While we were shopping in town, we stopped by a small fishing shop to look at some poles, we met a fisherman by the name of Levi. Flying into Puerto Escondido, we saw the beach, and tons of fish boiling in the water. Jeff wanted to catch some of those fish, not just the large trophy fish, like the sailfish they caught. Levi agreed to take us fishing for bonita, a small tuna, and the most plentiful fish around the island. We met him at the boat at 7 and headed out on the water. Within minutes we were catching fish! We pulled in several bonita not far from shore. They are strong little fish that nearly yank the pole out of your hand when they hook up!
The marine life in Puerto Esondido is plentiful! We saw dolphins, mating sea turtles, and even saw a humpback whale!!! We didn't get to see the whale up close, just the steam, and a quick whip of the tail. Levi says in the next few weeks the whales will migrate through their waters and be all over.
Once we caught several bonita, we changed to spinners and caught Spanish mackerel, a huge jack crevalle and a pretty good size snook. Everyone caught something, Jeff even made me reel in a bonita. Levi took us over to Playa Borocha, a remote beach, to snorkel for a bit. He was a wonderful guide, letting us dictate the pace, and fish. He mostly sport fishes for large catches, and regaled us with stories and pictures of some of his larger catches. We will definitely call him if we come again.
Levi took us to a restaurant in Zicatela and dropped our fish off for preparation. The restaurant didn't open until dinner, so we rented some boards from Central Surf, the local legend of surfing in the area. The town started to fill up with tourists and surfers as the day went on and the surf continued to build. By the time we hit the waves, they were 4 feet and growing. A rogue wave came in and whipped us around for a bit. The surf was wicked. A true pipeline that chewed up and spit out many surfers and boogie boards. We traded in our surfboards for boogie boards and enjoyed the smaller break that pounded in the shoreline. The rough waves brought in rocks and shells that deposited along the beach.
Dinner was spectacular!! The best meal in Escondido we had by far. The chefs prepared ceviche with the mackerel and the best pasta I think I've ever had with the snook. There were giant slabs of fish, including a smoked version the owner wanted us to try. We were treated as special guests, and the kids loved it. The waves pounded on the shore, the music from the nightclubs all around played, and we clinked glasses grateful for the remarkable Thanksgiving trip we were able to have together.