Canicula, canicular period, canicular days or the season of canicula refers to the hottest part of the year. My neighbor Larry Woelfel and I were chatting about the lack of rain and heat this summer in Huatulco and he exclaimed, “Canicula! Look it up, Julie!” Easy assignment for this lover of language and etymology. The Latin root of the word is canis, or dog and is a 14th century Old English word pertaining to the dogstar Sirius. It also pertains to dog days, or the dog days of summer, common in English-lingo. The canicular period lasts four to six weeks, depending on precise location relative to the equator and declination of the sun. Technically it begins when at midday or noon the sun is at its maximum height over the horizon. Continue reading Canicula, Mar de Fondo, and other weather phenomena→
In May 2015, Huatulco experienced a mar de fondo, a regularly spaced sequence of extremely high waves. Although it may appear to witnesses to be similar to a tsunami, a mar de fondo is not caused by seismic activity but rather by a large storm at some distance from the beach where the waves are landing. A delight to surfers, the large waves can, however, destroy boats and piers in marinas and inundate the lower floor of buildings close to the coastline. Along the Oaxaca coast, the mar de fondo made some highways impassible, and some hotel lobbies and schools were flooded. Continue reading Climate Change Affecting Oceans→
This species, whose scientific name is Pseudorca crassidens (pseudo = false, orca = Latin for cetacean, e.g. marine mammals: whales and dolphins; crassidens = ‘thick-tooth’) is actually a member of the dolphin family, and is the only member of its genus. It was first described in 1846 and is the fourth largest dolphin in the world. The species is fairly widespread in its distribution; they have been observed in shallow water including the Mediterranean and Red Seas but are more common in the deeper tropical to temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They are considered uncommon but there are no global population estimates. The United State (U.S.) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) concluded that false killer whales were the least common of the 18 species of toothed whales and dolphins found in Hawaiian waters. Although not hunted commercially, they can be caught as bycatch and through other fishery interactions, such as the Hawaii longline fishery and bottomfish fishery off the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. They are hunted in Indonesia, Japan, and the West Indies. In the US this species is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Continue reading False Killer Whales→
Silly me. I used to think that there were hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, cyclones in the Pacific, typhoons usually aimed themselves at Japan, and then there were the monsoons, which had a lot of rain and were hot and steamy, and they all stuck to their geography like glue. Living in the northeastern U.S., kids found those Atlantic hurricanes exciting—when a hurricane actually made it all the way to Maine, my father would drive us around on my brother’s paper route in case there were any downed electric lines we wanted to play with. Continue reading Hurricanes—Not Just for Meteorologists→
On October 5, 2010, Huatulco’s Eco-archeology park opened to the east of Tangolunda Bay near Copalita. It provides a unique experience of pre-Columbian life on the Oaxacan Coast as it existed well before the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The park, located just past the turnoff for Playa La Bocana, consists of over 81 hectares (200 acres), including a museum and trails leading to recently excavated archeological sites, primarily undisturbed conservation areas, and magnificent views of the coastline. Developed by FONATUR (the Mexican government foundation for promoting tourism) and INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History), the park offers residents and tourists alike an informative and visually inspiring experience. Continue reading Pre-Hispanic Residents of Huatulco→
Our home, Earth, is the third planet from the sun and the only world known to support an atmosphere with free oxygen, oceans of liquid water on the surface and — the big one — life. Here are some interesting things you may not have known: Continue reading Home Sweet Home→
When we were planning our move to Mexico many of our friends and family thought we had lost our minds. We had visions of warm sandy beaches with palm trees swaying gently in the breeze; they had visions of Clint Eastwood in “A Fist Full of Dollars”. (Never mind those “spaghetti westerns” were shot in Italy!) The truth is that Mexico is a multi-faceted nation that cannot be summed up with one stereotype. One aspect that might surprise you is the sophisticated level of scientific research that has come from this country. Mexico has been involved in some the most advanced discoveries of the 20th century. Here are five examples. Continue reading Extraordinary Innovation from Mexico→
Mexico has more species of tarantula than any other country in the world except Brazil. The tarantula is, however, often maligned and misunderstood. Their bite is not fatal, and barely toxic to humans if at all, and most of the species in Mexico would rather flick hairs at you than bite you if they are threatened. That’s right. Flick hairs. Continue reading Tarantulas: Nothing to Fear→
It’s very early in the Huatulco morning, still dark, the dawn just beginning to silhouette the umbels of the guarumbo tree in back of the newly renovated Hotel Binniguenda. From my next-door balcony, I savor the serenity . . . Oops! The leaves flutter, the branches droop, and an unexpected guest rustles up early to start his daily foraging. Continue reading The Unnatural History of the Tejón→
Remember those tin noisemakers you used to twirl at New Years? Bright colors, horrible noise? When you wake up in Huatulco, don’t you just hear them all over again? That would be the call of Ortalis poliocephala, the West Mexican chachalaca—which is supposed to sound as if it’s saying its name, “cha-cha-la-ca.” You’ll have to decide on the noisemaker vs. the name. Not only is their call unmistakable, they’re very talkative. Mornings are especially good for call-and-response discussions of plans for the day. In case you missed the plans, activities are discussed at the end of the day. Continue reading The West Mexican Chachalaca—Best Known for Its “Song”→
By Neal Erickson
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