Puerto López 2 – Fishermen

Puerto Lopez Ecuador 2016 birds attacking fishing boats

Yesterday I described the whale watching trip and Isla de la Plata. Our favorite activity in Puerto López though is to photograph the fishermen as they come in with their daily  catch. Peak activity is between 8AM and 11AM….  As you approach the stretch of beach near the wharf where the fishermen come in, there is no doubt that everything is in a full frenzy — the sky is filled with birds circling and diving, hoping for an easy meal.

Puerto Lopez Ecuador 2016 birds attacking fishermen runners

The real show is seen as you get closer though.  There are crews of people who fill plastic bins with fish, then run up the beach to the waiting ice trucks and weighing stations.  Over that 100 foot run, the pelicans and frigatebirds dive at the bins, trying to extract fish for a quick meal.  Each time the bird succeeds, the bin is a little lighter, and the weighing station will reward the fishermen with a little less money.  Therefore, many of them work in pairs, with one person carrying the bin, and a second person waving away the birds.

When we were here in 2012, the bins were totally open topped, and the birds got a substantial feast.  Since then, the fishermen have learned to place a burlap tarp over the bin, making it harder for the birds to attain their prize.  The birds have learned how to hover, pull back the tarp and grab a fish anyway though, as seen in the upper left image.

Puerto Lopez Ecuador 2016 sharks and manta rays

Larger sea life was dragged onto the beach to be prepared for market, with no concern for bird thieves due to the size of the fish. Three boats brought in sharks, and one butcher worked through all of them, cutting off fins first, then gutting the fish and cutting the balance into trunks that would be turned into steaks.  One boat brought in half a dozen manta rays, piling them on the beach.

Puerto Lopez Ecuador 2016 fish and fishermen vendors

When most of the boats had arrived and been emptied, the focus moved higher on the beach.  Some fishermen filled the bottom of small boats with their catch, selling it to local residents who would buy one fish or a string of them, presumably for their family dinner.  Fish were segregated, and available for purchase directly as-caught.

Puerto Lopez Ecuador 2016 fish preparation

There were also several dozen people scaling, fileting, and otherwise preparing fish for you to cook.  It was obvious these people had done this a long time, as their practiced hands almost blurred as they worked through huge piles of fish.

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