Best Thing you have seen!

[mselenaous]

I've seen alot of really cool things diving. Here is the most recent.

While touring with students last week at Black Rock at Catalina Island, I saw an octopus swish by being stalked by an Eel. Eel catches octo, octo gets away but not fast enough. Eel catches octo again and a brawl ensues. Eel rolled up in a knot, tentacles flying everywhich way and then the hogfish get in on the riot trying to snag flying tentacles. Sadly for octo, the last we saw of it was going down eel's throat with tentacles curling around eel's lips. Octo becomes dinner; eel wins. Sorry no camera on that dive, but what an awesome show for two new divers. Like watching the Discovery or Science Channel live. This is why I love my job.

 

[ScubaSam]

I actually had to think about this one before posting. I'm going with the 7 bull sharks I saw at Bat Island in Costa Rica last year. They're bulky looking kinda like linebackers. It was truly amazing to see 7 at one time.

 

[Pearldiver07]

I guess it would have to be a small octopus I found in its lair eating.

As I approached it stopped eating to watch me. I put out a finger toward it to have it reach out with a tentacle and "touch" back. It then explored my finger a second and finally it gently pushed my hand back a few inches. He then went back to working on a mussel that it was working on while I watched.

Doesn't sound like much describing it now, but it was an incredible 2 or 3 minutes. There were a few other moments similar, but none that impressed on my memory like this one.

 

[Chugwhump]

For me the single most memorable moment I have ever had while diving would be the time that I was enveloped by a school/herd/crowd/passel/group of Spotted Eagle Rays on Molasses Reef in Key Largo.
They hung around us for 20 minutes at least.
They were simply amazing.
I have still not in the 20 years since, seen any Eagle Rays that come close to the size of the members of this group. Some of them were just huge!
I did not get an exact count but there were just HUNDREDS of them.
They were extremely curious and came really close just seemingly curious about us.
They circled us continuously.
The thing about the dive was that on the way out the boat crew told us that we were going to Molasses Reef and the spot we would be dropping into was in fact called "Eagle Ray Gulch". Ordinarily topside when the guide tells you that you are going to Hammerhead Cove/Blue Whale Corner/ Hogfish Bend......it has been my experience that you will see nothing that the place is named for.
This is one of my favorite memories.
I started diving in 1977, I gotsa' lotsa' stories........
Chug

 

[CLEAR BLUE]

In Eagle Ray Gulch on Molasses Reef.....we were actually watching an eagle ray when a hammerhead went swimming by about 10 feet in front of us. Absolutely amazing!

 

[D_B]

I'm going to have to say the time I took my friend on her first ever.. cold water, wetsuit, California dive, at the Catalina dive park.
No sooner had we descended than a Giant Black Sea bass came over to check her out, it was BIG, as long as she was and very curious, getting within inches of us, and following us around like a lost puppy
It followed us around for the entire dive only interrupted when some other divers would appear and it would swim off, only to reappear and follows us again after they left.

A fantastic dive and one of the most memorable things to be next to a creature that big that is obviously aware of you and picks your company for some reason

 

[H2Andy]

wow ... it's so hard to pick

i would have to say that it was a spotted eagle ray i saw on a solo dive in Bonaire.

as i was swimming parallel to the shore, the ray appeared in front of me. i wasn't sure what it was at first, but as it kept getting closer, i could see its wings and spots clearly. it very slowly cruised on my left (between me and the shore) and i just kept looking at it. then very slowly it turned around and it came right back, this time on the other side. it was an amazing creature to watch, and HUGE

being totally alone in the water with such a magnificent animal was just transcendental

 

[dkktsunami]

Spotted eagle rays always stop me in my tracks, maybe that should be fins, - they are so incredibly graceful.

 

[Walter]

What is the best thing you have seen while diving?

This is not a very clear question. The best. The best functioning? The best life support? The best buddy? The best diver? The best reef? What is best in a reef - most healthy coral - most fish life - most beautiful? The best wreck? What is best in a wreck - cleaned up sank intentionally - screamer - historically interesting - most fish life - most fun to penetrate - most coral growth? Most fun creature? Most interesting creature? Most exciting creature? What do you want to know?

Without knowing exactly what you're asking, I'll go with my gut and say the best thing I ever saw on a dive was the ladder of the Irish Wake on the first dive on April 29, 2006.

 

[Chugwhump]

Without knowing exactly what you're asking, I'll go with my gut and say the best thing I ever saw on a dive was the ladder of the Irish Wake on the first dive on April 29, 2006.

Walter;
Is the Irish Wake a dive boat somewhere?

Chug