impacts of oil and gas inputs into the Gulf of Mexico.

–Pete Thomas

Fans of endangered Southern Resident killer whales hoping for a new calf

Is she, or isn’t she?

That’s the burning question regarding the possibility–or likelihood?–that one of an endangered population of Pacific Northwest killer whales is pregnant.

On Tuesday, a day after J32, also named Rhapsody, was photographed breaching off Victoria, British Columbia, marine mammal enthusiasts became engaged in a spirited debate on social media. Some were more hopeful than others, but everyone was rooting for an orca calf.

Rhapsody belongs to J pod, one of three pods that make up the Southern Resident killer whales. As the images show, the 18-year-old female is revealing what looks to be an enormous baby bump.

If Rhapsody is pregnant, and delivers a healthy calf, it would represent a significant boon for J pod, which numbers only 25 animals. It would also be a boon for the overall Southern Resident population, which numbers only 80 animals. (There are three pods. K pod is the smallest, with 19, and L pod is the largest with 36.)

“It’s been since August of 2012 that we’ve seen a new calf in the Southern Residents, and yet there have been four losses since then, so we’re hoping to see at least one new baby this year,” says Howard Garrett, who runs Orca Network, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness about whales of the Pacific Northwest. “It’s never easy to tell from how the females look whether they’ll have a calf or not so it’s always a pleasant surprise, and we’d love to see some surprises this year.”

Pleasant surprises are few and far between when it comes to the Southern Residents, the only endangered population of killer whales in the U.S.

They’ve endured hardships with sources ranging from pollution, ship traffic, to a scarcity of salmon as their primary food source. Their current numbers are near an all-time low.

But because they’re such a valuable tourism resource, and so embattled, each Southern Resident is regarded as a celebrity by marine mammal enthusiasts. A new baby, to be sure,  would be cause for celebration.

However, until a calf is seen, emotions are ranging from cautiously optimistic to doubtful.

Simon Pidcock of Ocean EcoVentures Whale Watching began a comment thread Monday on his personal Facebook page, on which many longtime orca observers were stating that all the baby talk is purely speculation, that J32 is just a well-fed and happy orca.

“J32 just looks like a fat healthy whale to me,” Pidcock wrote. “Even last year when they were getting nowhere near as much fish, she was still looking large. So great to see them foraging so much… feels like 7 or 8 years ago.”

Responded Melisa Pinnow: “Lots of people thought she was pregnant last year too. I think it is just a combination of her being well fed, the angle of the photo, and the way she sticks her belly out when she breaches. I won’t complain if she turns up with a calf though.”

Tasli Shaw was more positive, and creative. She pieced together a mock People Magazine cover with the announcement, “It’s Twins! Or is it triplets? Our inside look at the life of Rhapsody and how she feels about the baby rumors.” (The mock cover is posted above.)

People magazine last month week featured “Granny,” a Southern Resident who, at 102 years old, is believed to be the world’s oldest orca.

Perhaps soon the world’s youngest orca, son or daughter of Rhapsody, will be visible alongside mom.

After all, orcas typically have their first calves between the ages of 11 and 15, so the timing is beyond right.

Researchers are painfully aware that J pod needs young blood to help the overall stock.

Said Victoria-based orca researcher Josh McInnes, who was among the photographers out with the mammals on Monday:

“Top predators have a tough life… especially social predators. Calves have a high mortality rate within the first six months. There is also the issue of inbreeding as the population decreases. As inbreeding occurs, so does the chance for harmful mutations which lead to disease. This new calf could mean a future reproductive female or a male that may sire more calves.”

So as so many are saying, here’s hoping the rumors are true!

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv Outdoor

–Images (top to bottom) are courtesy of ©Josh McInnes. Mock People magazine cover is via Tasli Shaw

Odd-looking roosterfish caught off Baja's East Cape region, and it's not the first

Roosterfish are prized for their stubbornness on the hook and, perhaps above all else, their beautiful shape and coloration.

But a large roosterfish caught Sunday in Baja California’s East Cape region looked as though it had survived an oil spill. Its flesh was covered with dark blotches, its stripes were missing, and its tail-fin was worn.

The 40- to 50-pound roosterfish was caught by crew members aboard Jen Wren, which is operated by Mark and Jennifer Rayor of Jen Wren Sportfishing.

Rayor said the fish ate a Spanish mackerel and was hooked east of Rancho Leonero Resort, in about 60 feet of water. His crew said the blotches were the result of odd pigmentation, and that there were no growths on the fish.

They could not explain the worn tail-fin and said the fish was safely released.

Interestingly, a roosterfish with similar markings was caught in the same area a few years ago.

Fly-fishing guide Lance Peterson posted a photo of that fish recently on his Facebook page, stating:

“Truly the oddest looking roosterfish I've ever seen. This solid specimen fought hard and swam away strong. However, its appearance would indicate it wasn't in the best of health. Note the unusual blotches on it's head and body...ranging in color from black to turquoise. What could cause this odd coloration and damage to the dorsal and caudal fins?”

Rayor, on the Jen Wren Sportfishing Facebook page, named roosterfish caught Sunday "Pigpen."

We’ve sent photos to experts and will update this post if we get any valid explanations.

–Pete Thomas

–Photos show the blotched roosterfish caught aboard Jen Wren, and what a clean-looking and healthy roosterfish looks like. Credit: Jen Wren Sportfishing and Rancho Leonero Resort

Synchronized humpback whale breach captured on camera in Monterey Bay

Humpback whale breaches are a fairly common sight in areas where the mammals are feeding and socializing.

Images showing breaching humpbacks are so commonplace that you can find them on just about every website or social media page devoted to whales and other marine mammals.

But a double breach, or a perfectly synchronized breach, is a rare sight and extremely difficult to capture with a camera, because it’s such an unpredictable event.

That’s why Kate Cummings, who on Thursday captured the image atop this post, said she was “still full of adrenaline” hours after her expedition with Blue Ocean Whale Watch out of Monterey Bay.

Cummings, who is co-owner and naturalist for Blue Ocean Whale Watch, said she snapped the photo a half-mile from the entrance of Moss Landing Harbor.

“One of these two whales had swum over to our boat 15 minutes earlier and breached right off the bow, then it swam off and met up with another whale and both swam over to the boat together and dove down,” Cummings said. “Thirty  seconds later they were both flying out of the water! I'm happy to know I can scream and take a photo at the same time!”

Cummings gave credit to Capt. Jim Davis and explained why via Facebook message:  "Funniest part about it is I was looking at my camera to see if I caught the first breach when Jim said to me, "Stop looking at your photos, dumb dumb, the whales are going to breach!' I probably wouldn't have gotten the photo if Jim hadn't said that!"

The image was posted on the Blue Ocean Whale Watch Facebook page with this description:

"Good thing there's no audio attached to this photo because I was screaming my lungs out when it happened!

"Most definitely the most beautifully synchronized double breach we've ever seen... and only 100 feet from the boat. Any closer and they wouldn't have fit in the frame!"

We probably can expect the image to replace the single-breaching humpback image currently on the cover of the company Facebook page.

–Pete Thomas

Western Australia spends $25,000 per target shark in first phase of controversial cull

It turns out Western Australia’s shark-culling program is not only controversial, but very expensive.

An official review of the program’s recent 14-week trial period revealed that it cost the government $1.28 million, or about $25,000 per shark that met the target size of at least three meters long.

Overall, 172 sharks were caught during the trial period that ended on April 30. Of those, 50 met the target size and were killed. That comes out to $25,600 per shark.

Despite fierce opposition from conservationists and shark experts who claim the shark cull is environmentally damaging, and that it only provides a false sense of security, the WA government hopes to resume the program, for another three summers, beginning in November.

Of the 172 sharks, 163 were tiger sharks. Less than one-third measured three meters, but many died anyway, after being hooked on baited drum lines.

No great white sharks were caught, and this is helping to fuel the controversy, since great white sharks are believed to have been responsible for all of the 10 fatal shark attacks during the past 10 years.

Seven of those attacks occurred during the 3 1/2 years, prompting a call for action among coastal residents and business owners who rely on ocean-related tourism.

The Western Australian government maintains that white sharks are more prevalent during early summer months, and that it did not expect to catch many white sharks during the trial period, which began in mid-January.

WA Premier Colin Barnett is quoted in Perth Now as saying the Public Environmental Review (PER) “vindicated” the bait-and-kill policy, adding that it “increased public safety on our beaches.”

“The $1.3 million is a significant amount of money,” Barnett added, “but only a small portion of the $22 million the State Government is spending on shark mitigation.”

A breakdown of expenditures included $152,000 for standard crew pay, $170,000 for overtime, $100,000 on equipment, $163,000 on fuel, $17,000 on bait, $10,000 on security, and $143,000 on other operating costs.

The baited drum lines were said to have restored public confidence among water users, but critics contend that the removal of so many sharks only lends a perception of safety.

In the PER summary, the University of Western Australia, Wildlife Marine, Western Australian Marine Science Institution, and James Cook University commented that the program “has not been effective as it has not caught a white shark [and] cannot reduce the risk of shark attack, even if white sharks are caught.”

Among the critics of such programs is Chris Lowe, a white shark expert at Cal State University at Long Beach, California.

Lowe recently told the International Business Times: “This is like a script from the movie ‘Jaws.’ It’s really about quelling public concerns for tourism issues. In all places where these things occur, they tend to be very popular tourist destinations … Many shark biologists are now of the opinion, based on decades of growing data sets, that this doesn’t work.”

Lowe and colleagues have studied data from culling programs in Hawaii from the 1950s, and found that the removal of nearly 5,000 sharks “had no measurable effect” on the rate of shark attacks on humans.

In an interview with GrindTV, Lowe added, “The decision to continue culling is strictly an emotionally and politically-based one, certain not a science-based one.”

And, as pointed out, at $25,000 per shark, it’s hardly cost effective.

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv Outdoor

–Great white shark and tiger shark images are courtesy of Shark Diver

American paddlefish, more than 300 million years old, receive boost from scientists, schoolchildren

The American paddlefish flourished throughout the Mississippi River basin for more than 300 million years, before being nearly wiped out as civilization spread throughout their range.

But this week the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service tweeted that “an ancient fish species is making a comeback,” and linked to its story about an ambitious effort to aid the recovery of paddlefish.

The USFWS reports that 50 hatchery-raised paddlefish were recently released into Caddo Lake on the Texas-Louisiana border, and on the Big Cypress Bayou River, on which the lake is formed.

Each fish is 18 months old and measures 2 to 3 feet, and each is fitted with a small transmitter that will allow scientists to monitor their movements.

If all goes well, the plankton-eating fish, which use their blade-like snouts as steering aids, will reach their full length of about 7 feet, and weights to about 200 pounds.

It’s an worthwhile project considering that American paddlefish, which have disappeared in many areas because of habitat destruction and the construction of dams, is the oldest surviving animal species in North America, even older than dinosaurs.

Its scientific name is Polyodon spatula. Its Greek and Latin words translate to “many teeth” and “spatula,” even though the American paddlefish has no teeth and swims with its mouth open to catch plankton.

Though it can reach seven feet, nearly one-third of its length is the blade-like bill. Paddlefish were once far more widespread, but have completely disappeared in many areas.

They’re a vulnerable species and considered threatened in Texas, where they are rarely found, and protected against fishing efforts.

The Paddlefish Experiment and Education Project is part of a larger project to enhance flows throughout vast Caddo Lake watershed.

The 50 paddlefish were released in March and their progress is being monitored by USFWS biologists, but also by Texas schoolchildren, who have adopted individual fish and have given them names.

Twenty schools are involved and among the paddlefish names are Andre, Bobcat Swag, Calypso, Don the Fish, Griselda, Pebbles, and Polly Sprinkles.

The students follow the movements of their respective paddlefish via a website tracking map.

The enhanced flow regimes, thanks to an effort that involved multiple agencies and stakeholders, will be important if the paddlefish are going to survive, and their health will help determine the overall health of the watershed.

If scientists determine that the experiment is working, they will step up the recovery effort by releasing thousands of juvenile paddlefish in the hope of restoring “a viable population for the future.”

It’s an admirable effort, to be sure, considering the astonishing amount of time these fish roamed U.S. waterways.

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv Outdoor

–Paddlefish photos are courtesy of the USFWS

Unusual catches, whales in odd places, pelican woes could be signs that impending El Niño will be significant

A developing El Niño in the equatorial Pacific has generated predictions of drastic weather changes–some devastating, some beneficial–throughout the world.

There’s a 90% probability that an El Niño will form, up considerably from previous predictions, but the main question no is whether this will be moderate El Niño or, more likely, a powerful warm-water event such as those in the early 1980s and late 90s.

The extent of El Niño’s strength won’t be known until late summer or fall. But based on early interesting signals, in the form of mammals, birds and fish showing up where they don’t typically belong, it’s looking as though this El Niño is going to be significant.

Earlier this week two Bryde’s whales, a mother and calf, were photographed during two voyages on the same day off Huntington Beach, California, by researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger.

Bryde’s whales, which measure to about 45 feet, are fairly common in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. Sightings off California, however, are extremely rare.

Schulman-Janiger said that during NOAA surveys off California between 1991 and 2005, there was only one confirmed sighting of Bryde’s whales, which are also referred to as “tropical whales” because they prefer a warm environment.

Less than a week earlier, a large pod of pilot whales showed off Dana Point on the Orange County coast. Pilot whales are found around the world, including off Mexico, but it had been nearly 20 years since they were last spotted off Southern California.

In late March, false killer whales, another ultra-rare visitor from warmer waters, thrilled whale watchers off Orange County.

Strange visitors often portend strange happenings in their environment.

Fishermen are seeing signs, also. Anglers out of San Diego, on short excursions into Mexican waters, began catching yellowfin tuna in May. That’s unprecedented, according to some, as this sub-tropical species typically doesn’t show that far north until late summer, if at all.

During the El Niño in 1983-84 and 1997-98, however, yellowfin tuna migrated north early and, during the summer, were caught well into U.S. waters.

“We’ve already started to see very unusual fish catches here,” Tim Barnett, marine research emeritus with the San Diego-based Scripps Institution of Oceanography, told KPBS. “The first yellowfin tuna was caught in May—that has never happened before to anybody’s recollection.

“And the other thing too is the first dorado (mahi-mahi)—first of June. That has never happened before. They really like the warm water and you normally don’t see them here until September.”

Barnett said the 1997-98 El Niño, the biggest in a century, caused a northward shift of the entire fishery population, and he predicts a similar event is developing.

Water temperatures are unseasonably warm in some areas off Southern California, but only by a couple of degrees. Temperatures are significantly warmer than usual, however, off parts of western Mexico, including the Sea of Cortez.

This not only drives fish populations and some mammals beyond their typical range, but it causes shifts in bait fish populations.

This appears to have seriously affected California brown pelicans, about 90% of which breed and rear young in the Sea of Cortez.
 
Researchers recently discovered that the 2014 breeding season was so poor that one scientist referred to it as “a bust.”

Sam Anderson, a UC Davis biologist and part of a survey team that visited traditional nesting sites, told ABC News that where they would typically encounter tens of thousands of breeding pairs of pelicans, there were only sparse numbers. Some nesting sites were alarmingly deserted.

“That’s what we call a failure, a bust. The bottom dropped out,” Anderson said.
Mark Rayor, who runs Jen-Wren Sportfishing in the Sea of Cortez, in Baja California’s East Cape region, said sardines and other types of bait fish are nowhere to be found.

Rayor has logged water temperatures as high as 86 degrees, which is more typical of late July or August. He said blue marlin and sailfish, which generally begin to arrive in early August, are already showing in the offshore blue water.

Anderson, however, was reluctant to place all of the blame for the pelicans’ plight on the developing El Niño.

“During most El Niño events we’ve seen, numbers of nesting attempts drop by at least half to two-thirds, and production goes down, too. But it drops from thousands to hundreds, not 10 or less.”

Whether El Niño is to blame or not, however, a powerful El Niño appears imminent, and the marine environment, on this side of the equator anyway, is already somewhat off-kilter.

These are just some of the early messengers of change; they probably won’t be the last.

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv Outdoor

–Photos: Mahi-Mahi (credit ©Pete Thomas), Bryde's whale off Huntington Beach (©Alisa Schulman-Janiger), yellowfin tuna (©Mark Rayor), false killer whales off Dana Point (©Pete Thomas), California brown pelicans off Cabo San Lucas (©Pete Thomas), pilot ewhale off Dana Point (©Frank Brennan/Dana Wharf Whale Watch)

For California brown pelicans, another major blow; breeding season described as 'a bust'

Just when it seemed as though the California brown pelican population was flourishing, having rebounded from near-extinction over the past century, the iconic birds have suffered another significant setback.

The University of California at Davis has released findings of a survey that reveal a sharp decline in the number of breeding pairs in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California.

About 90% of California brown pelicans breed and raise their chicks in the gulf. Biologists visit sites that typically hold tens of thousands of nesting birds.

But this year many those sites were alarmingly deserted, in some cases totally deserted.

“That’s what we call a failure, a bust. The bottom dropped out,” Dan Anderson, a UC Davis biologist who was part of a survey team that also involved a Mexican ecological group, told ABC News.

California brown pelicans can often be seen soaring up and down the California coast, and their abundance during the past few years seemed to indicate a burgeoning population.

But if a new year class is substantially diminished, as it seems to be, far fewer pelicans might be seen in the next few years.

It’s possible that the crash could be linked to a developing El Niño in the equatorial mid-Pacific.

Water temperatures are warmer than normal in the Sea of Cortez and bait populations have shifted, affecting the pelicans’ ability to find food.

However, there could be more to this problem than a developing El Niño.

"During most El Niño events we've seen, numbers of nesting attempts drop by at least half to two-thirds, and production goes down, too," Anderson said, in a UC Davis statement. "But it drops from thousands to hundreds, not to 10 or less."

California brown pelicans, in recent decades, began a remarkable comeback after nearly being wiped out because of DDT pesticide poisoning.

They were declared an endangered species in 1970, and removed from the list in 2009, when their population was estimated to number 150,000.

The large birds, which feed by plunging into the water and catching fish with their large beaks, are found as far north as Washington.

–Pete Thomas

–Photo: Two California brown pelicans rest atop a rock earlier this month beyond Cabo San Lucas at Land's End. Credit: ©Pete Thomas