Marvelous Marlins
To see a billfish alive in the wild is truly a privileged experience, and to see them in their full activated hunting mode is an even further impressive event. Southern Baja boasts an abundance of Striped Marlin, which has attracted sport fishermen for years. In Los Cabos alone approximately 12,000 Striped Marline are caught annually, and in Magdalena Bay the numbers could be significantly higher. Currently, the Eastern Tropical Pacific stock of Striped Marlin is not classified as overfished, however they are threatened in other parts of the world and this status is always tenuous. What has helped to some extent particularly in Magdalena Bay is the growing demand for swimming with Marlin, converting many former or part-time fishing boat captains and vessels to full or part-time super snorkeling, such as Latitude Encounters expeditions.
Now some quick facts.
Striped Marlin are the smallest of the four species of Marlin, Black Marlin being the largest, followed by Blue in second, and White in third position.
Striped Marlin can weigh 250-450lbs/115-200kg and grow a maximum of 12ft/3.5m.
Can occupy depths of up to 1500ft/450m, though 85% of their lives is spent close to the ocean’s surface.
They are the 3rd fastest fish in the ocean reaching top speeds of 81kph/50mph, after the Black Marlin (number 1 at 129kph/80mph) and the Sailfish (110kph/70mph)
Their spawning occurs in the Central Pacific Ocean and off of Central Mexico. They spawn in the summer between June and September.
Females produce 11-29 million eggs annually.
Striped Marlin reach sexual maturity in females 1.5-2.5 years, and in males 1-2 years.
Can live up to 10 years.
Marlin can be distinguished from Swordfish by their retractable dorsal fins, whereas the dorsal fin of Swordfish is locked in an upright position.
The main attraction of swimming with Marlin hunting baitfish is to observe their incredible cooperation. With an active baitball you can typically see three tiers of marlin; those hunting, those next on deck to hunt, and those in third position waiting their turn. The active hunting marlin with be close to the surface of the water surrounding the baitball, and they will be flashing their famous iridescent blue stripes. This phenomenon occurs due to their heightened levels of adrenaline, indicating to others that they about to hunt, and potentially also confusing the prey with the flashing. They have stacks of skin cells called iridophores, which contain blue-to-gray pigmented crystals that reflect light. By flashing their stripes, they are communicating their intended moves, and the vibracy of the colors goes down the tiers to the other marlin waiting their turn, with the brightest on the attack to the dimmest waiting their turn maybe 10m/30ft below. It is such a thrill to passively observe this in the wild, and this season has been exceptional for witnessing the marlin at their best.
The presence of other predators can alter the behavior of the marlin, and cause them to abandon their hunt and move on to seek other prey. The California Sea Lion can be one such foe, and we will often witness one or more stubborn sea lions just hanging around in the baitball, making it impossible for the marlin to strike. Humans’ existence in the water can have a similar effect, which is why Latitude’s guides will stress so much that when we are interacting with baitballs we give them plenty of space to allow the marlin plenty of longitude to approach and hopefully make successful strikes. As always we want our presence to be as passive as possible, ensuring incredible encounters without impacting the action.
