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| Hurricanes, mermaids, crocodiles and birds |
| November 17, 2002. | To
veteran Scottish sailors, sighting a mermaid during a voyage is a bad omen as
they are messengers of doom. Nevertheless, their power lies in the beauty of their
faces and the melodious tones of their song, attributes that are only overshadowed
by their perfected ability to control the weather and especially the storms and
hurricanes.  Generally,
the mischief and pranks that mermaids play using the weather are usually to the
detriment of man and the symbols of his greatness. Justifiably, following a natural
disaster, there are cries of lament over material, moral and human losses; lamentations
that stimulate the intellect (supported by the evidence) to go in pursuit of answers
that would explain the mistakes made in designing civil protection plans or those
dealing with urban growth and development.
Notwithstanding
what I mentioned above, (which is not in my interest to discuss as it has been
amply done with and without foundation in endless media of communication throughout
the region) is palpable in that in most cases, we forget how the rest of the creatures
bred by Mother Earth manage to face the natural phenomena that may act against
their benefit or in favor of their misfortune.  One
example that demonstrates how the power of the hurricanes can impact upon wildlife
can be seen with the caiman population of the Florida Everglades. Under such weather
circumstances, some specimens (usually the inexperienced young ones) that do not
manage to find shelter in caves, in the mangroves or in the depths of the swamps
or marshes, are crushed and battered by the fury of the winds until they lose
their lives.
Fortunately for the crocodiles that live
in the bay area, the mangroves that surround their natural habitats offer an excellent
shelter that acts as a barrier against the winds and waves of the hurricane. Nonetheless,
the occurrence of the meteorological phenomenon prior to the hatching of the eggs
(in June) would have caused floods and irreparable loss of the nests that the
mother crocodiles build near the beaches. Also, according
to the authorities responsible for the protection of wildlife in the neighboring
state of Nayarit, the floods caused by Hurricane Kenna allowed the crocodiles
to colonize places beyond their natural distribution borders. This situation has
caused concern among the residents because, with the arrival of the dry season
which is usually accompanied by a drop in the water levels, this could pose a
problem for the reptiles. Being far from the usual areas they use for feeding
and reproduction, they could die or turn into animals that are dangerous to humans.  On
the other hand, before and during the meteorological event, it was interesting
to see how innumerable birds were preparing to seek shelter among the trees and
the buildings while others were flying away in flocks towards the mountainous
regions of the bay. Others, mainly marine species like the frigate birds and terns,
flew as high as they could to avoid the strong gusts of wind. Although some were
not so successful, falling prey to the winds and experiencing a zigzagging flight,
forced and tiring, their attempts still proved sufficient to save their lives.
World
historical records show that a large variety of birds are taken away beyond their
normal limits of distribution by hurricanes. One curious fact which I discussed
a few months ago with my parents was that after Hurricane Nora (Category I, winds
of 119-143 km/h, which lasted from September 16th to 26th, 1997), the residents
of the border town of Mexicali in Baja California noticed the presence of a strange
black bird they had never seen before in that region. Hurricane
Nora was born in the Pacific Ocean some 250 nautical miles southwest of Acapulco.
From there, it traveled northwest, crossing over the Baja California peninsula
to Mexicali. Nora continued its path as a tropical storm into California to end
its existence as a tropical depression somewhere between Arizona and Nevada in
the States. Finally, the enigmatic black bird was identified as the Quiscalus
mexicanus, better known by its common name, the Great-tailed Grackle. cupul@pvmirror.com Archives
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