Saturday, July 12, 2025

Waterspout draws lots of attention in Manzanillo, Colima

Towering hundreds of meters over the sea, a waterspout formed Wednesday in a bay in Manzanillo, Colima.

Commonly called a culebra de mar (water snake) in Mexico, the tornado-like phenomenon appeared in Santiago bay, the smaller of Manzanillo’s two main coves.

It captured people’s attention around 1:30 in the afternoon before dissipating upon making landfall.

Waterspouts are common in the area during the rainy season, and can also occur over lakes and rivers.

On July 24, a group of surfers spotted one over the open ocean while they were riding waves off Peña Blanca Beach, in Manzanillo bay.

The waterspout was visible from many areas of the port.
The waterspout was visible from many areas of the port.

According to experts, the whirlwind formed by a waterspout can reach speeds up to 80 kilometers an hour, and the column can reach heights of 900 meters above the water.

The diameter is usually 15 to 46 meters, though larger ones can be as wide as 100 meters.

A waterspout dissipates when it hits land or the air inside the whirlwind becomes cold, losing the energy to spin. Although stronger ones can last up to an hour, the average lifetime of a waterspout is just 10-15 minutes.

The energy in a waterspout is equivalent to a weak tornado on land. Though not devastating on a large scale, they can be potentially dangerous to boats and coastal infrastructure.

Sources: AF Medios (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Ovidio Guzmán

Sinaloa Cartel leader Ovidio Guzmán pleads guilty to drug trafficking and organized crime charges in the US

1
Guzmán also admitted to overseeing the production and smuggling of fentanyl and other drugs as part of his plea deal.
Salinas, California, USA - June 19, 2015: Immigrant (migrant) seasonal farm (field) workers pick and package strawberries directly into boxes in the Salinas Valley of central California

Sheinbaum promises more resources for consulates after ‘unjust’ ICE raids in California

7
The military-style immigration raids on two California farms on Thursday drew sharp criticism and a pledge to action from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
A small plane flies over the ocean

How the Mexican security minister’s slip of the tongue rankled Salvadoran President Bukele

3
President Bukele took exception after García Harfuch's identified a drug-smuggling plane as coming from El Salvador.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity