Video of the Week: Searching for Pumas @ Las Barajitas & then on the return trip, observing Orcas gorging themselves on Manta Rays in front of La Manga.
Well yesterday was a subtle reminder of why I live in San Carlos. I was invited to go up to Cañyon Las Barajitas the other day and pick up some cameras that were left through out the canyon by my good friend Juan Pablo Gallo the local mammologist out of Guaymas. He has been doing a study on Pumas, Mountain Lions, at the canyon now for a while. They use specially designed cameras that are water proof and operated by a motion detector. The cameras are left for around 10 days and this was the third round of camera trials at the canyon so next week I will report on how the work has been going and if they captured any shots of Pumas. Las Barajitas is the most remote canyon in the La Sierra del Aguaje or what are commonly referred to as the Algodones moutnains. La Sierra del Aguaje means wet mountains and as many of you know there are several fresh water springs hidden in the canyons of these intensely beautiful mountains. Some canyons such as Nacapuli have there own micro environments and you can find flora in these canyons that you will not find in other parts of the surrounding desert. There will be more to report on later with what is happening out at Las Barajitas at a latter date.
Now the other really cool thing I got to do yesterday, and what is a great reminder of why I live here, was the very lucky chance to observe a small pod of Orcas feeding on mantas just in front of La Manga and perhaps 400 yards north of Isla Venado in the current line. Tide was low and we had been observing Mantas Jumping when we spotted what looked like a pod of bottle nose dolphin but on closer examination turned out to be Orcas.
I have worked with Juan Pablo for many years giving him any good I.D. pictures of whales that we have taken so I would like to make a simple request that if anyone has any good shots of whales if you could send them with info on when and where they were taken to me Vince@SanCarlos.tv so I can forward them along to Juan Pablo so he can log them and send them to others in the Gulf who catalog whales it would be greatly appreciated!!!
Here are some Pics that can be seen at the Sonoran Sport Center web site that Juan Pablo has donated to me over the years. Orcas are fast moving and don´t hang out for long so you have to be on the water to see them and of course a little bit of luck never hurt anybody.
This shot below was taken on the same day as the shot above. The picture shows Orcas feeding on Common dolphin right in front of San Carlos in Bahia San Franciscito. What you are seeing is dozens of dolphins jumping out of the water at the same time attempting to escape the attack of a pod of Orcas rushing in on them from underneath.
