The Critters Are Back!

Finally! The weather has calmed down and warmed up (Welcome home, Mexico!) and all the wildlife is returning.

Puerto Escondido has a couple of resident whale sharks and we had the privilege of seeing them up close and personal on several occasions. Our very first day there when we were returning from the showers the people on the boat next to us were standing out on their bow and pointing at the water between their boat and ours. We brought the dinghy to a halt and there was a whale shark coming right toward us! We didn't have a camera with us but from then on we carried one every time we went ashore. The problem we encountered was that the animals are at eye level when you are in an inflatable so trying to get a good photo was a real challenge. I got lots of splashes and a few fins and snouts but that was about it. The day before Hank & Patty arrived, Chris & I took the dinghy out of the anchorage and to the bay next door and there were two whale sharks. I managed to get some halfway decent shots and a great video of them.

Whale sharks are the biggest sharks in the world. They can grow to 50-60 feet but these were only about 15-20 feet so it appears they are juveniles. They are very gentle and there are quite a few places where you can hire a panga to take you out to see them and swim with them. Whale sharks are filter feeders. They sort of skim along the surface of the water with their mouths (which are a pretty substantial size) open taking in the crustaceans and tiny fish that they eat. They are pretty amazing and we were thrilled to get the chance to see some up close and personal.

Since we stayed in Puerto Escondido for over two weeks we must have looked like a pretty stable environment. After about the first week we started hearing this funny, high pitched bird call that was very close by. Both Chris & I thought it was some little bird but no matter how hard we listened and looked we couldn't locate one on the boat. Finally, one morning while I was brushing my teeth I heard it again and it sounded like it was directly above me. I looked up through the open hatch and, surprise! There was an Osprey sitting on to of the mast!! Last year we had a number of Frigate Birds (who broke the wind instrument quite thoroughly) and Boobies who seemed to enjoy the high perch but this bird was a first. Not only did he remind us of home (the Columbia River has many Osprey pairs who nest on posts erected along the edges just for them), but he was an exceptionally thoughtful guest. He never once dropped any "gifts" on the deck or sails.

Once Patty & Hank arrived it was time to start moving north. As I write this, we are anchored at Isla Coronado, which is about 18 miles north of Puerto Escondido. We had a beautiful trip up between the islands with wonderful weather. About halfway here we saw a disturbance in the water and, hoping that it might be fish (that we could catch) we diverted to go check it out. It wasn't fish. It was a huge pod of dolphins that were feeding on fish! I managed to get one halfway decent picture of them but that was it. Still, it was pretty thrilling to see them. When we arrived here, there were four dolphins that kind of hung around the boat for a short while before moving on. We were busy getting the anchor down so we didn't get any pictures but it looked like a couple moms with babies.

We are leaving shortly for Caleta San Juanico. This is a beautiful anchorage that I wanted badly to see last year but the weather was from the wrong direction. Looks like it will be good this time. Hopefully we will see more wildlife on the way. It has been a slim year for seeing animals. The weather was so cold and stormy all winter that they apparently went north where the water was warmer!