The first time we surfed a particular point break in Baja Sur we observed a most interesting fishing method.
This particular point faces due south. The days would start off with an onshore breeze that made the surf bumpy and blown out. As the morning
progressed the wind would turn and began to blow offshore as the prevailing winds from the northwest would wash over the peninsula of land west of us.
We would enter the water around 11:00 AM and surf until the off-shores were so strong that you could no longer drop in to a wave. This was normally
around 3:30-4:00, then about and hour before sunset the wind would die all together and it would glass off and you could get surf in.
The point break was complimented by a little set of reefs, one on the outside whose edge defined the take off zone and one on the inside that made
for a speedy section that became unmakeable if the tide dropped. As we waited on our boards for the next set we noticed lots of pelicans diving for
fish right in back of where the wave would crest and start to curl, the take off zone. We watched as dozens of pelicans dove and dove and dove, caught
fish, flew back up into the air and repeated this continuously until they were so full they could not even get airborne. If you paddled toward them
they would actually just ?swim? away. We continued to surf as the pelicans did their dive bombing. It was great entertainment.
The wind continued to stiffen as the afternoon wore on. After all the other pelicans had got their fill and left the area, in flew a solitary
pelican. It landed gracefully just ten feet inside of us, less then the length of my shortboard!. It was obvious to see that this was a very mature,
even old, pelican. We noted that it even sported a grey beard.
Just as we were trying to decide if the pelican was ill or disoriented for landing in such close proximity to us and in what was basically the impact
zone, up popped a set. As the first wave started to rise I turned to paddle for it. It was then that we observed that this had to be the smartest
pelican ever. As the swell grew the pelican proceeded to calmly float up the face off what was at least a six foot wave and just as it reached the
top of the crest just before the wave would begin its? curl the pelican simply opened his wings and the force of the offshore wind lifted it straight
up into the air 15 or 20 feet and it dove straight down and got a fish! The pelican continued to repeat this over and over until it too had its fill.
We were amazed. This particular pelican had somehow perfected a method that required the least amount of energy to do his fishing. He never even had
to flap his wings. For three straight days this same,easily identified 'veterano' returned to the line up, always alone and always just before the
wind would finally chase us out of the water. We never observed any of the other birds using this method and to this day have not seen it repeated
despite returning to that point repeatedly and other places where pelicans are feeding over the years. I often wonder if others have ever witnessed
this behavior.
ummmmmm
Sharksbaja - 6-17-2005 at 11:48 PM
???????.......????...um.....ah, er, wow! Nice story,were the waves rights or lefts?
I always have liked the lowly pelican.Santiago - 6-18-2005 at 06:34 AM
My father hated pelicans and was convinced they were put on this earth to steal his anchovies, hooked fish when they surfaced and to use his boat as
their own personal toilet. The last year of his life I went to visit him in Baja and he had named his boat "Jezzabel" (a harlot in the bible and his
name for them). When I asked him why he would do that, he replied that after all these years it was the only creature (including humans) that came
to visit him on a regular basis. To this day, I still refer to a group of pelicans skimming a few inches above the surface of the water as the
"Guyamus Airforce", as a tip-of-the-hat to the old man.
Pelican photos
gringorio - 6-18-2005 at 07:26 AM
Here's a link to some pelican photos by various people (there are also a few new photos on this thread from my recent trip):
Nice Photo of some amazing Birds!
The location looks familiar.
Many years ago a young man from the University of New mexico did his Doctorate on the Pelicans of Coronado Island. He lived on the Island for 3
different periods.
Anybody interested can more than likely find it on the Universitys Web Site.
At Isla Del Infonso the Pelicans are so friendly that they will come up and bite your leg, trying to get a piece of fish you are fileting.
Skeet/LoretoOso - 6-18-2005 at 08:38 AM
Wish I had a scanner so I could share some old B&W prints from 30 yrs. ago.
One day my bud Johnny and I were rolling along the beach south of Oceano on the way back from clamming when I spotted a couple dogs hassling a pelican
that wasn't flying away. As we got closer, I saw it had a busted wing. Without too much analyzing, I jumped out, ran the dogs off and grabbed the
bird. Johnny drove my '52 Willys pickup while I held the pelican, one hand on his beak to keep him from pecking at us. We took him to our family vet
in Arroyo Grande. He set the bone by folding both wings against the body in a natural resting position and taping all around the breast, wings &
back. He said that was the standard way to do it for any bird. The trick now was to feed him and take care of him for 4 to 5 weeks while the bone
mended itself. I hadn't thought that far ahead.
Luckily, I had a big cage about 4'x6'x4' in the garage, that I'd originally built out of 2x4's and chicken wire for our squirrel monkeys. It sat
about 3' off the floor on legs with casters. The monkeys weren't using it anymore. One had died and the other now had the run of the house when it
was wasn't sleeping in a smaller cage. I put the pelican in the cage with a big washtub under it to catch the poop.
Next, what do you feed a pelican? Fish, logically. This was a great excuse to spend a lot more time fishing. But the perch I could get in the surf
and other odds and ends at the Pismo pier couldn't keep up with the bird's appetite. I would soon go broke buying fish. Luckily again, I made
friends with the people operating a fresh fish market in Grover. They agreed to save me the heads, skins, guts etc. from their filleting. "Pedro"
wasn't picky and gobbled it all. We would also give him a bit of daily exercise paddling around in a kiddy pool.
A month later, it was time to go. It had never been the plan to make a permanent "pet" out of him. Pelicans need the sea. (The monkeys were a
mistake too, but that's another story-suffice it to say I now believe that the only animals that should be kept as pets are the ones who already have
thousands of years of domestication living with man) I bought a pony keg of beer, invited all our friends and the folks at the fish market and hauled
Pedro to the little beach next to the Port San Luis pier where the lee of the point would make for calm water to start his recuperation period. We
all made a last toast to Pedro, then I cut his bandages off and lifted him up. He spread his wings and took off, flying again, while we all cheered.
He flew out about 10-15 yards then settled down on the water and paddled off toward a bunch of other pelicans.
I was never able to determine for sure, after that, if he made it, regained his strength and was able to again fish for himself. When you've seen one
pelican... But I know what I want to think.Marie-Rose - 6-18-2005 at 08:46 AM
What a great story Oso. That was one lucky Pelicano!Mike Humfreville - 6-18-2005 at 11:52 AM
Great stories!
We were living in a hut where Gecko's is today. Back in the '70's there was nothing else for miles. The first few mornings in our tiny hut I dreamed
of unfamiliar sounds before I realized I wasn't dreaming, I was hearing the sound of air passing between feathers of the wings of pelicans as they
flew over the hut in the otherwise dead silence.Dave - 6-18-2005 at 03:24 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Oso
I spotted a couple dogs hassling a pelican that wasn't flying away.
My dog now has a healthy respect for pelicans. As a pup, she tangled with one with a bum leg. Dog lost...bit pretty good on the snout and tail. If it
wasn't my dog it would have been funny. She almost drowned.
And while we're on the subject, I had a scarlet macaw who would kill cats for sport. Mean sumb-tch.
[Edited on 6-18-2005 by Dave]Bob H - 6-19-2005 at 07:55 AM
I've seen a pelican pick up a pismo clam, fly high, and drop it on a rock to break it open. Then that pelican had a nice clam feast! Unreal. Smart
little boogers!Natalie Ann - 6-19-2005 at 09:55 AM
Pelicanos de Bahia San Luis GonzagaNatalie Ann - 6-19-2005 at 10:08 AM
Junior and Senior Pelicanos:Bob H - 6-23-2005 at 09:13 AM
I've also seen a pelican hit a powerline, get zapped, and fall to the ground in Santa Rosalia! What a sight to see.
That was one lucky Pelicano!
