vseasport - 8-16-2011 at 01:51 PM
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
www.thejenwren.com
markrayor.blogspot.com
jakecard - 8-16-2011 at 02:03 PM
I don't care what color they are; I just love boobies!
Jake
Curt63 - 8-16-2011 at 03:30 PM
Wheres the info on the TJ 4X4 expo?
Oso - 8-16-2011 at 03:35 PM
Hey! There's just a bunch of damn birds.
Barry A. - 8-16-2011 at 05:10 PM
Great shots------------many thanks. Barry
Russ - 8-16-2011 at 05:35 PM
Thanks for the report and photos. Appears you spent some $ on the camera and your photos are great. Looking forward to more photos reports.
karenintx - 8-16-2011 at 05:48 PM
Oh the Blue-footed Booby. The faded blue means the female is still carry for her eggs or young. The bright color blue means...ready to mate! We got
to see several Boobies doing their mating dance while in The Galapagos. Hope to see a few here in The Baja one day.
vseasport - 8-16-2011 at 07:04 PM
Is there a way for me to sort that out in the Cabo Wabo or squid row?
Just kidding. I'm to old and to married.
wessongroup - 8-16-2011 at 07:32 PM
Some very interesting shots... really... thanks much... 
Skipjack Joe - 8-16-2011 at 10:59 PM
Oh, those boobies!
Boobies have to be the best fishers in the cortez. I watched them this summer and marveled at their skill. No sardina is safe with one of them around.
They fly in formation and when a school is sighted the dive bombing begins. Pulling their wings back they drop like missiles. A group of them will
dive withing inches of one another. The plunge is so perfect that they must reach substantial depths. And when it's over the entire flock will quickly
move off with those powerful wings to search for more prey.
Each bird in the cortez has it's own way of getting food. Cormorants just swim down their prey. But because of their poor flying abilities they just
work the same area over and over. Boobies, on the other hand, are continuously on the hunt.
You get the feeling that if and when the cortez baitfish decline to really low levels the booby will be the last to leave. Nature has made them
perfect.
P.S. don't try removing a hook from a booby unless you really want a Hitchc-ckian experience.
dtbushpilot - 8-17-2011 at 12:55 AM
I really appreciate boobies in Baja....I would appreciate them anywhere but especially in Baja. I love the way they move, swaying back and forth....in
search of prey.......
On a recent fishing trip I was impressed by the way they would fly back and forth across the bow of the boat looking for the flying fish that would
flee from the wake of the boat. It seemed that they would anticipate the flying fish, sometimes they would strike out but other times they would snag
a meal....
That said, I must reiterate, I love boobies....in Baja or wherever else I am lucky enough to encounter them.....dt
oladulce - 8-17-2011 at 03:30 AM
I've never seen the red-footed variety- Cool! We don't get to see Boobies (in any color socks) along the shore of the mid-Pacific. It's fun to see
them on the other side.
And I've only seen turtles pop their head out of the water and then dive when they see me. Didn't know they ever floated on the surface long enough to
gather a collection of poop like that. There's alot going on out there from a boat. Thanks for the glimpse.
SFandH - 8-17-2011 at 06:14 AM
Thanks for taking the time to post your photos. And thanks for the bird photos, nice change from the scads of fish photos.
Keep 'em coming.
rhintransit - 8-17-2011 at 06:47 AM
I just love the way they lift and admire one foot after the other...I can imagine them saying, "I'm so pretty..."