They had a whale shark of a time

Pro surfers visit far-flung exotic locales and ride some incredible waves.

But not many have been to La Paz and sliced across the wake of an enormous whale shark.

Holly Beck and two Body Glove teammates recently traveled to the southern Baja California port and spent hours diving with one of the ocean’s most mysterious and bizarre denizens.

It was small by whale shark standards, measuring only 20 feet -- they can be twice that size -- but to Beck and her teammates, it was enormous.

(As one who has also indulged in this rare treat, I can attest that when one of these creatures approaches, shark-like and with mouth agape, your heart races and you have to remind yourself that they are plankton-eaters and truly gentle.)

At one point Beck, a former national amateur surfing champion from Palos Verdes, found herself “peering into the huge plankton-sucking cavern” and extended her hand near its mouth and felt her arm getting pulled in.

“The reflexes kicked in and I pulled it back immediately, letting out a big burst of bubbles from laughter,” she wrote on her blog (hollybecksurfs.blogspot.com).

The adventure -- other athletes aboard were surfer Alex Gray and wakeboarder Jeff McKee -- marked the beginning of an effort by Body Glove to use its athletes to inspire young people to try scuba diving, just as pro surfers have inspired thousands to embrace the surfing lifestyle.

They chose a magical destination. The Sea of Cortez near La Paz attracts not only whale sharks but giant Pacific mantas, though sightings of either are not guaranteed and, in fact, years can pass without sightings.

Which makes it all the more rewarding when a trip pays off as it did for Beck, 25, who may be most known in the mainstream as one of the stars of the 2003 reality series “Boarding House: North Shore.”

Now that she has discovered scuba diving, her passion for the ocean has become two-dimensional.

“The whole diving experience really opened up my eyes to the world that exists beneath the surface,” she said.

The whale shark experience, a joint endeavor between Body Glove and the Professional Assn. of Diving Instructors, began as many do: Divers donning masks, snorkels and fins and jumping upon first sighting, then swimming furiously trying to catch up, only to watch the great fish disappear into the wavering haze.

But after the next sighting, the animal became accustomed to their presence as it cruised leisurely while filtering water for plankton.

“As I approached this time, the entire outline came into view,” Beck recalled.

“It was as if suddenly a veil had been lifted and the whole animal, covered in a beautiful pattern of white spots, immediately filled the frame of my perspective.

“I paused, mesmerized. It took a moment to process the sight of a 20-foot-long whale shark in all its spotted glory, lingering just a few kicks away.”

Finally, it was time to drive across the peninsula and catch some waves. But Beck’s mind was elsewhere.

“Usually while surfing, I prefer to ignore the existence of sharks in the ocean,” she wrote. “But after having actually met one and spent some quality time, my perspective has changed. If only they were all so friendly!”

Nessie sighting!

Irvine Lake near Silverado has purchased white sturgeon weighing 200 and 260 pounds and put them on display in a pond near the picnic area.

They were farm-raised and associate people with food, and are known to rise above water, conjuring images of the Loch Ness Monster.

So imagine the mystique that will shroud the vast reservoir when Nessie and her slightly smaller companion are placed in the lake as planned.

White sturgeon, after all, can grow to 20 feet and weigh 1,500 pounds, and can live 100 years.

Anglers may want to rent a bigger boat.

A leading lunker

The Eastern Sierra fishing season closes Nov. 15 and Robert Brewer, probably, will be credited with catching the biggest trout of the season.

The Sherman Oaks actor said the 16-pound rainbow he hauled recently from Gull Lake fought “like a log,” but it will earn a prominent spot on the marina wall once the taxidermy process is complete.

Brewer was trolling a rainbow Rapala.

Red sun rising

Fifteen anglers aboard the Toronado on Tuesday, while 100 miles offshore at Cortes Bank, watched an eerie red sunrise and fished on an ocean strewn with white ash.

But at about 8 a.m. they forgot about the Southland fires as a yellowtail frenzy ensued, and for four hours they were engaged in a nearly nonstop battle.

They landed 49 yellowtail to about 26 pounds, and lost at least that many, Capt. Ray Lagmay said.

The vessel, which runs from Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach, embarks on a two-day banks trip tonight.

Run rabbit run

It’s too early to tell what effect the fires are having on wildlife, but this much is clear: birds of prey will not soon go hungry.

Terri Stewart, a supervising biologist for the Department of Fish and Game’s Southern California region, said hawks and other raptors “are having a field day” feeding on rabbits and other small mammals that were unable to outrun the flames or the asphyxiating smoke.

But she stressed that fires are part of the wilderness dynamic and that most creatures are good at finding refuge.

“Even though a map will show that an entire area is blackened, there are mosaics, or areas that haven’t burned,” Stewart said.

“And they’ll be able to take refuge into those areas of unburned habitat.”

Damage assessment teams will go into the field as early as next week.

pete.thomas@latimes.com