Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Filmmakers Journal: waiting for the wind to subside to film Humboldt squid

Just a quick update from your local Bahia De Los Angeles internet cafe. The weather here in Baja, California along the Sea of Cortez has been warm and sunny . . . and windy. And that has made filming difficult so far.

I am here to film Humboldt squid with Scott Cassell and dealing with these predators can be very interesting to say the least. We sport Neptunic Shark Suits to provide protection from the squid, along with a cable harness tied to the boat (The little darlings can drag you down if they become really interested in you. And we're diving in water 250- to 1200-feet deep.

The winds make it challenging for both the divers and the local fisherman (a panga - the local fisherman's small boat - can be swamped by wind-swept waves when full of squid as it rides low in the water).

We will be back out on the water later this morning, hoping for calmer seas and plenty of squid. There is an important story behind the ecology of these animals, some of which I have posted in the past. But there's more to come.

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