6-11-06
Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico
I planned to night drive from Phoenix down to Rocky Point, Mexico this weekend photographing snakes and other critters on the road. Although Phoenix gota fairly substantial drenching last week I have a sneaking suspicion that this did not extend south at all as there were only 2 animals found on the road in over 500 miles of drive time. There was one scorpion and one dead Glossy Snake. Nothing else either live or dead although there was enough other entertainment for the weekend that it was still a great trip.
Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion being defensive.
Only snake of the whole trip, a dead Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans) in Rocky Point.
Gentleman riding a shrimp along the main drag through the fish market/old town area
of Rocky Point. I am guessing this is due to the fact that there is a substantial history
of fishing and shrimping in the town.
The Point restaurant and bar. They are a wonderfully scenic place with great food although
they appear to be about the most expensive place in town. The tidal influence here is rather
impressive. this is bout half way between tides. Later at high tide the water was over the top
of those horizontal steel rails. This also means some dive sites can be 5' or 20' deep depending
on the time of day.
This looks familiar to me. Hmmmmmm.....trademark infringement?
There is an oceanic research institute that has a small one room aquarium I wanted to visit.
Online reviews ranged from saying it was interesting and acceptable enough for $3 to suggesting
that it was the most attrocious place ever seen that should be boycotted for the sake of the animals.
My opinion is this: this is a small not terribly wealthy town in Mexico. It's not the Monterey Bay
Aquarium or anything but I thought it was just fine. There is a perimeter of glass aquariums with native
fishes in them and some large circulr tubs with lrger specimens. They have a large number of sea turtles
in an open topped ceramic pool which is kind of boring aesthetically but the animals look healthy enough.
The only thing that I was surprised by and thought might be a bad idea was the Sea Lions. They are in an
enclosure which has holes in the fencing allowing them to poke their heads out where for $1 you can feed
them 2 fish. This was fun but the smaller of the 2 can get like 2/3 of his body out of the hole and is very
excited about being fed to the point where I might have lost fingers if i were less aware of the possibility
in the situation.
I did not attepmt to pet the Dog Snapper.
He looks cute enough but I saw what that mouth looks like open.
Random eels and puffer
The sea lion mentioned above coming to get a fish.
he could fit even the pectoral flippers through the hole.
Petting a sea turtle.
