Have you ever seen a Tornado of Fish? It is Amazing!

A Tornado of Fish in Cabo Pulmo, what an amazing trip to  on the Sea of Cortez and the Baja! I was excited to put together a small group trip to the Sea of Cortez with Red Travel Mexico for December 3-9, 2017. Red Travel Mexico is an eco friendly tour company operating on the Mexican Baja, and recommended by National Geographic. I wanted to dive Cabo Pulmo, a marine sanctuary that has made a big comeback thanks to the designation of national marine park. Dr Sylvia Earle of Mission Blue has been a big supporter of the project. Dr Sylvia Earle is to fish what Dr Jane Goodall is to chimps! I wanted to see the results of the project to bring back this site to a healthy state, and Red Travel Mexico and I put together a trip to do just that!

On the second dive of our trip in Cabo Pulmo (following our awesome bull shark dive, see video above!!!) we went in search of Bigeye Jacks, also known as Bigeye Trevally. During their courtship the Bigeye Jacks rapidly swim together, so many of them they form what is known as a fish tornado. Why? Because that is exactly what it looks like! These tornadoes have thousands of fish in them, and it has been something I have always wanted to see. Yes, I’ve seen huge shoals of fish and sharks…but I had never seen one of these swirling columns filled with fish. Cabo Pulmo gave me my first look at them! I was so excited to see these tornadoes, and I loved getting in the tornado. Fascinating!

Cabo Pulmo is such a fantastic example of marine protection! To learn more go to this link http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/cabo-pulmo-giving-optimism-coral-reefs

We saw schools of Groupers, Yellow Tailed Snappers, and Mutton Snappers! The photos aren’t that great, but you can see how full of fish (and sharks!) Cabo Pulmo is. It has returned to being a healthy ecosystem instead of a barren waste. Truly a sight to see. Marine life can come back, but we have to give it the opportunity before it is too late.

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