On Tuesday, after I finished my bike-hike at Seminole Canyon, I made my way up to Balmorhea State Park and the world's largest spring-fed swimming pool. I've adored Balmorhea State Park ever since my first road trip to West Texas with my dad and brother right before I started college in 2007. It's a must-do anytime you're driving along I-10 between Fort Stockton and Van Horn. The refreshingly cool waters (72°-76°F) are the perfect contrast to the brutal Chihuahuan desert surrounding it. A true oasis. Also, which I have only more recently grown to appreciate, there are beautiful and rare fishes to observe up close and personal. The San Solomon Springs in Balmorhea were originally the 9th largest springs in Texas but are now more reliably the 5th or 6th after Goodenough (3rd), San Antonio (6th), Hueco (7th), and Comanche (8) springs have decreased/ceased.
Headwater Catfish (Ictalurus lupus)
These Headwater Catfish which are often considered a species of special concern, are supposedly "genetically pure" which I suppose means other headwater catfish can hybridize with the similar Channel Catfish. They can still be found in clear headwater streams of the Pecos and Rio Grande river drainages while they are noted to be extirpated from other Hill Country and Central Texas basins. I get a kick out of the swimmers at Balmorhea who always comment on the "HUGE" catfish and when little kids pretend they're afraid of them. I'll admit it can be a bit intimidating when they decide to part from their typical wall cruising and make a bee-line towards you. Something nipped my foot on this swim which I assume was one of these guys but they aren't anything to actually be afraid of.
Pecos Gambusia (Gambusia nobilis)
These little Pecos Gambusia are a federally endangered species found in a handful of springs in this area. They're threatened by hybridization when the common Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) gets introduced and when over pumping/drought causes any springs they inhabit to go dry. I'm not sure if any of the other gambusia species are currently present in the Balmorhea Pool but I did observe two obvious colorations of these gambusia but I'm assuming they're all Pecos Gambusia.
Comanche Springs Pupfish (Cyprinodon elegans)
The second federally endangered fish in the pool is the Comanche Springs Pupfish! (What a fun name) They were first found and described in Comanche Springs in Fort Stockton but the springs went dry in 1955 and these fish are now only found in the springs and creeks connected to the Toyah Creek system fed by San Solomon, Phantom, and Griffin springs that are all within about 3.5 miles of each other. Fortunately, these pupfish are very prolific in the springs and streams they do inhabit. They breed year-round and reach sexual maturity in as little as 5 months. The males are the more colorful spotted fish with the flashy white tail and the females are more brown and speckled. I observed many instances of mating with the male hugging up against the females and shaking rapidly to impregnate the females. The males also appeared to be very territorial of small 1-foot areas, chasing everything away from their little throne.
Mexican Tetra (Astyanax mexicanus)
By far the most abundant fish in the Balmorhea pool is the Mexican Tetra. These silver fish are noted to be native in the Rio Grande basin, which is here, but have been introduced and naturalized throughout much of Texas and our surrounding states. They are definitely abundant in the San Marcos River for instance and they particularly like swift currents but form large schools in a variety of habitats. They have a black stripe that gets darker towards their tail and the breeding males have a yellow to orange-red anal fin which can be pretty striking. The schools seem highly interested in swimmers, perhaps looking for handouts, and will pause inches away from you.
Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera)
The Spiny Softshell Turtle is pretty unique compared to other turtles and have a soft shell as their name implies. They're very flat, have a long pointed noise, and fully webbed feet. I've always heard that these guys are relatively aggressive so I made sure to keep my distance. I'm not sure what level of chomping damage they can inflict and don't want to find out! If you watch the video (and pardon the camera noise) I thought it was interesting that the turtle seemed to go under the vegetation and hide right after I stopped recording.
Various Critters
Not pictured here but there are three other endangered species at balmorhea pool, two snails and a small amphipod. I don't think the snails below are either of those endangered species. I also don't know what kind of crayfish I saw. The last bug I found sucking on my back with its proboscis. It doesn't seem to be a kissing bug, which caries chagas disease, but it's definitely a true bug. I was sitting in the shade by the pool and felt something stinging/pinching on my back. I put my hand back and felt a bit of a squish and slowly took my shirt off to find that guy. What a jerk! Even if it was a kissing bug, the disease spreads if the bug poop enters your bloodstream. This usually happens after wiping or swatting a kissing bug and simultaneously getting the poop into the wound the bug had just created. Since I had a buffer with my shirt I wasn't too worried.
Water and Light
If all of those critters don't make you want to dive into Balmorhea, the beautiful water and light certainly will. The reflections above and below the surface are mesmerizing.
Me!
Jess thought it was funny that I snorkeled in my shirt but what a great way to avoid using sunscreen which pollutes the water, and avoiding sunburn! Here are a couple silly iterations of me.
Desert Land Dwellers
After Balmorhea I had to get back into work-mode and prepare for my Culberson County site visit where Texas Land Conservancy protects over 20,000 acres. This last group of photos are from the next day in the areas in and around my site visit but best suited for this blog entry full of critters.
Jess and I commute a lot and always notice "vultures on a pole", and that morning I found the holy grail of vultures on poles and thought it was worthy of a quick photo.
The burrowing owl was found very close to where I found one the first time I visited that property. I suspect it's the same bird and is always a really cool animal to see! I was also delighted to spot my first ever Pronghorns (not photographed), the fastest land animals in North America!
What really took the cake that day was my first ever Texas Horned Lizard!!!! Texas Land Conservancy's mascot is the Texas Horned Lizard, we've been putting them all over our content and merch but I had never seen one in my entire life. Many people in Texas remember the horned lizards from their youth but fire-ants and other factors have drastically reduced their populations. I originally spotted it on the road while going 40-50 mph and you can see how camouflaged it was! I think I only saw it because it moved a few feet but I had a strong suspicion of what it was. I turned the car around and sure enough he was still sitting there. We had a nice little photoshoot after I encouraged it off the road and it was more precious and charming than I could have imagined. When was the last time you saw a Texas Horned Lizard?
Jess and I commute a lot and always notice "vultures on a pole", and that morning I found the holy grail of vultures on poles and thought it was worthy of a quick photo.
The burrowing owl was found very close to where I found one the first time I visited that property. I suspect it's the same bird and is always a really cool animal to see! I was also delighted to spot my first ever Pronghorns (not photographed), the fastest land animals in North America!
What really took the cake that day was my first ever Texas Horned Lizard!!!! Texas Land Conservancy's mascot is the Texas Horned Lizard, we've been putting them all over our content and merch but I had never seen one in my entire life. Many people in Texas remember the horned lizards from their youth but fire-ants and other factors have drastically reduced their populations. I originally spotted it on the road while going 40-50 mph and you can see how camouflaged it was! I think I only saw it because it moved a few feet but I had a strong suspicion of what it was. I turned the car around and sure enough he was still sitting there. We had a nice little photoshoot after I encouraged it off the road and it was more precious and charming than I could have imagined. When was the last time you saw a Texas Horned Lizard?
Thanks for making it all the way down here! This blog was a little more nature-facts and less story but I hope you enjoyed the photos and videos!