Even though more and more American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) are attracted to the western shores of Lake Chapala, the little town of Petatán, Michoacán, at the far eastern end, is still the place to see these beautiful birds in flocks of hundreds and sometimes thousands, as they fly in for their daily dinner, supplied by the folks who fillet fish there for several commercial enterprises.
How much longer will they be around?” we asked a local fisherman on Saint Patrick’s Day. “Two, maybe three more weeks,” he predicted, “si Diós quiere.”
At Petatán, some four tons of stripped fish are dumped into the water at irregular moments throughout each work day, causing the pelicans to crowd around, but always maintaining a certain order and dignity which is quite impressive. The convenient places to view the show are several restaurants right on the shore, whose specialty, of course is sea food. The best we’ve found so far, for both view and good eating, is El Pescador.
On this visit, we thought we might get closer to the birds and enjoy a different perspective by renting a boat for a little while. Well, our perspective was different alright, but the wary pelicans gave our lancha a wide berth. While riding the waves, however, we had ample time to chat with our captain who told us that this year they’ve seen more pelicans than ever before, probably due to the unusually cold temperatures further north. “What do you think about all these feathered fishermen?” we asked him. “Aren’t they competing with you?”
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