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.
"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."
A dorado caught off Cabo San Lucas last week was said to have weighed 102 pounds, which is 15 pounds heavier than a world record that has stood since 1976.
The massive dorado–a.k.a mahi-mahi or dolphinfish–was caught by Brian Lindsey, a visitor from Mississippi, aboard Shambala, a yacht chartered through Pisces Sportfishing.
The weight was obtained using a hand spring scale, and the fish was quickly filleted because the crew didn’t want the meat to spoil in the hot weather. So it cannot qualify as a record, and nobody will ever know what it might have weighed on a certified scale.
"The fish was weighed on a typical hanging scale," Lindsey said. "Again, we have extensive documentation of the fish, and a video of capture. It was also measured and documented by a local biologist, who gave a weight estimate based off length and size."
Pisces managers did not know about the fish until the Shambala anglers entered the office after returning to port, according to Pisces general manager Tracy Ehrenberg.
As soon as they were shown photos they telephoned the fillet dock to try to prevent the cutting process, but they were too late.
“If the fish truly weighed 102 pounds, we knew without looking [at the record book] that this would be the biggest dorado ever caught on rod and reel,” Ehrenberg said.
The dorado was hooked on a silver-and-black lure on the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula, and landed after a 20-minute fight on 50-pound-test line.
The International Game Fish Association lists as the all-tackle world record for dolphinfish–dorado is the Spanish name, meaning “golden one”–an 87-pounder caught off Costa Rica in 1976.
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.
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.
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.
A Canadian tourist was killed Wednesday off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, after a breaching whale landed on the boat she was aboard as it was returning from a snorkeling trip in the Sea of Cortez.
Several other passengers were injured during the freak accident, which occurred at about noon, as the inflatable boat was returning from Santa Maria Bay, a popular dive spot near Baja California’s tip.
Details were scarce late Wednesday but the victim has been identified as Jeniffer Karren, 35, of Calgary. Six other passengers were hurt.
Karren, from Calgary, died while being treated at a nearby clinic.
A gray whale was initially said to have been involved, but it was later confirmed that it was a humpback whale.
Whales sometimes breach but are usually aware of the presence of nearby boats, especially if the boats are running.
Cabo San Lucas is one of the world’s premier marlin-fishing destinations, but even so, it’s a rare day when two giant marlin are hooked on the same day, at about the same time, and battled well into the night.
On Tuesday, word rapidly spread through the Mexican resort town at Baja California’s tip that town that a large marlin–perhaps a grander weighing 1,000 pounds or more–was being fought aboard the yacht, Mucho Loco.
Tracy Ehrenberg, who runs Pisces Sportfishing, stated on the company blog that she received a call at 9 p.m., informing her that a large marlin was being weighed at the main scale in the marina. She and her employees rushed over to discover that a marlin weighing 683 pounds was hanging on the scale. But part of its head and bill resting on the ground, so the actual weight was in the 700-pound range.
The 13-foot marlin had been hooked at 10:15 a.m.; the battle lasted nearly 10 hours. Presumably, the fish was too close to death to be released.
Kevin Lautt, from North Dakota, was one of the anglers, and is quoted as saying, “This is my first time in Cabo and my first time deep-sea fishing. The biggest fish I’ve ever caught is a 15-pound northern pike.”
But this marlin was caught aboard Bad Medicine, not Mucho Loco.
Ehrenberg figured that she had simply received incorrect boat information, but wondered why Mario Banaga, who is always on hand taking photographs when a big marlin arrives in the marina, was not present for the weigh-in.
It turned out that Banaga was at a different scale on the other side of the marina. Mucho Loco had pulled in with its blue marlin, which tipped the scale at 773 pounds.
Two men, aged 74 and 79 years, teamed to fight this marlin for 5-plus hours; a remarkable feat considering their ages.
Most marlin caught in Cabo are released; that practice is strongly encouraged. But for whatever reason, this marlin also was brought in.
Wrote Ehrenberg:
"There is always a tinge of sadness to see these magnificent creatures on the dock and not in the ocean, but this is great news for Cabo San Lucas, helping the town hold its position as one of the top fishing destinations in the world.
"A lot of families still being affected economically from [Hurricane Odile, which slammed Cabo in September] will have plenty of quality food for weeks to come and the anglers will have memories to last a lifetime."
It was a loco day at Land's End, to be sure.
–Image showing both blue marlin is courtesy of Pisces Sportfishing
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.
As Hurricane Odile was bearing down on Cabo San Lucas and elsewhere in Baja California Sur on Sunday evening, local business owners took to Facebook to post their concerns.
“This will give you an idea of what our seas are like,” reads a post from Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas, referring to the image atop this post, which shows the famous arch at Land’s End being slammed by powerful waves. The image was captured by Nathalia Calvo.
Odile boasted maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (Category 3) as it spun on a course that could lead directly over Baja California’s tip late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
Pisces Sportfishing general manager Tracy Ehrenberg later added, via email: “A couple of docks in the marina have broken off. We are safe at home and it’s dark now, so we can only hear what’s going on but don’t really see anything."
Ehrenberg added: “It surprised us as on Friday it looked like it would pass parallel to us, but offshore. It changed track late yesterday afternoon.”
Odile could score a direct hit on Cabo San Lucas, or skirt the resort city on the Pacific side of the peninsula. But it's so powerful that a hurricane warning was issued throughout much of Baja California Sur, including on the Sea of Cortez side to an area north of La Paz.
At some hotels in Cabo San Lucas, guests were instructed to stay in their rooms and to stay away from glass windows. More than 150 shelters have been established for Baja residents.
A post from George Landrum II in Cabo San Lucas: “All the laundry done, cash machine done yesterday and today, medicines filled for a month, cat and dog food done, water and other assorted drinks done, ice, candles, batteries, thank goodness the stove and grill are on gas! Fingers crossed folks, suerte!”
However, Landrum added: “Gas station lines were very short. It doesn’t look as if many locals are taking this as a real threat.”
In La Paz, Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International Sportfishing (and restaurant) wrote: “We're now directly in the crosshairs with a CAT 4 hurricane predicted with rain starting sometime tonite! 120-140 mph winds. We're sandbagging the restaurant.”
Hurricane Odile is expected to remain a major hurricane at least until midday Monday, and to remain at hurricane strength (74-mph winds or greater) well into Tuesday.
Miguel Angel Castro poses with 335-pound yellowfin tuna; photo by Eric Brictson
As Hurricane Marie was beginning to send huge swells to the Cabo San Lucas area on Saturday, local panga fishermen landed one of the largest yellowfin tuna ever caught in the region.
Gordo Banks Pangas runs out of La Playita in San Jose del Cabo, north of Cabo San Lucas on the Sea of Cortez.
The tuna bit a trolled live skipjack tuna at Outer Gordo Bank. It was landed after a two-hour fight, involving three fishermen, on 80-pound-test line.
Eric Brictson, who owns Gordo Banks Pangas, weighed the fish at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The local marina and the Cabo San Lucas port were closed Monday and Tuesday because of storm surges generated by Hurricane Marie, which was at Category 5 strength on Sunday.
By Tuesday afternoon Hurricane Marie, located 675 miles west of Baja’s tip and traveling away from land, had weakened to a Category 2 storm.
Large ocean swells generated by Marie began arriving on Southern California beaches on Tuesday.
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.
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