VAQUITA DOLPHIN ESTIMATED AT ONLY ABOUT 400 REMAINING

Jan. 27, 2007, Title Company Bookstore, Catalina Meders, San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico:

Hola everyone from sunny San Felipe. The air temperature as I write this at 10:30 a.m. is 70 degrees on the bookstore balcony and the humidity is 51 percent. It really feels good after all our "iffy" weather lately.

The sky over San Felipe has a few clouds but the sun is out in this part of Mexico and people are basking in it. It is starting to feel like our "real" San Felipe again.

Unfortunately another scientific study has caused the announcement that the "Vaquita" dolphins are so endangered that there are only about 400 of them left, and they apparently all live in the stretch of water off San Felipe and down as far as Puertecitos.

The Vaquita and the Totoaba are both existing under extremely endangered conditions right now.

The Mexican government has initiated a "no fish" program which will entail the fishermen being paid not to fish in that area.

But the problem will not be solved unless all gill net fishing is stopped.

If you drive down Baja California's Highway 5 from Mexicali to San Felipe anytime soon, do so with great caution.

The road is rapidly deteriorating and is so bad in some places that cars are forced to "weave" along the road.

This has slowed traffic considerably in some places, but made it worse in other stretches where people speed up to make up time.

There are so many construction material trucks and large motor homes navigating the road that keeping it under good repair would be difficult in any circumstances.

Just keep your eyes and ears open and I do not recommend any nighttime driving at all.

Until next time, vaya con Dios from the bookstore by the bay.