Dawn breaks with low hanging grey clouds and the persistence of a westerly swell that has blessed the eastern Pacific shoreline for nearly a week. Surfers up and down the coast have relished the opportunity to put their skills to the test in unusually large 10’ to 20’ foot waves. Boards have been broken, thousands of photographs taken, and adventure tales fill bar stools, dining tables, and campfire circles. The stuff of legends.
Here in southern Baja, we’ve traversed a full moon, listened to the waves thunder through the night sky, and woken to corduroy lines marching from the southwest. Temperatures in the 70s. Water temps in the 70s. Dogs frolicking on sand stretches and out dirt roads. Heron fish the shallows, eyes fixed on tiny fish caught in the tide pools. Overhead, osprey soar, dive and shred their fish catch on my planted perch, talons and beak ripping the often still twitching soon-to-be-carcass. Nearby, vultures wait on fence posts for droppings, their task, cleanup.
The desert wastes little. And here, is definitely desert. Native vegetation stands between toe-high and knee high. In a few arroyos, errant scrubby near leaf-less trees might stand taller than 5’. Wind pushes plant life flat. Dormancy runs the long season now, dry until the summer rains. Plant life pulls inward, much like bears hibernating in far-off snow-covered dens.
My dog and I head late to the beach, having waited for the tide to recede and expose white sand. He runs and runs, long ears flopping, tail wagging. Sticks to find and beg to be tossed, and then chase and the game begins again.
It’s a new year. No resolutions, this woman, only looking forward and reminding self to pay close attention to each and every day. To increasingly open my heart, to make sure I tell those around me how much I care for them.
It’s the hour of fishing, or so I’m coming to know. I’m bobbing on a 23’ boat, the sun hasn’t shown its face, and I’m mentally measuring the distance to shore. Could I manage to swim in for a cup of really hot coffee?
Why am I here? Oh, right. I wanted to learn to fish, and my girlfriend’s husband, Barry, volunteered to teach me. I stumbled onto his boat this morning, and here we are, somewhere near Isla Coronado in the Sea of Cortez bobbing up and down in the pre-dawn hour. The sea is dark and the sky is just beginning to throw hints of pink.
I’ve got a rod and reel, a box full of pretty hooks, sinkers, and lures that are brightly colored and dressed up with fuzzy things – and no real idea what any of what to do with them.
Our mission, so I’ve been told, is to catch bait before we go farther out to actually catch fish. Isn’t that what we are doing? Why do we have to do it in the dark? Barry says it has something to do with the angle of the light, that bait fish are hungrier in the early hour.
On the end of the line attached to my reel I’ve fixed a small leader with 8 tiny hooks. The idea is to feed out the line until I feel a ‘bump’, then quickly – so the fish don’t swim off – reel the line back in. Just before the fish break the surface, I’m supposed to execute a delicate pirouette and swiftly lift the attached bait over the lip of the deck and deposit them into the gurgling water tank. Any missteps in this procedure, and the small sardines will fly from their hooks and be lost back into the sea. I know this, because I’ve already lost eight. I’m getting cranky for breakfast.
Finally, I pull my ‘strand’ onto the boat with four small fish attached. I am ecstatic until Barry points out that two of them are mackerel, which means I have to toss them back. “Weak fish,” he explains seeing my disappointment. “They’ll die in the tank before we can use them.” He’s already caught 12 sardines, and decides we have enough to go after bigger fish!
Scottish writer, John Buckam once wrote, “The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is illusive but attainable. A perpetual series of occasions for hope.”
His words will aptly describe my day.
Barry tells me my pole is too long – better for rock fishing than sport fishing – and shifts me to one of his that is short and sturdy. He shows me how attach the bait to a fat hook. With a small net, I corral one of the sardines in the tank and bring him to the surface. As Barry holds him, I drive the hook through the roof of his open mouth and out the top of his head. I try not to look into his eyes or think about how much this must hurt. Now that I have him hooked, I toss him over the side, give thanks for his sacrifice, and let him swim gladly away from the boat.
Get me a big fish, I telepath after him. Get me a big fat fish! I imagine him below swimming in his watery fish world, looking for friends his size and kind. Then I imagine bigger fish coming to find him, to eat him. And voila! I’ve got a bite and I’m reeling in my line. This is easy!
“Careful,” advises Barry. “Slow and steady.” The fish ‘runs’ with the line, my reel wildly spinning as I keep one finger over the line so it doesn’t tangle. I let him swim until I feel a pause. Then I go back to reeling, which is not as easy as I had initially thought.
The fish is heavy, or a fighter. Whichever the right word, my arm is tired from trying to finesse holding the pole, feeding the line across with my left finger, and reeling with my right hand. I keep telling myself, this is fun, as the muscles in my arms burn like fire.
Finally, an astonishingly beautiful blue/green head breaks the surface. “Dorado,” Barry proclaims. The fish shimmers in the sunlight, a green iridescent color against the turquoise water. He’s got a flat face, a kind of pouty mouth, and a long deep blue dorsal fin. His tail splits in a wide yellow-green V. I’ve caught a fish!
When I pull him to the boat, Barry asks me if I want to keep him. “He’s kind of small,” he says. Small? I’ve just wrestled this fish for ten minutes and it’s small?
“Cut him free,” I answer, and with pliers and a pair of gloves, Barry dislodges the hook from my dorado’s mouth. I look into his dark fish eyes and thank him for making my morning. Then, off he swims, hopefully to grow bigger.
Barry catches the next two – both dorado – and returns them to swim another day. I’m beginning to understand the ‘sport’ in fishing. What he’s really after are wahoo, a prize fast swimming game fish that can weigh up to 180 pounds, which is also excellent eating.
We take the hooks off our lines and lay out the brightly colored lures to choose exactly which one we think (or Barry thinks) will attract the wahoo. Slowly, I’m learning the difference between all the things in my tackle box. Barry has me change the liter to wire. Seems wahoo’s teeth can snap clean through filament.
We shift from drift fishing to trolling at around 9 knots. Instead of hand-holding the poles, he sets them in rod slots, leads the lures just beyond the engine wake, and kicks back in his chair with a beer.
A pod of dolphin sights the boat and swims in to surf the bow. I rush to the front and watch with joyful glee as these playful creatures leap, spin and dive back and forth in front of the hull. I feel childlike in their presence and relaxed.
From a dark morning to a brilliantly sunny afternoon, the Sea of Cortez shimmers in the mid-day light. Deep cerulean blue surrounds the boat. A green sea turtle swims past and in the distance, a pod of pilot whales rolls on the surface. Blue footed and brown boobies dive for small fish, while split-tailed magnificent frigate birds soar overhead.
A pair of sleeping sea lions, the rolling fins of lazily drifting marlin, and a large formation of pelicans round out the vista. The offshore islands beckon with small turquoise rimmed beaches
If something bothered me yesterday, I don’t remember it. The comfort of the sea and this new adventure of fishing has washed away any cares I might carry of the rest of the world.
We don’t hook any Wahoo, but it doesn’t matter. Well, not much. I’ve learned new skills and had such a glorious day on the water that it’s hard to hold any negative thought. But I can sense Barry’s disappointment.
Already, I understand the essence of “…a perpetual series of occasions for hope.” It must be this reason that men go to fish again and again. When I step off Barry’s boat, I thank him profusely. And then, like a true fisherwoman I say, “Just wait until next time.”
(First published in 2011, in PRESS PAUSE MOMENTS, a collection of short stories edited by Anne Witkavitch)
At the edge of the Pacific, I am washed in my own personal solace. The heaviness of the larger world slips away and I am able to breathe. Loki, my silly sweet Australian Cobberdog, seems to be getting a taste. Or maybe he’s simply looking for lizards, or whales, or another dog passing that might be a playmate. His long legs balanced atop the wall, I love watching the search all that spreads before him.
My passion for the Pacific originated in my teens, when the beach became a refuge, bearing both a sandy towel or game of hearts, and a canvas mat or surfboard on a wave. When friends piled up in long summer days, the air perfumed with coconut oil and tuna fish sandwiches with lemonade and potato chips. When the long pause in and/or near the water could quell disquieted thoughts. Where family troubles or teen angst vanished.
Something in the persistence of the horizon. That deep cerulean blue line.
I laughingly say that my skin gets itchy if I’m more than 20 miles from the ocean, and when I get within 10, I can scent the pungent seaweeds and tossed shell fragments, as if carried on a particular air current designed for me. I climb back into my skin, my watery alter-self contented with the proximity.
When I’m immersed in the water, my body feels as if it is 12 years old. The aging muscles and bones suddenly young again. The exquisite weightlessness, the dolphin-like quality. The freedom. The fluidity.
Wallace J Nichols writes about the positive impact of the ocean on the human species. His award winning book, Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do explores exactly what the title promises. Decades ago, a scientist friend said that ocean air bathes the body in negative ions, which in contrast to their name, have been shown to have a beneficial effect on the human psyche.
I no longer understand cities or their draw, and am sure that Loki has caught my ‘crowd allergy’ as he stares out and searches. Ah .. there .. an osprey with a fish. Ah .. there .. a pelican diving. Ah .. there … the chatter of a cactus wren, the slither of a lizard, the float of a cloud. Free from high-rises, traffic jams with road rage, sniper shootings …. We are out here on the edge, Loki and I, building a space where our thoughts are not boxed and our creativity flourishes.
“If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen. The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back if we live, and we don’t know why.”
Imagine waking to the gentle slapping of sea water on cobble and sand. Hearing the chatter of terns overhead as they search for fish. Watching a flotilla of pelicans glide inches from the surface of the sea.
Imagine, your days transport for fishing or island hopping, a pangero, pulling up on the sand in front of your Casita.
More of the magical ways to begin a day in Loreto.
The map has linked to dive, photo and snorkeling sites on the islands – with descriptions of each location. A wonderful informative tool for understanding all the wonders that our 5 main islands contain.
New Park Management Plan for Loreto Bay National Park
Mexico’s Federal Register published the revised Loreto Bay National Park Management Plan in April, 2019. This supplanted the 2002 version, and expanded to 510,472 acres protected waters and lands.
The plan is the result of a thousands of hours in 10-year process of scoping meetings to build capacity and consensus. These meetings were held with the participation of scientists, fishermen, tourist service providers, trained facilitators, conservationists, economists, and several non-profit organizations.
The newly released plan divides the Park into 7 different sub-zones and expands the areas of protected and no-take zones. The objective of this plan is to protect habitats critical for biodiversity, rare ecosystem, and satisfy the needs of local fishermen and visitors to the area.
To learn more about the details, click on the Eco-Alianza link below.
SOUNDINGS The ecological e-newsletter of Eco-Alianza de Loreto, A.C.
August 2017
Eco-Alianza de Loreto’s mission is to protect and conserve the natural and cultural environment by empowering civil society and government to jointly create healthy and prosperous communities.
Our vision is that communities believe their quality of life is related to the health and vitality of the environment and citizens act accordingly.
Fishing is for the Birds
Photos courtesy of Richard Jackson Photography.
This photographic series by Rick Jackson proves how the proper tools and the proper technique make for an effective combination, as this Reddish Egret successfully catches breakfast (clockwise from upper left). Summer heat in Loreto demands efficiency in movement!!
Grants and Donations Support Marine Park Enforcement Efforts
Photo courtesy of ProNatura Noroeste.
Paralelo 28 Gathering Steam Statewide
Hugo Quintero (third from right at front table) took part in the La Paz presentation. Photo courtesy of Paralelo28.org
As reported previously in Soundings, Eco-Alianza is one of four non-profit partners in the
Paralelo 28 collaboration. Late last month, Eco-Alianza President Hugo Quintero joined in a public presentation in La Paz, where representatives of tourism companies presented a check to support the collaborative efforts. Funds are raised through a variety of methods, including sales of wristbands, stuffed animals, events, and general donations to Paralelo28.org .
In addition to Eco-Alianza, participating organizations include ProNatura Noroeste, Niparajá, and Red de Observadores Ciudadanos La Paz. The groups seek to partner with businesses, tourism service suppliers, tourists, fishermen and society in general, in the defense and safeguard of protected natural areas. Funds raised will be dedicated to support surveillance and enforcement efforts in five natural protected areas in the region, including the Bay of Loreto National Park.
Quintero said he hopes to host a similar Paralelo 28 presentation in Loreto in the late summer or fall. For more information: Paralelo28.org .
Environmental Education Never Ends at Eco-Alianza
Whether it’s an educational event, a workshop, a field trip, a public presentation, or some sort of teacher meeting or training, there’s always environmental education activity afoot at Eco-Alianza. At the center of it all is Environmental Education Coordinator Edna Peralta.Getting children and adults outside to experience nature is her favorite part of the job, Edna says, because helping people learn and helping them to make that personal connection is what it’s all about. After more than seven years building the environmental education program at Eco-Alianza, she is hopeful that she may be joined in the not too distant future by another educator.
And for a sense of the impact these environmental education programs have on Loreto’s children, here’s a brief video, with thanks to volunteer “Pepe” Ruiz Cheires and K-Drone Adventure Films https://youtu.be/_VXF5VmW4bw
Tickets NOW on Sale for 10th Anniversary Gala
Come join us and kick up your heels on November 11 to celebrate Eco-Alianza’s 10 Years of Conservation. Our anniversary dinner/auction has sold out five years in a row, so with limited seating for our hallmark 10th Anniversary we’re expecting to sell out very early. Please reserve your tickets now to guarantee your seats.
Eco-Alianza Headquarters “Going Solar”
Photo of CenCoMA showing solar panels. Photo courtesy of Richard Jackson Photography.
They’ve been in the plans for some time, but the array of solar panels on the roof of Eco-Alianza’s CenCoMA headquarters is an obvious sign of the organization’s long-term energy efficiency effort. Energy-efficient lighting, modular air conditioning units, outdoor plantings, and a shade-covered courtyard also have contributed to improved energy efficiency.
Hugo Quintero, Eco-Alianza CEO and co-founder, said the nine solar panels and accompanying microinverters are just the beginning. Additional panels will be added over the next year or so, coordinated with other building improvements, to maximize energy production. Each panel is tilted at the perfect angle to take full advantage of sunlight throughout the year.
“Nature Notes” is a monthly short feature detailing some of the wondrous, seasonal activities taking place around us.
Clockwise order from upper left.
Brown Booby adult with single remaining chick.
Brewsteri subspecies pair of Brown Boobies at a nest site.
Blue-footed Booby’s blue feet.
Blue-Footed Booby in flight. Photos courtesy of Tom Haglund/BCS Birds.
By Tom HaglundThey’rrre baaaack!!
If you’ve been missing seeing the Boobies the past few months there’s good news: they are returning from their annual nesting grounds to Loreto in good numbers. They leave in spring and go to several islands to nest. The Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) usually lays two eggs. The Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) lays one to three. Both parents bring food to their chicks and regurgitate it for their consumption. Neither species typically raises all of its chicks successfully.
Both birds dive for fish, the Blue-footed generally from higher than the Brown and very vertically to gain greater depth. The Brown flies lower over the water and dives at a shallower angle, returning to the air very quickly after most dives, whereas the Blue-footed often stays submerged for several seconds. The Blue-footed tends to fish in larger groups than does the Brown.
There is a subspecies of Brown Booby (brewsteri) here, the male of which has a whitish head, the females of both types of Browns look exactly alike. The Blue-footed, as the name implies, has blue feet.
Both Browns and Blue-footed can be seen regularly in fall and winter in various locations around Loreto. On the Eastern and Northern cliffs of Isla Coronado they can be quite numerous. The remaining pilings of the old pier on the north side of Las Garzas often has a number of roosting Blue-footeds. Both species can be seen diving for food all along the malecón and beaches.
There’s Still Time to Take the Soundings Readers Survey
Early last summer, we embarked on a quest to inform more fully, and to interact more frequently, with everyone interested in Eco-Alianza’s mission. The initiative included Soundings – a new, monthly e-newsletter.
Last month we began a 10-question Readers Survey, which ends a week from today. Please take two minutes to share your thoughts about Soundings‘ first year, and you may find yourself the lucky winner of an Eco-Alianza cap or T-shirt – our way of saying thanks for your time and your opinions!!
A fun few days of painting … Postcard art mailed to friends … Reminders of life south of the border and next to the Sea of Cortez … and that art play is always good for the soul ….
Whether it’s an educational event, a workshop, a field trip, a public presentation, or some sort of teacher meeting or training, there’s always environmental education activity afoot at Eco-Alianza. At the center of it all is Environmental Education Coordinator Edna Peralta.Getting children and adults outside to experience nature is her favorite part of the job, Edna says, because helping people learn and helping them to make that personal connection is what it’s all about. After more than seven years building the environmental education program at Eco-Alianza, she is hopeful that she may be joined in the not too distant future by another educator.
Baja Dreaming 
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