Albino Sailfish, The Real Deal!

We first saw what appeared to be an albino sailfish back in 2008. The image did not have a accompanying story with it and I had my doubts about it truly being and albino. Here are some incredible photos from just a couple of months ago near our old fishing grounds in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. As you can see there are images of the fish from several angles and there is no mistake about this one, it is definitely an albino sailfish! It’s extremely rare that any albino fish would grow this size, but a sailfish is the fastest fish in the sea, which clearly works to its advantage when avoiding predators!

These incredible photos were taken by Jon Schwartz

“They were flipping out because they’ve never seen anything like that in their lives, and they started looking at the eyes, and the eyes were red and pink, and they started hollering out albino, albino, and then they called into the marina, and that’s when we learned that it was a special thing.”

via Blue Water Jon

Cindy Garrison Gets Wild!

Meet Cindy Garrison, big game fisherman woman and host of the ESPN Outdoors hunting program, Get Wild! With Cindy Garrison.

via Moldy Chum

The Largest Marlin Ever Caught On a Rod and Reel

The only possession I have left that belonged to my father is his fishing album. He spent a lot of time on the water and was a fishing charter captain in the Caribbean for many years. In the 1970′s, long before I was born he was helping people catch marlin, tuna, sailfish and more. My father knew a lot of fishermen, but perhaps none as renowned as Capt. Cornelius Choy. Choy was one of Hawaii’s greatest sport fishermen and holds the record for largest blue marlin caught on a rod and reel, weighing an incredible 1805 pounds!

As any good fisherman would, Choy took the opportunity to brag to my pops about record fish…

This massive fish was never acknowledged as a record by the IGFA since it was reeled in by more than one person. The only marlin ever caught that was larger than Choy’s Monster, was caught by a commercial fisherman. This giant marlin is said to have weighed over 2200 pounds!

It’s sad to think that the likelihood anyone will ever catch a marlin over 2000 pounds on a rod and reel is basically non-existent. Overfishing of these incredible fish by commercial fishermen could easily lead to their extinction in the not so far off future.

Albino Sailfish?

Albino or dead sailfish that has lost its coloring?

via Jupiter Fishing Club

The Flying Mobulas of the Sea of Cortez

While living and fishing here in La Paz I’ve seen my fair share of amazing aquatic life, from sea lions, to dolphins, to enormous sailfish. But not much can compare with seeing large groups of mobulas (cousins of the manta ray) breaching the surface, flying 5 to 10 feet in the air spinning and flipping, just out of arms reach. Clive and I tried our best to capture photographs of these amazing creatures, but we were often too focused on the fishing. Luckily for us, Michael Albert was able to capture a handful of amazing photographs.

There couldn’t be more than 60 minutes of light left. My brother begins to set up camp while I scramble to unlash the kayak resting on the roof of my pickup. As my kayak arrows towards the activity, I grow anxious, willing the sun to stay up a just a bit longer. About half an hour later, I am paddling among them, in the middle of a pancake commercial, flapjack-like creatures tumbling over themselves, flying everywhere, some of them off in the distance, some only feet away. From the shore, which is now far away, the impromptu camp too small to be seen, you’d think there were a dozen, maybe twenty, but here, sitting on my kayak surrounded by them, it becomes immediately clear, there were hundreds.

And it isn’t too long before I glance down and I am forced once again to revise upward my earlier figure. I look down into the plankton-rich green water and note that as far as I can see, the ocean is carpeted with the creatures, thick with black flesh. There they are, hundreds of them gliding in unison with each other, a parade of black kites.

Link via BoingBoing