Dana Wharf Boats Caught 5,000 Yellowfin Tuna This Summer, Up From Two
The Southern California company says it is now catching acrobatic dorado that jump out of the water.
Reuters World News · Trump drops Russia sanctions, Israeli settlers attack US photojournalist, Oregon police say teacher and parent stopped school shooterDana Wharf Sport Fishing and Whale Watching boats landed 5,000 yellowfin tuna this summer, compared with only two last summer, according to co-owner Donna Callas.
Along the coast, sport fishing businesses are paying close attention to El Nino this year.
Callas said her boats are now catching dorado. Dorado are very exciting, she said, because they are very acrobatic and jump out of the water.
Crews catch the dorado off kelp paddies. The paddies are floating patches of kelp that drift in the ocean. Catching dorado there is a thrill, Callas said.
Questions people ask
What is El Nino, and why would it bring tuna north?
El Nino is a natural warming of surface water in the tropical Pacific that shifts weather and ocean currents around the world. Off California, it usually means warmer coastal water, higher sea levels, and southern species moving north for food and comfortable temperatures.
What exactly is a dorado?
Dorado is another name for mahi mahi, a fast-growing, brightly colored ocean fish found mainly in warm water. It is prized by anglers because it fights hard, leaps when hooked, and by cooks because it is firm and mild.
What is a kelp paddy?
A kelp paddy is a floating clump of detached kelp that drifts with currents and acts like shelter in the open ocean. Small fish hide under it, and bigger predators, including tuna and dorado, gather around it to feed, so fishermen target paddies.