Thought you would all enjoy these magnificent images on a Friday. They were sent to me by my colleague and friend Kenneth Johnson, owner of EcoColors Tours. These images were captured yesterday during a Sailfish Adventure Tour in the waters off Isla Mujeres, near the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Images were captured by Alberto Friscione.
So amazing to still be able to see a large school of beautiful Atlantic Sailfish (Istiophorus albicans) herding a baitball. It’s the marine equivalent of lions stalking a herd of gazelles.
Awesome. See also:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/sailfish/holland-text/1
“Color bursts may serve not only to unsettle prey but also to warn other sailfish to stay back, helping avoid collisions.”
Thanks Jason! Kenneth had mentioned he observed vivid color changes and flashes in the dorsal fins and bodies as the sailfish hunted. Also, he said the sailfish waved their “swords” back and forth in the baitball to stun first fish before scooping then up during feeding runs.
Have been shut in, frozen, here in north texas for three and a half days! Have horrible cabin fever. (This is extremely rare in the part of Texas I live in)
Then I look at these photos and actually smile and almost feel I could get lost in such beauty.
Thank you for sharing.
Always good to remember there are wonderful places like this all over our world and our work to try to preserve it is worth everything.
These pictures are really wonderfull..
It must be really impressive to see this spectacle not only on a photo…don’t you need to have a lot of luck to find such an impressive motive?
Pam: glad you enjoy the pics! deep blue is a true remedy to winter blues!
Knox: I’m told that the “season” for reliable sailfish encounters like this in Mexico is Jan – March… perhaps a confluence of food and migrational routes??…