Three people were hurt after a mechanical failure with one of the 5 zip lines last month. Local authorities have closed the business while the accident is investigated and steps are taken to ensure that no such future occurrences happen. No time frame was given as to the estimated date of reopening the business.

As of now, no official details have been given as to the cause of the accident, whether totally mechanical or if there was human error involved. What is known is that three people were injured, two of which suffered broken bones and were taken to the hospital for treatment. The third party received only minor injuries which did not require further treatment. One of  parties involved in the accident was a local zipline employee and the other two were customers.  

The Director of Civil Protection reported that it apears to be a structural failure in one of the cables holding a post in place, causing loss of tension in the main cable and causing the injured parties to fall to the ground.   

For years there was CETMAR Aquarium, over by the entrance to Las Conchas. The small facility had become the home of various creatures, including some Sea Turtles.

CETMAR Aquarium is no longer. The animals that called it home are now taken care of by the private Mar de Cortes Acuario.

Recently opened in the neighborhood near the Mirador, the Aquarium helped out when a disoriented dolphin was found in the shallow waters near here. The dolphin was brought in and checked.

The Sea Turtles of the Aquarium have been out of their natural environment for a long time. They would not be able to fend for themselves in the wild at this point. So the staff at the aquarium takes care of them.

Along with a couple of tanks with a variety of sea life found in the local waters, there is educational material about the turtles and their place in the environment.

It is pretty incredible to be able to see these animals up close. My mixed feelings at seeing them in tanks instead of the wild was eased by the obvious care and concern for the people that administer the aquarium.

Acuario Mar de Cortes runs on donations. You can place whatever you like in a little box on your way in.

To find the Aquarium; Head East on Freemont till you pass the Red Cross. The next cross street on your right is Durango. Turn, and go 4 blocks to the Aquarium.  

More Vaquitas Remain than Thought: Profepa

Counting porpoises is doubtless a challenging task but the federal environmental attorney declared this week that the number of remaining vaquita porpoises is higher than estimated earlier this year.

The environment secretariat has previously challenged the estimate by the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA) that only 30 of the porpoises remain.

On Thursday the head of the environmental agency Profepa said scientific studies have revealed there are at least 100.

Guillermo Haro said Profepa is preparing to capture that number of vaquitas in a program that will place them in a special protected area.

The vaquita, found only in the upper Sea of Cortés, is endangered largely due to its being caught as bycatch by fishermen seeking other species.

In February, Environment Secretary Rafael Pacchiano said his department's earlier estimate that there were 60 porpoises remaining was tallied by observers on two vessels that employed more than 150 underwater microphones in an operation that cost 50 million pesos.

CIRVA concluded there were only half that number by using methods that were "totally different" from those used by federal authorities, Pacchiano said, emphasizing that it was important to use the same methodology.

However, he did not doubt there might be fewer vaquitas due to the fact that illegal fishing for another endangered species, the totoaba, continued. The vaquitas are bycatch victims in that gillnet fishery.

Despite the disagreement over numbers, the federal government continues to work with CIRVA and United States officials in the project to capture the vaquitas and place them in a reserve where they can be protected from illegal fishing and abandoned nets.

Their capture will be carried out by using U.S. Navy-trained dolphins.

Haro said that nearly every day federal authorities find four or five nets during their regular reconnaissance of the vaquita reserve.

However, the reconnaissance efforts have not been enough to prevent illegal fishing in the area, the biggest threat to the vaquita's survival.

CIRVA describes the porpoise as the most endangered marine mammal in the world. 

Pinche

Pinche  is certainly in the top ten PG-13 slang words used in Mexico. It translates to many words in English, damn for example, but only when used to describe something.

"¡Pinche coche!" - damn car

"Pinche Juan" - damn Juan

Mande

Mande is the Mexican way to ask "what?" or "excuse me?", when you don't understand what someone said. It can also be used like "tell me".

Neta

Neta can be used in several ways, but often like "really?" or "for real?"

"Estoy pedo, pero ya me tengo que ir a la chamba."

"¿Neta?"

Ahorita

Ahora means now. The "-ita" or "-ito" (female or male) stem is a diminutive, used to show that something is small or cute. So literally ahorita means little now.

Mexicans might tell you that ahorita means right now, but really it means soon or eventually. If you ask a Mexican to do something and they reply with ahorita, then it could happen in five minutes, five hours, or never.

"¿Puedes ayudarme con mi tarea?" "Ahorita."

"¿Ya vámonos?" "Ahorita."

Aguas

You probably know that agua means water. But in slang aguas means be careful or look out!

Rumor has it that it comes from when a lady would pour out a bucket of water onto the sidewalk.

Cabrón

In places like Guatemala or Honduras, when telling people that you live in Mexico, you will often get "¡Ah, cabrón!¨ in response. That´s how Mexican this word is, that other Latins think of it right away when they think about Mexicans.

It might translate to bastard, but really it´s a word to say to a close friend. A male friend. Like bastard, cabrón isn´t appropriate for the family dinner table.

Other words for a male friend are carnal or wey. Vato is similar, more like dude, used in northern Mexico and by Chicanos in the U.S.

Tocayo

A tocayo is someone with the same name. You can say somos tocayos or just call the person with the same name as you tocayo.

Tope

When you visit Mexico you'll see speedbumps everywhere. Aguas when you drive over them. They often aren't marked. Hitting them hard at night makes everyone in the backseat bounce up and slam their heads into the roof of the car.

Speedbumps are called topes, and only in Mexico. In other parts of Latin America and some parts of Mexico they are called something tumolo.

Camión

A camión is a bus. In other parts of Latin America it's a truck.  

The more official word for a bus in Mexico is autobús, not just plain bus.

Chamba

Chamba is work or a job, often a lousy job.

You can say, "Tengo que regresar a mi chamba" or ask, "¿Que chamba tienes?"

Chafa

Chafa describes something cheap or low quality.

"Esta coche es chafa."

Codo

Codo means elbow, but in slang it means cheap, as in a cheap person. A codo person doesn´t want to flex their elbow, as in pulling out money and putting it on the table.

The "real" word for this is tacano.

"No seas codo" - don't be cheap.

Chavo/Chava

Continuing with the "ch" words, here are slang words for kids. You can also call kids chamacos. Remember the final "o" is for males and "a" for females.

Córrale / apúrate / tengo prisa

The first two mean hurry up. Not sure if they´re actually slang, but they are very common.

Tengo prisa means I'm in a hurry.