No marlin but two thousand dolphins
HAVING hooked and lost two marlin the skipper, Berti, set off for a run further from the island and there the swell increased to around three metres.
By this time the temperature had risen well over 30 degrees, so hot even Christian – the crew – was complaining and I had to seek the shelter of the cabin.
I thought I saw a dolphin and went out on deck again and there they were on the bow wave, and also on the wake coming from the rear of the boat – they were everywhere, flashing below the boat, jumping high into the air and in the clear water of the Indian Ocean it was quite a display.
Going back into the cabin I asked Berti: "How many dolphins are there out there?" and he replied around two thousand.
I was astounded but he said to go up on to the flying deck and there I marvelled at the huge shoal of animals stretching as far as I could see – what a display.
I heard the engines picking up and we were moving at high speed and on getting down into the cabin Berti explained that big tuna tend to run with the dolphins and he was trying to attract a fish. Not to be.
I asked if he had ever caught a dolphin and his answer was no, they never attack the baits.
Soon after we contacted a flock of frigate birds, they search the ocean for food fish being driven to the surface by larger fish like tuna and marlin.
They spread their flock over a large area and when fish are found every bird gets the message and they are off at high speed to the place where a bird has found fish, this is a fantastic sight and you can only marvel at their communications.
After two hours of shadowing the birds in the company of two other boats from the Challenger fleet it became apparent that there were few fish in the area and Berti was off south to trawl again for marlin and try as he would, and he really tried, we did not contact another fish and late in the afternoon we headed to the island to rendezvous with the speedboat and back to the hotel beach.
Poor Berti, he was so apologetic and was distressed that we had lost two big marlin, but I assured him that it had been one of the best days of my life and that I would be back to try again.
If you would like any information, if I have whetted you appetite, please get in touch and I will be pleased to give you the details.
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Weather for Brechin
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 3 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South west
