whale talker

Cool shot, eh? I took this 4 years ago but I include it for “color”. The reason it is here is because my bud Vicente saw one of these guys just 2 weeks ago out about 18 miles from Punta Pescadero. Very, very late in the season for a Blue Whale to be around. It was going north too. That was August 12th. Time is becoming more and more irrelevant as I live down here, gotta tell you!

On the 14th we had a “Corn Moon” or any other of a number of ancient names for the full moon in August. All having to do with the same thing of course; bringing in the harvest, fall is coming. In today’s 1st world that means little to anyone, but bottom line folks, nothing has changed, The Seasons are our LIFE BLOOD.

Not my pic

I found a way to compete more effectively for the Cerruelo Plums on my trees. I pick them when they are still hard and raw and let them sit in the sun by my window, voila, they ripen!

My friend Michael Fishbach and his extraordinary rescue of a Humpback Whale north of me drew so much attention on U Tube that he ended up on 20/20 and PrimeTime….too cool. Lots of good publicity for our Humpbacks.

On a less positive note, the country of Costa Rica, that claims such a great environmental record, still allows the taking of turtle eggs from their nesting grounds. I was in this area about 10-15 years ago and heard about it but couldn’t believe it. Sea Turtles are genuine dinosaurs for Christ’s sake!!

Females coming in to lay, not my pic

Humans killing thousands of the babies, not my pic

We had our first rain of any significance, 15 minutes, on the 24th and was it sweet. The picture looks way more intense than it was, but oh, did The Desert smell good after it passed.

Taken from my bodega roof top.

Same day as this rain The Red Darter Dragon Flies returned. Not like last year but significant numbers.

Many of you know that my work here with The Humpbacks of The East Cape has not been just for scientific enquiry (which is totally respectable in my book) but to see if we could get this area declared a protected zone due to the breeding and calving that goes on here every year. I reported here on my blog last year, I think, that we were making head way and that it was even possible that my work was going to have an influence in the decision making process. As it turns out, yes, my work has had an influence. Due PARTIALLY to my efforts and your support (particularly financially) the border has been extended north from Cabo Pulmo to Punta Pescadero. This does not include my entire grid but a good 2/3rds of it. I am F**king THRILLED!!! The map below shows the projected area (my grid is within the stippled border) that will become an MMPA. The darker region will be highly restricted due to the numbers of mother/calf pairs seen there and the lighter area will be a refuge. I am so very proud to have been part of this. Now the work of monitoring and enforcement will be the issue. I will continue to need your support. I feel blessed by The Great Mystery to have been a part of this.