Waterspout Seen Off La Cruz

The west coast of North America is no stranger to crazy natural disasters — floods, wildfires, hurricanes and, of course, earthquakes, to name a few — but it’s not often home to waterspouts. So when one such spout touched down on Banderas Bay Friday morning, it definitely caught the attention of the local cruising community.

"At about 9:15, channel 22 crackled on: ‘There appears to be something like a water spout forming out here beyond the anchorage! Well, maybe not a water spout but something that looks like one,’” wrote Steven Lannen of the San Francisco-based Beneteau 40.5 First Full Quiver. "Five minutes later, another call came in: ‘There is a well defined water spout heading for the La Cruz anchorage and another one forming.’

"What an awesome sight for a California boy that has lived in earthquake country but never seen a tornado. The breakwater of La Cruz was packed with people watching as the waterspout — or culebra (‘snake’ in Spanish) — tore up the surface of the bay and headed for La Cruz. It lasted for about 15 minutes but dissipated long before threatening the boats in the anchorage or the marina."

Non-tornadic spouts — also known as ‘fair-weather spouts’ — are borne of dark, flat-bottomed cumulus clouds, dropping down from the cloud to the surface of the water. They are typically slow-moving and short-lived — about 20 minutes — but, even so, it’s wise to steer clear of their near-hurricane-force winds.

But waterspouts weren’t the only unusual weather Punta Mita saw last week. According to Jim Casey of the Jeanneau 43DS Tomatillo, "High tides and huge swells have been heavenly for surfers around Punta Mita. However, the channel at Paradise Village can be a challenge during these conditions."