El Niño in San Diego

Has anyone else noticed we’ve been having warmer than usual waters this summer? The warmer water is a precursor of an El Niño winter! To be in full effect by September!

What is El Niño? KPBS.org says, “The weather phenomenon called El Niño changes the heating pattern of the atmosphere and pulls the Pacific jet stream farther south. It has the potential to play havoc on weather systems across the globe, causing heavy rain and mudslides in some areas, drought in others, and disrupting the marine food chain.”

Although it can sometimes be disruptive to nature, El Niño is good news for us in San Diego because with El Niño comes a wet winter and we have been experiencing a serious drought so that means rain for us! We also get warmer ocean water and with warmer water comes tropical fish! Fisherman in the San Diego area have been seeing Mahi Mahi, Yellowfin Tuna, and Bluefin Tuna ranging from 70- 80 pounds.

According to Fox 5 News local Point Loma fisherman Armando Marquez says he has never seen a Yellowfin caught so early in the year so this is pretty exciting! These tropical fish don’t usually come around till fall but they were being spotted as early as May.

Basically El Niño isn’t always good but we sure are enjoying the perks that come with these warmer water temperatures! Below is a picture of Sail San Diego’s own Cal with his catch of the weekend, Yellowtail!