Catch and release (Report #10 - 2012)
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Report #10/2012
Uto ni Yalo reporting nearing Bahia Ballenas, Baja, Mexico. It's a sunny afternoon, breezy and surprisingly cool. We are in sight of Punta San Pabo [Saint Pabo Point]. Revised ETA at rendez-vous is 2100 [9 PM] as we are making 4.4 knots at present. Sailing SE we've encountered our second dolphin species - the Spinner Dolphin about 2 metres long with an elongate narrow black tipped beak. Its dorsal fin is black and almost triangular. The stripe from its eye to its flipper confirms the identification. We all are mesmerised as the pod of 50+ dolphins [some juveniles observed] were actively pursuing large schools of bait fish presumably forced to the surface by dolphin cooperative predation [we didn't see any tuna] and the mixed flock of sea birds hovering there to pick off any stray fish that leave the "shelter" of the dense schools.
Spinners are known for their aquatic agility and we witnessed some of this behaviour as they cavorted around and under our Drua with ease. A few adults positioned themselves directly in front of the bow hulls and with no effort remained there for many seconds before accelerating at breathtaking speed and sounding only to reappear on the surface far from where they dove!
Catch and release: Much to the satisfaction of all us who have learned to appreciate the fragility of ocean resources, we are happy to announce that "catch and release", the sport fishermen's bid to keep fish stocks high, is also practiced on board the Uto ni Yalo! Anglers hook a "bigun",marlin, swordfish or mako shark and instead of needlessly killing it for a trophy they photograph it, weigh it, tag it [explained in detail in another article] and let it go! Skipper should be commended for practicing what we preach today as he "hooked" into three "biguns". Sails were slacked, as we headed up-wind while the reel did its job. In came the largest raft of kelp [a colder water algae not found in Fiji, but an integral part of the inshore ecosystem of this region] bending his rod. This "catch" was tagged with an expletive and "released" vakadua!
Kelp is perhaps the fastest growing "plant" in the world often growing more than one meter in a day! It is the foundation of an inshore cold water ecosystem that includes its primary predator the short spined sea urchin and its predator the famous sea otter. Once hunted to near extermination [the sea otter has an incredibly soft and rich fur coat ] the population of sea urchins proliferated and proportionately the kelp forests diminished to the point of almost disappearing in certain areas. A total ban on otter hunting lead to its repopulating areas all along the North Pacific coast and lo and behold the kelp too returned as sea urchin populations were once again held in check! A vivid example of how ill advised tampering with one species can drastically affect the entire ecology of an area. Now we face similar consequences, as sharks have been dramatically over-fished. What snow balling affect will this have on our oceanic and coral reef ecology?
It's chicken stew tonight with fresh carrots, snow peas, onions, pumpkin and potatoes. This should fortify those of us who have the night watches in very cool and wet conditions. A half moon will reveal the stark mountainous coast of Bahia Ballenas tonight.
Viti you are in our prayers tonight.
Tabu Soro...............the journey continues