[Jesus Contreras]

Hello, as co-author of the just printed Nature Guide of Bajo Andarax (Almeria), I invite you to visit it digitally at

http://www.oz-nature-wildlife-guide.com/desert-landforms.html


Also, if planning to come to our deserts and badlands, remember you have here a friendly wildlife guide to show it to you, always travelling as friends.

Kind regards

Jesus Contreras
Almería

[lisa]

Wow, you have been busy lately Jesús! Looks like a great guide book, and walks too.

[nick]

Hi Jesús, your site has turned into the guide for Almeria. Great stuff! Wil give it a plug on iberianature

[Jesus Contreras]

Many thanks for your comments, Lisa et Nick.

Sorry to be not here with you so much as wished, but indeed I am working hard actually.

At this moment am preparing 2 books: a "snorkeling life & habitats guide of Cabo de Gata" and a book about Filabres Mountains, so as coordinating some other publications.

Enjoying a lot with this and with other tasks, but have very few time for myself.

Enjoy life & enjoy nature... my friends.

Warm wishes

Jesus  

Finally raining in our deserts.

[Petrea]

Alas, I wish I had this guidebook before going to Cabo de Gata this spring! Must come back! Looking forward to the snorkeling guide! 

Saludos
Petrea

[Jesus Contreras]

If coming, you will not need the guide, really. Only a mask and a tube.

I´ll show the alive places underwater.
 

J

[Petrea]

Hello again, Jesus

What time of the year is the snorkeling most interesting (pleeeease, don´t tell me that it is now!  )?

Saludos
Petrea

[Jesus Contreras]

Be quiet, Petrea   .  Now is not nice under the sea. I am going inside water nearly every week, and  my 3mm half-dry suit, begins to look not enough for actual cold temperature.

The seasons also exist under the water, so now is winter there. Storms sweep all the vegetation (algae and plants) to the shore, and fishes and octopuses turn very shy. But some interesting creatures can now be seen, so as jellyfishes or ctenophores.

The best season is indeed when springtime comes back, and before "sun & beach" tourists begin to come down to turn off everything with plastics and rubbish.

Then, from april to June (march is too early yet)... spring begins down and undersea looks fine again. Summer, of course, is absolutely nice also, because of the confortable temperature and long days, but there are lots of people snorkeling and too much rubbish everywhere.

You can watch some short filming I took under water in Cabo de Gata last summer at http://www.youtube.com/user/indalodeoz#p/u/8/LkV4MMZuupI  and a nice Ctenophore
swimming I got in october at  http://www.youtube.com/user/indalodeoz#p/u/7/1drdHujXwOc


Kind regards

Jesus   

[Technopat]

Greetings All,
As iberianatureforum's self-appointed mediador (En. anyone?), I thought I'd step in and pre-empt any possible misunderstandings arising from the above, and/or Petrea taking umbrage (Sp. anyone?) at Jesús' exhortation (En. anyone?) - from the badlands - to "Be quiet [!]"

As we all know, while much gets lost in translation, especially all those witty remarks yours truly comes out with occasionally, I'm inclined to think that a happier turn of phrase might be something along the lines of "Don't worry!", "Take it easy!" or "There's no hurry!"

I offer this out of the kindness of me 'eart and in an altruistic attempt to prevent bloodshed collateral damage to well-meaning iberianatureforumers, but please feel free to take it or leave it and/or choose your weapons. While I look on from the sidelines.

Kind regards,
Technopat

PS.
¡Estáte quieto! (En. anyone?)

P*S.
King Juan Carlos: "Why don't you...?"

[Jesus Contreras]

[Petrea]

Quiet Tp, we all know what Jesus means - but what does umbrage mean (not in my dictionary!)?


Nice videos, Jesus! 

[Dave]

Hi Petrea
To take umbrage is to take offence - Spanish - ofenderse (Collins rules  )
Regards
Dave

[Technopat]

Greetings All,
While Dave's Collins does, of course, give the general idea - faltaría más (En. anyone?)   - TP's Larousse is most definitely where it's at and gives us a much more naturaler (naturaller?) turn of phrase:

sentirse ofendido

Got-to-get-that-leg-o'-lamb-in-the-oven-mint-sauce-anyone-? regs.,
Technopat

[nick]

Those corals are gorgeous

By the way, I've seen those black and white fishes before. What are they called?

[Jesus Contreras]

Hi Nick et al

The coral is CORAL ANARANJADO (Astroides calycularis). Very scarce and highly protected in our andalusian coast.

About the b&w fish, we call it here SARGO or MOJARRA Diplodus vulgaris.

For further info about mediterranean life generally, and Almeria local sea fauna and flora, you can go to my Almeria Underwater Sea Guide at

http://www.indalodeoz.com/Contents/GuiaFaunaMarina/GuiaMarina.htm 

The nice red animal with black eyes is named by us PEZ CARDENAL or SALMONETE REAL (Apogon imberbis)

Anyone can talk about the english names for these sea animals?.

Kind regards

Jss 

[Petrea]

Hello Jesus,

I´ve got a question about the agaves of Cabo de Gata. The agave in the photo in your book looks like A. americana, which is quite common around here, with its very nasty spines

I noticed that the agaves in the plantations on the coast of Cabo de Gata are less bluish, and lack the spines on the edges of the leaves.   What sort are they?

Saludos
Petrea

[Jesus Contreras]

Indeed a fine observation, Petrea.

Yes, it is a different species: "Agave sisalana". This plant was introduced in the area around the 60´s for growing it for obtaining alcohol and fiber (sisal). But it was just a mistake because on these days the synthetic fiber begun to develop and the growths came quickly unprofitable because of a cheaper product (hilo de rafia).

Then, the growths remained there, abandoned till the area became a protected Natural Park, and many people thinks that this plant is endemic for Almeria, but really it was introduced.

Regards

Jesus

[nick]

Never knew they were two Agave species so thanks for that.

Sargo, yes, I've heard that before

In English apparantly,
Common two-banded seabream

And PEZ CARDENAL or SALMONETE REAL (Apogon imberbis)
cardinalfish or king of the mullets

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apogon_imberbis



http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1754&lang=Spanish