Blue Fin Tuna Farm Gallery

Photographs from a trip to see a bluefin tuna farm in Ensenada, Mexico, on February 14, 2005 (with Steve Drogin and Mark Conlin). Bluefin tuna are kept in pens and fed fresh sardines until they are ready for processing. Tuna hit the markets in Tokyo a mere 50 hours (or so) after they are pulled out of the pens. I can't imagine a better way to spend a Valentine's Day than in a pen with hundreds of bluefin tuna. Maybe that's why I'm still single. :)

Bluefin tuna farm pens, Ensenada, Mexico

Unusual, lush greenery in Mexico after a lot of rain

The penned bluefin tuna are fed fresh sardines

The water boils with feeding bluefin tuna. Pelicans wait around for scraps.

The penned bluefin tuna are fed fresh sardines

The penned bluefin tuna are fed fresh sardines

Local employees say hi.

A bull California sea lion snoops around the periphery of the bluefin pen

A seine net is used to bring the tuna to the surface

Divers bring tuna up to the surface by catching them by hand

Mark Conlin inside the pursed seine net with a school of bluefin tuna

Bluefin tuna

Mark Conlin inside the seine net with bluefin tuna

Mark Conlin inside the seine net with bluefin tuna

Bluefin tuna

Steve Drogin, with camera

Cargo

Cargo

Mark Conlin looks at what appears to be an old form of photography.

Reader Comments

Please leave me a message!

-- posted by Eric Cheng @ Sunday, June 18 2006, 12:55 am

Interesting series of images there Eric. I note that the tuna are often showing some motion blur... was this deliberate, due to very dark and murky conditions, or were they swimming very very fast?

Cool stuff

-- posted by Craig Ruaux @ Sunday, June 18 2006, 08:18 am

Hey, Craig - it was actually pretty murky down there. I think it was a combination of slowish shutter speed and crappy edge sharpness from using the wrong extension ring. :)

-- posted by Eric Cheng @ Sunday, June 18 2006, 09:27 am

Steve, It's good to see you still enjoying life to the fullest.

-- posted by John Jensen @ Wednesday, July 12 2006, 06:11 pm

i have sardines for sale. if interested john5274@sbcglobal.net

-- posted by john @ Friday, March 23 2007, 09:47 am

We are processor of sardines Lemuru / Longiceps for sale. We can process about 20 Tons Per days. Our factory location is near with sardines discharges port which make us able to get good quality of fresh row mat sardines and will provide good quality finish product with very competitive price.

-- posted by adi @ Wednesday, April 18 2007, 04:18 pm

Interested in purchasing sardines for export and possible blue fin/wild /. Thank you for your time. Best regard's Derek Miller

-- posted by Derek Miller @ Friday, June 13 2008, 03:21 pm

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