In no way could the arrival and departure in Cabo San Lucas gone smoother with all anglers and scientists promptly on board and ready to fish showing only minimal signs of damage from the previous night's revelry. Between a solid core of tagging voyage veterans, and the remaining handful of anglers all boasting a wealth of experience targeting giant yellowfin tuna in the beach fishery and beyond, we are well heeled in every respect.

As we push through the short, twenty two hour southerly run to Isla San Benedicto, all tackle preparations and sincere greetings are top of the order. We are joined this voyage by Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission scientist Vern Scholey with whom we share cherished past history from our Panama voyages in 2003 and 2004. As director of the Achotines Laboratory in Panama, Vern's unique knowledge of Yellowfin tuna behavior, growth, spawning, and life cycles is a result of first hand experience gained over decades of lab studies conducted in the live tanks at Achotines. The value of Vern's experience and insight during this voyage is a real treat for us and our group of anglers.

Otherwise we could not be more pleased with departing conditions that were literally flat calm; no wind, no seas; heavenly in every respect. As a blazing full moon rising in the east, and blood red sun dipping into the west reflected every pastel in the spectrum on an undulating quicksilver canvass we all absorbed the calling in at least a long moment of personal reverie. In the face of such magnificence, that shrinks any and all to real proportion, the striking call for reverence could not be avoided or ignored. We are a fortunate few.

Fishing, and report detailing such shall commence tomorrow.

Tim Ekstrom