HASTA LA VISTA BABY!
Originally Published the Week of June 21, 2016 in Western Outdoor News
Wish we could say it was fun. Adios, Baby! Don’t let the screendoor bang your butt as you exit.
Yea, that’s right. Like the neighborhood kid who comes to hang out but overstays their welcome, we needed a break. Get this kid outta here!
Well, it’s official.
Meteorologists are officially declaring the demise of “The Baby” aka “El Nino.” After almost 2 years, the experts are saying the kid is finally on the way out.
The weather phenomenon we know as “El Nino” was first recognized centuries ago by Peruvian fishermen. They noticed that a warming cycle occurred every few years which changed their weather patterns and their fishing.
Insofar as it happened towards the end of the year around Christmas, it became known as “The Baby/ El Nino.”
Extremely waters is exactly what we’ve seen down here in Baja during this particular cycle and, in fact, on the entire Eastern Pacific bordering the western shores of North and South America.
In fact, this El Nino was one of the strongest on record superceded only by the last great El Nino in 1996-97.
The warmer waters produced more storms and more rain along the western U.S. which was much needed. But, conversely, it produced drought condition and water shortages in epic proportions on the other side of the Pacific.
However, for the first time since about 2014, the experts say that May was the official turning point. Last month produced cooler neutral water temperatures on our side of the Pacific for the first time.
El Nino hasn’t been very good to us down here in Baja and Mexico.
Sure, it produced rain. The problem is, it often fell all at once. In buckets.
In fact, two historically massive hurricanes, “Patricia” and “Odile”, were among the strongest ever experienced in Mexico. Odile pretty much flattened Cabo San Lucas which still bears some scars. Patricia would have been the strongest ever and barely missed crashing into highly populated Puerto Vallarta.
From a sportsman’s perspective, we know how good the fishing has been in areas around Southern California as warm-water species like tuna, yellowtail, marlin, wahoo and others followed the currents north. It’s been an economic windfall for the sportfishing industry not to mention, a lot of fun.
Those areas produced some of the most exotic and finest fishing ever recorded. In fact as I’m writing this huge bluefin tuna are being caught in S. California waters. Hey, and what about all those sharks cavorting in the surf off California beaches? Great fun, right? I’m being facetious.
But for us down here in Baja, the warmer waters weren’t very kind to us. Without the cooler upwellings from down deep, nutrients for baitfish never arrived. Accordingly, baitfish never arrived either which either starved or moved to more fertile waters.
In the foodchain, no bait meant no larger sportfish or certainly smaller sportfish. That was a big ouch to the sportfishing industry here in Mexico.
But, everything is cyclical on this planet. Things come. Things go.
With El Nino headed out, the meteorologists are now telling us to get ready for “La Nina.” (The little sister!). What? Another bratty kid? C’mon already!
But yes. Chances are this little girl is a bit chillier.
However, according to the experts, La Nina isn’t exactly a complete opposite of El Nino. Ice won’t start coating the ocean’s surface.
Whereas El Nino involves huge warm spikes over a short period of time, La Nina is more of mild extended cooling event. The pros say it’s a return to an extended period of “normalcy.” Whatever “normal” means these days.
But, like every planetary phenomenon, what’s good for some is less-so for others.
While El Nino surely helped the drought ravages in the United States, it wasn’t enough to break it as many expected it would. La Nina won’t help at all as fewer storms can be expected.
That’s good for hurricane and tropical storm watchers in Mexico.
Over the past 2 years, there were times when every week one storm after another appeared on the radar and we had to brace for perhaps another onslaught and wonder if the “next one” would hit. Or would it race out to sea towards Hawaii?
However, conversely, the Eastern and Gulf states will be on higher storm and hurricane alerts now with La Nina. Atlantic hurricane predictions are usually elevated during La Nina patterns.
Likewise, along Eastern Asia, the waters will now be warmer on that side of the Pacific. After two years of crippling drought and heat waves, those poor folks will have to contend with the looming aspect of monsoons and cyclones.
And what will this do to the fishing in Baja?
After so many crazy things these past few years, I don’t know what “normal” looks like anymore. I threw my “fishing charts” out the window awhile ago.
I just go fishing. The weather will be what the weather is. There’s always something biting if it’s Mexican waters. And it still beats sitting in traffic.
Hasta la vista, Baby. Thanks for the visit.
That’s our story…
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
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