Thursday, November 20, 2008

pond revolution


I was going to post a piece on the Mexican Revolution. But I was simply not up to talking politics today.


I enjoyed yesterday's nature discussion so much, I decided to share another La Manzanilla photograph from last December.


Yesterday, I mentioned that Jiggs was going to have to learn to be wary of some Mexican wildlife. Some animals will not climb trees to avoid contact with him.


Let me offer Exhibit A -- the photograph that leads this little tale. The crocodile in the photograph is easily big enough to eat a large dog. What he is eating in the photograph is a filleted bill fish. It took him very few gulps to finish off the carcass.


The photograph is interesting enough because of the feeding frenzy. What I find even more interesting is: 1) the nonchalance of the Canadian fisherman, and 2) the Mexican woman's concern over the hose that provides her fresh water -- with little regard for the other danger at hand.


I suspect I may have just written my synopsis of the current state of the Mexican Revolution.

11 comments:

Michael Dickson said...

What those two dimwits do not know is that an alligator can move like lightning over a short distance.

Babs said...

Yipes, his toes probably look really tasty to that croc.

1st Mate said...

I suspect the Canadian didn't realize how fast those critters are. One microsecond and he could have been cut off at the ankles.

Calypso said...

"The crocodile in the photograph is easily big enough to eat a large dog."

Looks to me like that Croc could easily ingest a large man - yikes!

GlorV1 said...

Oh geez. How could they be so near a crocodile? Did you stick around to see if anything happened to these people? There are so many things happening there, it scares me and I am not even there. Good Luck Steve.;)

Islaholic Trixie said...

Sometimes Animals, like Mr Jiggs, are smarter than humans....especially those two humans!!

Steve Cotton said...

Michael -- I was amazed at how close they were to the croc. The woman lives in a little shack right next to the pond. I should post a picture.

Babs -- Apparently, the croc prefers giant fish.

Bliss -- I have even seen tourists walk up and touch a croc "sleeping" on the lagoon bank. Just stupid. Some tourists have also taken to feeding the crocs that wander into the street. That is a tragedy just waiting to happen.

John -- I had the same thought when I saw the size of some of the crocs. They are big and ready for action. Watching the croc flip the bill fish in the air, as it devoured it, was an eye opener. I wish I had tried out the motion picture aspect of my camera.

Gloria -- After the croc ate the fish, the Canadian drove off in the truck, and the woman returned to her shack on the bank of the lagoon.

Brenda -- Unfortunately, the crocs in La Manzanilla have been very successful at capturing dogs. Last December I watched a small white dog bound out of an RV, dash by one of the crocs on the bank, and disappear in one swift gulp -- right in front of its owner. It was a terrible thing to see. I had not intended to relay that tale.

Islagringo said...

I think relaying that tale of the white dog was an even better lesson to people. I just can't believe how stupid some people's children are. Oh wait, yes I can.

Steve Cotton said...

Wayne -- Of course, it is the type of lesson that is learned only by one person at a time. An entire species could go extinct with that type of learning curve.

aighmeigh said...

That animal is... HUGE!!

Your commentary on the scene is a very interesting window into what different cultures value!

Steve Cotton said...

Aighmeigh -- Or what they think they value. Cultural myths are resilient.