SEA OF CORTEZ, BAJA BOOBIES

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In a word, "Tough". Fish did not bite this week like they have the previous couple weeks. I think it has to do with the full moon and am hopeful the action will pick up soon.

Boats targeting billfish are only getting one or two shots in a day. Ones not lucky enough to convert the limited opportunities are going without.

Schoolie sized dorado that have been providing loads of action have disappeared. There are a few big bulls being landed off shore but it is a matter of luck finding one.

It has taken a great deal of luck to be in the right spot at the right time hunting for tuna. There has been 2 main schools of porpoise. One has been off Punta Arena Light house and the other outside and north of Punta Pescadero. Both schools are moving from 20 to 45 miles off shore. The first couple of boats to find them have been doing well, but it is just crumbs for the boats not on them early.

My grandson's were here this week and did manage to catch some dorado and tuna. They also had a couple shots at marlin but couldn't get one to stick.

Recently we have had a couple groups of bird watchers charter our service to sight marine birds. We did the first tour of this sort last year and I was very apprehensive. The experience has turned out to be very educational, rewarding and even exciting. I had no idea the Sea of Cortez was such a rich habitat for marine birds.

The first trip inspired me to buy the camera I now use to capture all the images in my fishing reports. Recently I learned this area hosts three types of boobie birds. We have the brown boobie, the red footed boobie and the blue footed boobie.

Boobie birds got their name based on the Spanish slang term bubie, meaning "dunce", as these tame birds had a habit of landing on board sailing ships, where they were easily captured and eaten. Owing to this, boobies are often mentioned as having been caught and eaten by shipwrecked sailors. As appetizing as it sounds I have limited my shooting to the camera.



15 year old Jake Litwin fighting a tuna with the support of his 12 year old brother Nicholas and father Randy.



Jake and Nicolas Litwin



Closing the deal



Jake with a beautiful bull dorado



Which one is the red footed boobie?



When we stopped to photograph the boobies on the log, Nicholas scooped up this colorful trigger fish when a large school of them were attracted to our swim step.



This is a brown boobie standing on a turtle. Why did the Spanish think they were dunces?



I call this the out house turtle



For those having a hard time distingquishing. This is a blue footed boobie.



This morning I noticed some tracks on the beach in front of our place where a sea turtle had come up looking for a place to lay her eggs. There was evidence of one false hole she dug and more tracks back to the water. This place is so alive with different types of sea life it is incredible.

Mark Rayor
http://www.thejenwren.com
markrayor.blogspot.com
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