Pete Thomas Outdoors

Large tiger shark swims off with pricey camera–and the diver!

Tiger sharks in the Bahamas will sometimes inspect and bump camera equipment being carried by scuba divers.

But one large shark took more than a passing interest recently; it clamped down on a $10,000 camera and ended up swimming off with the rig–and, for a brief period, with the diver!

 

The accompanying footage, captured By Shawn Hull, shows the shark’s approach, the opening and closing of the mouth around the camera, and the diver being pulled beneath the shark’s belly, and finally the diver letting go, realizing he could not win this battle.

There are a couple of choice and unsavory words issued when the diver realizes his camera is lost. The words are muffled by water, but you get his drift.

Frightened cat spotted on airplane wing (video)

 

The pilot and co-pilot of an ultralight airplane were enjoying the view from several hundred feet above ground when they spotted a cat that must have been napping on the wing before the plane took off.

The feline first appears at 38 seconds in the accompanying video. It seems to be aware of its plight, feeling the stiff breeze, sensing great height, and trying to figure its next move.

The cat then crawls prominently into view of the camera, while the flight instructor and his co-pilot are still unaware that they were transporting a very frightened stowaway.

Flight instructor, Romain Jantot first spots his unintended passenger at the 1-minute mark. It’s at this point that the cat starts meowing, as if to say, “Help!”

The woman steals a glance as Jantot begins his descent. Ultimately, the plane lands and the cat jumps to the ground and runs off.

The incident occurred in Kourou, French Guinea. Jantot stated in the YouTube description: “A standard flight until … i still do not know if it got in after the pre-flight check or if I missed it.”

The instructor added: “The cat is doing well, she is still our mascot.”

731-pound mako shark caught off Dana Point

Anglers and spearfishermen have logged several impressive catches of bluefin tuna and yellowtail in recent weeks off Orange County, thanks in part to the influx of millions of pelagic red crabs.

But perhaps the top catch of the spring/summer season was that of a 731-pound mako shark, landed Friday off Dana Point.

 

catch of the day! 🎣 731 pound #makoshark #danapoint congrats Kenny & friends

A photo posted by parkerstrick💛 (@parkerstrick) on Jun 19, 2015 at 6:27pm PDT

We’re not sure who reeled in the giant shark, but it was weighed Friday at Dana Point Fuel Dock, and the two photos of the shark were posted to Instagram by Parker Strick with the statement, “Catch of the day! Congrats Kenny & friends."

John Van Dixhorn, owner of Dana Point Fuel Dock, captured the image below this post. It was supplied via Dana Wharf Sportfishing.

 

Pelagic red crabs still swarming off Orange County, pinching surfers and attracting giant tuna

Donna Kalez stands among thousands of red crabs in Laguna Beach; photo courtesy of Donna Kalez

By Pete Thomas

The influx of pelagic red crabs into Southern California waters, and onto area beaches, piquing the interest of beachgoers and attracting huge bluefin tuna, which have been foraging on the tiny crustaceans.

The crabs’ arrival, during the past couple of weeks, has been linked to the strengthening El Nino, a warm-water phenomenon originating in the equatorial eastern Pacific.

The bright red crabs, also called tuna crabs, are easy to spot, and some of the live critters, before they become stranded and die, have wreaked minor havoc at surf spots.

“They were pinching me out there,” Ethan Mudge, a NSSA competitor who was referring to one of his heats Sunday at Salt Creek in Laguna Beach, told the Orange County Register. “They were hard to paddle through."

On Monday evening, Capt. Brian Woolley of the Sun Fun out of Dana Wharf Sportfishing, located a massive swarm of crabs on his sonar. The crustaceans later floated to the surface, the way squid schools sometimes rise to feed after dark.

Meanwhile, anglers and spear fishermen have been catching and spearing giant tuna as close as five miles from shore.

The photo at right shows Dallas Clifton posing with a 134-pound bluefin caught off Dana Point. (Photo is courtesy of Accurate Fishing.

One man speared a 130-pound tuna from a Jetski.

Pro surfer Bethany Hamilton announces birth of first child

Photo courtesy of Bethany Hamilton

Pro surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her left arm and nearly her life during a shark attack in 2003 off Kauai, is a first-time mom.

The announcement by Hamilton and her husband, Adam Dirks, was made Monday via Instagram and Facebook.

It reads:

“Blessed to welcome our son, Tobias, into the world. Born June 1st, 7.9 lbs. and 21" Long. He is named after his great grandpa Tobias meaning "The goodness of God." Adam and I so in love with our lil guy and are stoked to share life with him!”

Understandably, the posts were flooded with comments by well-wishers. The Facebook post alone garnered more than 500,000 likes and 17,000 shares in the first four hours.

Hamilton, 25,was able to keep surfing at a high level after the shark attack, and her inspirational story was made into the popular feature film, "Soul Surfer."

She and Dirks, a youth minister, were married in August 2013.

 

Blessed to welcome our son, Tobias, into the world. Born June 1st, 7.9 lbs. and 21" Long. He is named after his great grandpa Tobias meaning "The goodness of God." Adam and I so in love with our lil guy and are stoked to share life with him! #stokedmomma Photo: @TimmyHamilton

A photo posted by Bethany Hamilton (@bethanyhamilton) on Jun 15, 2015 at 10:14am PDT

 

Blue whales, including the famous 'Delta,' spotted with calves off Orange County

Blue whales are arriving off Southern California, searching for enormous krill patches on which to feed.

It remains to be seen whether this will be a productive whale-watching season, given the unseasonably warm water in some areas,  and a strengthening El Niño.

But some of these great leviathans, the largest creatures to have inhabited earth, are already making their presence known off Orange County.

 

They include a famous seasonal visitor named Delta, because the mammal’s upturned fluke ends reminds some of the tail section of a jet.

Delta was spotted over the weekend off Newport Beach and Dana Point with what might be her calf. The photo atop this post, courtesy of Dana Wharf Whale Watch, shows Delta on a very gloomy Friday.

The first video, uploaded Monday by Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Safari, shows the calf approaching the catamaran Manute’a, to the delight of passengers.

 

“It was almost as if the smaller whale wanted to play with the boat!” states the video description.

The second video, uploaded by Dana Wharf Whale Watch, shows aerial footage of a different blue whale swimming with a calf. Almost immediately, viewers can watch the calf roll over and swim upside down–a behavior that's rarely observed.

If the sun had been out, footage in both videos would have been even more spectacular.

About 2,000 blue whales that feed in waters off California, from about late May through early fall. Where they'll be seen depends entirely on plankton-like krill, which is practically their sole source of sustenance.

A single adult blue whale can consume 4 tons of krill per day, so they need to go where the blooms are largest.

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

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

Mexico has issued a tropical storm watch for much of Baja California Sur, including Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, as Hurricane Blanca takes aim at the peninsula.

As of 2 p.m. Pacific daylight time, Blanca was 550 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas, and traveling very slowly toward the northwest. The storm boasted maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.

Swifter movement was expected over the next 24 hours and Blanca is expected to remain at hurricane strength (74-mph winds) into early Sunday, when it will be much closer to Baja’s tip.

The storm center is not predicted to score a direct hit on Cabo San Lucas, according to most computer models. Instead, it will weaken to a tropical storm before skirting Cabo San Lucas, and perhaps to a tropical depression before coming ashore in the Magdalena Bay area on the Pacific side of the peninsula.

But that's only a prediction. After the damage inflicted by Hurricane Odile last September, many in Cabo San Lucas are acting as though the storm is going to come much closer than the computer models suggest.

"So far it's totally calm, but we are going to pull our boats out tomorrow anyway," Tracy Ehrenberg, general manager of Pisces Sportfishing," stated Friday afternoon via email. "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 added, "The water temp in the Sea of Cortez is high, so matter what they say, the
hurricane could get sucked in there."

But heavy rain, strong winds, and powerful storm surges are likely throughout portions of the state. The port captain in Cabo San Lucas closed the marina at 3 p.m. Friday; it probably will remain closed at least through Monday.

On a side note, elections are scheduled Sunday for major offices in Baja California Sur, including state governor, and the storm is likely to affect voter turnout.

–Graphic via AccuWeather.com; satellite photo via NASAOAA

173-pound bluefin tuna speared off Dana Point; exceeds state record by 75 pounds

Southern California anglers have logged several impressive bluefin tuna catches during the past couple of weeks, but a San Clemente spearfisherman on Wednesday subdued a massive bluefin that's likely to shatter a 33-year-old California record.

Aaron Shook, while hunting tuna eight miles of Dana Point with two friends, shot and landed a 173.3-pound bluefin, which is 75 pounds heavier than the existing state record, held by legendary blue-water hunter Terry Maas.

Maas shot his 98-pound tuna on June 1, 1982, at Cortes Bank, 100 miles west of Orange County.

Shook's tuna was speared only eight miles offshore, and after he and his two partners hauled the behemoth aboard their 21-foot boat, the trio stood “in stunned silence.”

“Then we traded high fives,” Shook said. “There was plenty of elation and, I must say, quite a bit of relief. It was like living a dream.”

Shook said he planned to file paperwork with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as soon as possible.

Bluefin tuna are pelagic fish that typically don’t show or hang around long enough in Southern California to be targeted by freedivers.

But Shook, Jon Walla and Dominic Vadala had heard stories about bluefin being caught off Dana Point. Large schools have, in fact, been spotted for the past few weeks at several offshore seamounts.


The divers embarked at dawn Wednesday and looked for several hours before they spotted a large school breezing near the surface. Walla volunteered to act as captain while Shook and Vadala jumped in, hoping for a clean shot.

Shook said he saw flashes of color at a depth of about 80 feet. He started his descent, but at the same time the school rose. One of the tuna suddenly turned on its side, “as if looking at me.”

That became the prize, but it was not easily claimed.

After Shook fired from about 25 feet, and scored a direct hit. The tuna “torpedoed down like a sub,” and the rest of the school scattered.

The line was attached to a buoy at the surface; Shook surfaced and watched the buoy being pulled underwater. After 20 minutes, he swam down for another shot, hoping to put the fish out of its misery.

He would end up shooting the fish three times, and using a knife to finish the job.

On Thursday, when reached by telephone, Shook said he was busy carving fillets and placing them in vacuum-sealed bags.

“My friends are going to be getting a lot of fresh tuna this week,” he said.

–Images of Aaron Shook and his tuna are via Aaron Shook and Megan Walla

Twin baby gray whales off Dana Point? Unlikely, but still a very rare sighting

The rare sight of two calves swimming alongside a female adult gray whale Monday off Dana Point generated speculation among some on the boat, including its captain, that the young whales might be twins.

Capt. Dave Anderson, of Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari, captured the accompanying footage and described the sighting as “the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen on the ocean.”

It’s doubtful, however, that the calves are twins. One is noticeably larger than the other, and a more likely scenario is that one of the calves lost its mother and has been accepted by the adult female, as the trio migrates from Baja California calving and nursing grounds to Arctic feeding grounds.

 

Alisa Schulman-Janiger, a gray whale researcher, commented on Facebook:

“Dana Pt., CA: Gray Whale with Two Calves, caught on drone video yesterday! One calf appears to be larger than the other. Most likely one calf was orphaned or separated from its mom, and is traveling with another cow/calf pair; hopefully she can nurse them both.

“Many years ago I watched a gray whale mom with two calves off our Gray Whale Census [station] at Pt. Vicente [in Los Angeles County]. Documentation of cetacean twins is extraordinarily rare; the only way to verify if they are twins is to obtain and analyze a genetic sample from each.”

Schulman-Janiger pointed out that based on the rotundness of the adult female, she most likely has not been nursing both calves since birth; otherwise, she said, the mother “would be drained; she’d look emaciated. It's more likely than one was orphaned/abandoned, and then adopted; she probably is nursing both now."

Whatever the case, these whales are hundreds of miles behind most of the 20,000 gray whales migrating toward and the Bering Sea region.

The northbound migration off Southern California generally peaks in two stages: males and other individuals whales in mid-March; and mothers and calves from the end of April into early May.

However, cow-calf pairs are often spotted in early June as well.

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