CHAPTER 



iS< When Lou and I first agreed to work with the Uni- 

 versity of Miami's Marine Laboratory four years ago 

 I doubt if we even suspected how deeply science would 

 eventually engross us. When Luis Rivas of the Univer- 

 sity first told us he needed billfish for his research, we 

 had nodded but we may not have fully understood. 

 Just overcoming the big broadbill within the rules of 

 fishing seemed to be sufficient challenge at the time; 

 just dueling the giant albacora for sport was our cru- 

 sade. 



"Albacora" is the word that resounds most often 

 through all the dusty streets of the village of Iquique. 

 It is Spanish idiom for broadbill swordfish — those fe- 

 rocious monsters that are infinitely hard to hook, but 



15 



