Don’t bring a woman on board?
If you find yourself on the open sea while visiting Cabo, be prepared to experience some interesting superstitions on board. Seafarers are notorious for their superstitions and it’s no different in Cabo.
- Do not take a photo with a dead fish. This is an old, Hispanic, myth and its origins are unknown. However they believe that if you do take a picture with a dead fish then it will bring bad luck in the upcoming fishing season.
- The stern is the best place on a boat to catch a fish. Whenever you are fishing off of a boat, the stern (the back) will bring you the most catches and the biggest fish. So when you go to sea with your rod and reel, make sure to cast a line off the back.
- It is bad luck to bring a banana on board. This myth is one of the oldest superstitions and there are many possible origins. It could be because bananas attract a deadly kind of spider whose bite is lethal. Before modern medicine, when crew members suddenly started dying of spider bites, it seemed a bad omen. Another theory is that bananas were often carried aboard slave ships from the Caribbean. Slaves would often die because they were held underneath the boat and rotting bananas produces methane gas.
- It is unlucky to be at sea on a Friday. There is very little to support this myth, but it is still one of the most common superstitions. So if you’re planning a fishing trip in Cabo, avoid the sea on Friday!
- Women on a ship are bad luck. As we all learned from Jack Sparrow, it’s bad luck to have a woman on board your ship. It was said that women would anger the sea gods and bring bad weather and bad fishing.
- Redheads bring bad luck to a ship. Mysteriously enough, centuries ago it was believed that redheads would bring doom to a ship.
- A black suitcase is bad luck. Travel lightly and make sure your suitcase isn’t black! You wouldn’t want your designer luggage to be the cause of doom and misfortune.
- Baking bread on the sea is bad luck. This myth probably began for obvious reasons. It is believed that a ship probably burned due to a kitchen fire and it is now seen as a bad omen to bake break aboard a ship. However, why it is only bread that is unlucky is unknown.
- There are bad days of the year to begin a fishing trip. Yes, that’s right. It is not only unlucky to travel on Fridays, but beginning an expedition on the first day of April, second Monday in August and December 31st guarantees you an unlucky fishing trip.
- It is GOOD luck to pour wine on board the deck before an expedition. Christen you fishing adventure with a bottle of good, Mexican wine and hopefully the fishing gods will bring you good luck and bountiful fish!
About All About Cabo Intern Lauren Sims
Lauren Sims is an intern for All About Mexico.
Want to be an intern for All About Cabo? Please contact us