Longenose puffers can be pesky! I have been bitten 5 times. Become aware of their behaviors so you can keep that number at zero. Those that have been approached by this cute little fish, please share your encounters in the video comment section.
La Ventana Stories
Stingrays Swimming in Ventana Bay
Here is a video of Stingrays Swimming in Ventana Bay. They have a reputation of being stingy creatures, however, stingrays would rather not sting you. But when you step on them, you leave them no choice! To prevent this, some recommend shuffling your feet in the sand to scare them off.
Can you Spot a Stingray in the Sand?
Here is a very short video to introduce what a Stingray looks like buried in the sand. Stingrays are harmless creatures, unless you step on one when they are buried in the sand. Some people shuffle their feet in the sand to scare them away. That’s what I do when I enter the water. A Stingray has a barb on the tail that they use to defend themselves; that’s the sting in Stingray. It’s very painful. Stingrays will leave you alone otherwise. I enjoy watching their unique and graceful way of swimming.
Sharpnose Puffer Reproduction
Learn to recognize when a female Sharpnose Puffer exhibits nest building behavior so when you snorkel, you too can spot the reproductive behaviors of these fish. This short film shows pairs of Puffers engaged in reproduction.
Coral Reef Fish – 94 Fish Species
I have put together a free reef fish ID resource video with 94 species of fish from our very own Ventana Bay. The photos were taken while snorkeling in the bay. I hope the vid brings some joy to people over the holiday, and is useful to those who want to get to know our local fish residents. Thank you to Mary Sim for collaborating on this project! She’s been so helpful since I started documenting fish around our local reefs in the fall of 2017.
Hawksbill Turtle Sighting
Hawksbill Turtle Sighting in Ventana Bay! Here’s a short video of a beautiful creature sighted Dec 9
Season Kickoff Survey 20/21 Results
We asked our readers a few questions to help get a sense of what everyone is thinking about this unusual season. With 356 respondents, here are the results!
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Helping the Community During COVID-19
Are you looking for a way to help local community during the COVID-19 crisis? We are pleased to help promote an opportunity to donate and volunteer with an organization providing direct support to the La Ventana / El Sargento community.
Continue reading “Helping the Community During COVID-19”El Sargento’s First Settlers — Part 3
A Fisherman’s Life
Guillermo
The mountain range just south of San Juan de Los Planes is called the Sierra la Gata. A century ago, a narrow trail went over the mountains and connected Los Planes to Boca de Alamo, a tiny fishing village on the Sea of Cortéz. Manuel Avilés Geraldo traveled by burro over the trail from Los Planes to sell cheese and vegetables to the residents of Boca de Alamo and the nearby hacienda of La Reforma. At La Reforma, he met Señorita Adelia Lucero. Señor Avilés sometimes paddled a canoe across the Bahía de Los Muertos and walked to La Reforma to court and marry her. He brought his wife and mother-in-law to the home he had built in Los Planes, a lean-to with a palm-thatch roof, mud-plastered walls, and dirt floor. Señor Avilés cared for cattle at Punta Perico and toiled in the mines at Las Canoas to support a growing family. Guillermo Avilés Lucero, the youngest of the family’s five siblings, was born in July 1947—a month after his father had died.1
El Sargento’s First Settlers — Part 2
Pottery
[This story about the family of Señor Jose María Lucero Romero was constructed from interviews with his son Esteban Lucero (2012) and has been edited for length and clarity.]
Doña Sostenes Castañada grew up in Vinorama, a handful of small ranchos tucked away between mountain ridges a few miles north of El Triunfo. She learned how to make earthenware from a potter who lived nearby, and her mother taught her to use herbs and her strong hands to ease the suffering caused by illness and injury. Her faith provided the confidence to use her knowledge to restore the health of family members and neighbors. She became a skilled midwife, preparing herbal teas to stimulate a pregnant women’s contractions and massaging her belly to position the fetus for a safe birth. She delivered many of the babies in nearby mountain ranchos, and later, in El Sargento and La Ventana.
Continue reading “El Sargento’s First Settlers — Part 2”