There's More than 1 Great Tasting Fish in the Sea

[Dawgluver]

Especially dive guides/dive masters. Now think of a 6' green moray, 50 # black grouper or any number of sharks purposely fed by these idiots.

Major pet peeve!

 

[medtran49]

We were early a.m. lobster hunting and I was carrying the bag with lobsters in it on a reef that a lot of dive boats would go to later in the day. Craig was in front of me, turned around, and started pointing behind and slighly below me. I turned around and a HUGE green moray had come up totally out of the reef and was swimming toward me/the bag with its mouth wide open. It was pretty close. I immediately did the swimming upside down thing and headed for the surface at a steep angle away from it. I guess it didn't want to get too far out of its hidey hole because it gave up and turned around. I swam back down and we continued our dive, though I was a bit hyper-vigilent after that. At least I had my spear gun with me if I had needed to defend myself.

 

[GotGarlic]

There was some "creature feature" type movie when I was a kid about giant eels. It would really freak me out if one was following me!

 

[Dawgluver]

We were early a.m. lobster hunting and I was carrying the bag with lobsters in it on a reef that a lot of dive boats would go to later in the day. Craig was in front of me, turned around, and started pointing behind and slighly below me. I turned around and a HUGE green moray had come up totally out of the reef and was swimming toward me/the bag with its mouth wide open. It was pretty close. I immediately did the swimming upside down thing and headed for the surface at a steep angle away from it. I guess it didn't want to get too far out of its hidey hole because it gave up and turned around. I swam back down and we continued our dive, though I was a bit hyper-vigilent after that. At least I had my spear gun with me if I had needed to defend myself.

That would be a bit consternating! I recall seeing a story about a pro diver who regularily fed a big moray, and considered it his friend. One day he gave it a hotdog. The moray saw no difference between the hotdog and the guy's thumb. Guess what happened?

 

[RPCookin]

There is a nice 5 ft. 'cuda at one of our favorite snorkeling places, he/she has been there for years. Always cracks me up to see folks scrambling out of the water when they see it.

Due to ignorant folks feeding them, the chubs and Sargent Majors close to entry will occasionally try a nip or two, looking for a handout. The triggers are usually more mild-mannered.

Chubs don't have to be previously fed to interact with divers. In Roatan, I had a chub that seemed to think that my underwater cowlick was edible. He kept nipping and tugging on it. The first time it was a bit disconcerting, since I didn't know it was anywhere around me. One diver in our group had his ear bitten by a yellowtail snapper, enough to be pretty bloody.

Sergeant majors can also be naturally aggressive.

Some of the worst are damselfish. They pick a small patch of coral for their territory and will attack anything that comes near. Picture a 3" long damsel chasing a 20 pound grouper, and the grouper departs without a fight. I've been nipped by them more than once.

On the other hand, barracuda and morays tend to be no more than inquisitive at the worst - not aggressive at all in the wild if left to their own devices.

 

[Roll_Bones]

I have eaten them. A lot of islanders fish for them for the table. They don't gather in large schools that would make them commercially feasible, at least I've never seen more than a couple at a time when diving.

I have never seen them anywhere but on the end of a fishing line or when diving.

Triggers love pink toe nail polish on toes exposed when wearing full foot fins! They just can't help having a nibble. Some students just have to learn the hard way why their instructor recommended booties and jet fins.

They have people like teeth and a nibble could be the end of your finger.

Oddly, when I saw barracudas far below me, I didn't worry about them, but if they were swimming at my eye level, they freaked me out

I always felt very comfortable with sharks and barracuda's when diving off south Florida waters. Not so much when swimming.
For me its the opposite. Eye level allows the fish to know you are not a food product.

There is a nice 5 ft. 'cuda at one of our favorite snorkeling places, he/she has been there for years. Always cracks me up to see folks scrambling out of the water when they see it.

John Pennekamp state park? Key Largo? There used to be a regular there every time I was in the water. Very big barracuda. Very big.

 

[Dawgluver]

I have never seen them anywhere but on the end of a fishing line or when diving.



They have people like teeth and a nibble could be the end of your finger.



I always felt very comfortable with sharks and barracuda's when diving off south Florida waters. Not so much when swimming.
For me its the opposite. Eye level allows the fish to know you are not a food product.



John Pennekamp state park? Key Largo? There used to be a regular there every time I was in the water. Very big barracuda. Very big.

My thinking is the fish, big and small, see us as top-level predators, and are waiting for us to eat something so they can get the scraps. We often have little "eye fish" that swim right in front of our masks, and will annoy us for quite awhile. (Why don't you eat something, you big predator!)

Our big guy lives in a beautiful reef in Cozumel. To my knowlege, there have been very few, if any, barracuda attacks in the water. They're just curious. Now hooking and hauling them into the boat, they might bite. I would too.

 

[Roll_Bones]

My thinking is the fish, big and small, see us as top-level predators, and are waiting for us to eat something so they can get the scraps. We often have little "eye fish" that swim right in front of our masks, and will annoy us for quite awhile. (Why don't you eat something, you big predator!)

Our big guy lives in a beautiful reef in Cozumel. To my knowlege, there have been very few, if any, barracuda attacks in the water. They're just curious. Now hooking and hauling them into the boat, they might bite. I would too.

Totally agree on all points!