Will the Vaquita become a ghost of the Sea of Cortez?

Just the other day, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), launched the North American Conservation Action Plan for the Vaquita. What does this mean?

The Vaquita is a small porpoise that lives in the upper Gulf of California and is on the verge of extinction. The Vaquita's decline is blamed on accidental entanglement in fishing nets. As an air-breathing mammal it gets caught in the net and drowns while trapped underwater.

The CEC is a joint organization created by Canada, Mexico and the United States to address environmental concerns in North America.

The North American Conservation Action Plan is designed to help protect the nearly-extinct Vaquita while protecting the livelihoods of the local people who depend on fishing.

In other words, if you can incentivize people to find other ways to fish and make their livelihood, you might give the Vaquita a chance to rebound.

With only 150 animals currently estimated to exist, I'm afraid that this latest -- of many efforts to save the species -- may be too late. But I haven't given up hope that one day maybe I'll see one.

Now, these are not the animals that you typically see rolling and leaping from the deck of your booze cruise; those are most likely Common or Bottlenose dolphins. Vaquitas are much smaller, and if you see one of these in the wild -- alive -- you should immediately purchase a lottery ticket.

In fact, I just found some recent photos taken of the Vaquita in the wild -- photos taken by some of the luckiest people on the planet. You can see them here at Whaletrackers.com.

Let's hope we aren't the generation that saw the last of the Vaquita.

Arrrrr … Kidnapped by pirates in Puerto Penasco!

The late afternoon shadows cut across the harbor like swords drawn for battle. With little time to spare, I leaped heroically on board the pirate ship El Rey Del Mar. My wife, daughter and daughter's friend were being led to the front of the ship and I had to stop this madness before they hit the open sea.

"Avast ye!" I yelled. "Unhand those fair maidens or I'll, I'll … oh, okay. Sure, I'll take a margarita."

The young man looked at me rather strangely, and then went back to the galley to get our drinks. I plopped down on the bench next to Julie, while my fantasy dissolved into the briny air.

Okay, so they really weren't kidnapped. In fact I had to pay to get them on board, but it was money well-spent.

We had joined the crew of the Rey Del Mar on a New Years Eve sunset cruise out of Puerto Penasco. Captained (and owned) by Juan Antonio Sanabria, the Rey Del Mar is one of several boats the company uses for party cruises. It also has the most character, decked out with so many Jolly Rogers, eye patches and buccaneers that you'll be shouting "Yo ho ho!" in no time.

Once at sea the crew fills you with food and beverage, and gets you involved in playing audience-participation games (you know, the type of situation where you're not afraid to ham it up because you already are feeling "enthusiastic" from the margaritas. Not that I would know.)

It's a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it for a memorable diversion. Captain Tony also has a second ship, El Rey Del Mar II, which is currently docked in Guaymas ready for more swashbuckling action.

For more information, contact Del Mar Charters at 520-407-6054.

Alamos hit hard by Norbert.

Hurricane Norbert came ashore on mainland Mexico near Yavaros, Sonora. There's no doubt that Yavaros, Huatabampo and Huatabampito have sustained damage. The main news I'm finding though is about major flooding that roared through Alamos in the hills above Navojoa. Sadly, the press is reporting that four people lost their lives.

Here' a link to some photos of the damage in Alamos.

The road from Navojoa to Alamos was damaged, but El Imparcial, the Hermosillo paper, is reporting that the road is now open (barely) to allow emergency relief vehicles to get to the town.

Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this disaster.

Hurricane Norbert, can I ask you a favor?

There's a lot of wind and a few clouds showing up here in Tucson today and it makes me think of Hurricane Norbert (although I doubt they are related.) Right now, Norbert is heading for southern Baja and the National Hurricane Center has issued a Hurricane Warning for the west coast of southern Baja. The storm is then projected to cross over the peninsula and hit mainland Mexico as a tropical storm somewhere between Topolobampo and Guaymas.

Now I certainly hope Mexico is spared devastation from Norbert and I'm really asking Norbert to please, please spare Guaymas. Not just because I'm concerned for the residents, including my new blogging friends Brenda and Roy. I also don't know if I could live with the guilt.

You see, my family and I have a "hurricane attraction" track record. Several places we have traveled to, have been subsequently nailed by devastating hurricanes. To wit:

1988. Category 5 Hurricane Gilbert causes massive destruction as it slams into Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula, 14 months after Julie and I rambled around there during our honeymoon. From what we hear, one of the places we stayed at in Playa del Carmen is destroyed.

2002. Category 4 Hurricane Kenna damages or destroys 95 percent of the buildings in San Blas, Nayarit, 13 months after Julie, Ginger and I left the village. The Hotel Garza Canela, where we stayed, apparently survived.

2004. Hurricane Frances hits the Bahamas as a Category 3, 13 months after our trip through Exuma and Nassau.

2005. One month after we had yielded to desire (okay, played the role as jazz-loving, cocktail-sipping tourists) in the French Quarter, Hurricane Katrina blasts New Orleans as a Category 3.

2005. Two months after we had spent the night socializing with locals in Holly Beach, Louisiana, Hurricane Rita scored a bulls-eye on the little vacation village. The town was completely obliterated. Gone.

2006. Hurricane John hits southern Baja as a Category 2. Two weeks earlier, Julie and I had been about 300 miles north of where it made landfall. (I know that's pretty far away but hey, when you've got a pattern going it's hard to let go).

2007. We went fishing in the White Mountains of Arizona.

However, and this is point, we were in Guaymas at the end of December, 2007. I really shouldn't be admitting this.