Day 234: May 20, 2025 – Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico
El Pechocho is a wild bottlenose dolphin that lives in the water off the coast of Mexico. When a small boat enters the cove that is his home, he likes to belly up to the boat. He seemed especially fond of belly rubs and fin pats. We encountered this beautiful creature on a two-hour tour of the bay. He is known as a “sociable hermit” because he does not live in a pod like most other dolphins but is very social with humans. He was never in captivity and is not trained. Locals say his mother arrived here trying to flee a hurricane, gave birth to him and then died here. Instead of moving on with a pod, he stayed on. He’s been living in this area and doing this for almost 30 years. It is said that when he’s not in the mood to interact with people, he puts a stick in his mouth, though I can’t confirm that since he was so playful when we were there.
Also in the bay was Bird Island and a shipwreck cemetery, with hundreds of blue-footed boobies, terns, frigatebirds, pelicans, roseate spoonbills, herons, and egrets. A birder’s paradise! Best $27 bucks I ever spent on an excursion!
12 responses to “El Pechocho”
The expression of childhood wonderment on your face was priceless!
Things like this never fail to amaze me.
That was an amazing day, and it will be a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life
Me too!
O think that this is is my favorite so far!!
The birds.. the lovely dolphin and his story .. what a great tour.
Mexico is looking pretty good. I’m in Tucson. Things get crazy.. I know where I’m going. I have friends in Mazatlan and San Miguel Allenda, Guanajuato. My friend said I would love it there! I know I loved Mazatlan… But that place you just were… Wow!
Thanks for sharing
That’s an interesting story. Is he tracked? How do they know it’s the same dolphin. It looks like you are going up the Gulf of California. I thought the journey would conitnue up the coast in the Pacific. Looks like you are having great fun.
I haven’t heard anyone say he is tracked. But I’m guessing that like whales, which have unique fins that they can be recognized by, he also has unique characteristics that identify him. And none of the other dolphins we say we willing to come this close to the boat. I did hear that a couple times the locals tried to re-connect him with a dolphin pod by relocating him closer to the pod, but he has always found his way back to this cove.
We will be continuing up the Pacific Coast, but first we’re making a detour to Hawaii.
It was fun! Another group from the ship said they saw the stick. I didn’t see picture proof.
So glad I didn’t see the stick either!
O think that this is is my favorite so far!!
The birds.. the lovely dolphin and his story .. what a great tour.
Mexico is looking pretty good. I’m in Tucson. Looks like you are coming up through the Gulf of Mexico…….Things get crazy here in the USA… I know where I’m going. I have friends in Mazatlan and San Miguel Allenda, Guanajuato. My friend said I would love it there! I know I loved Mazatlan… But that place you just were… Wow!
Thanks for sharing
oh wow !!!!!!! Pretty cool !!!!!!!!!