Dispatches From The Tuna Fleet

An unlikely rescue off of Mexico's Pacific coast

Sailor Tim Shaddock and Bella aboard their catamaran shortly after being found

Mexican tuna boats don't frequently find themselves in the news cycle, so far be it from me to ignore them when they do find their way there, however orthogonally.

Of the nearly 1,500,000 tons of tuna caught in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, about a tenth of that is caught in Mexican waters by Mexican tuna fishing vessels. Last Wednesday (July 12, 2023), a helicopter stationed aboard one of those vessels - the trawler María Delia - was out surveilling for schools of tuna when the spotter noticed a catamaran drifting in the Pacific Ocean. That catamaran belonged to a 54 year-old Australian sailor named Tim Shaddock.

Shaddock, along with a dog named Bella, left La Paz (in the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico) in April, heading for French Polynesia. Shortly into their journey, they were struck by a violent storm off of Mexico's Pacific coast. The storm took out the catamaran's mast, onboard electronics, and much of the deck equipment.

Left with no way to navigate and no way to call for help, Shaddock and Bella found themselves helplessly adrift in the Pacific. They survived on raw fish, caught with fishing gear in his emergency kit, along with rain water collected from the frequent Pacific thunderstorms. Also key to their survival was a shelter that Shaddock was able to fashion on the catamaran's deck to protect Bella and himself from the brutal summer sun.

For nearly 3 months, Shaddock and Bella were lost at sea. Shaddock lost hope and expected to die. Bella stirred him to keep going. And keep going he did, until July 12 when - 1,200 miles from the nearest land - the helicopter crew spotted his catamaran, dropped him some water, and radioed back to the trawler to send a speedboat.

The pair were taken aboard the trawler, and medical assistance was provided by the crew with the help of a doctor with whom they were in radio contact back onshore in Mexico.

Shaddock having his blood pressure checked onboard the María Delia

Bella seemed to be in good spirits, and was an immediate hit with the crew of the María Delia. Bella's breed and age are unknown - she just sort of adopted Shaddock in La Paz. Shaddock couldn't dissuade Bella from following him, so he simply brought her along on his voyage.

In a scene reminiscent of Yann Martel's tearjerker novel Life of Pi (spoiler alert!), Shaddock parted ways with Bella when the María Delia made port yesterday in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. Bella was held back on board the vessel until Shaddock had been driven away. Said Shaddock of Bella:

Bella sort of found me in the middle of Mexico. She's Mexican. She's the spirit of the middle of the country and she wouldn't let me go. I tried to find a home for her three times and she just kept following me onto the water. She's a lot braver than I am, that's for sure.

Before disembarking, Shaddock made sure he found a good home for Bella, which he did in the form of Genaro Rosales, a crew member of the María Delia.

Tim Shaddock will fly back home to Australia in the next few days. Bella is already back home.

Crew members of the María Delia pose with Bella, the brave sea dog