Bumphead Parrot Fish

[Bowmouth]

Just got back from Banyaks yesterday.

For the waveriders it was average 4-8ft perfection Treasure Island (the 200 meter long righthander)
Photos will be posted on our website soon.

One day it was outta control 20ft ground swell from the Swest.
Too much water moving thru the reef to surf.

Just these giant Hawaiin size waves.

Surfers are constant asking me what those giant fish are swimming under them. And I tell them they are Bumphead Parrots. They are everywhere!

I am truthfully finding the the majority of reefs here wrecked by dynamite but have found some gems amongst all this.

In the next 2 weeks we will begin a 1 month survey of the northwest coastline of Simeulue Island. We will be about 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the 2004 earthquake that caused the Boxing Day tsunami.

Local lobster fisherman have told us of some reefs there with lots of sharks.

Wish I was there....
Nothing better than exploring unchartered reefs and pinnacles...
Hope you will find some great reefs and get a few good shark encounters...

Keep us posted!

One more hour and I'm off to Nai Harn!
:wave:

 

[TimA]

Wish I was there....
:wave:

Here in Simeulue...20 "F"ing minutes to load the scubaboard home page @ 35 baht a hour. Thats if they don't have a frequent power outage
Now I am back to Medan for a short period...

Are you ready Bowmouth for a 200 meter long wave that sucks and spits over a shallow coral reef. Is that numbskull "Roger the Rabbit" still sponging over there at Nai Harn. Whatever he tells u to do about boogie boarding do the opposite and U will fair well. Are the boys at Kata Noi still hard core about protecting their turf? Letting the air outta motorbike tires ect. If U see spongers Dave and Roger give my regards!

Still would like to know why the Bumpies are thriving here. No predators or what!

 

[Bowmouth]

Are you ready Bowmouth for a 200 meter long wave that sucks and spits over a shallow coral reef. Is that numbskull "Roger the Rabbit" still sponging over there at Nai Harn. Whatever he tells u to do about boogie boarding do the opposite and U will fair well. Are the boys at Kata Noi still hard core about protecting their turf? Letting the air outta motorbike tires ect. If U see spongers Dave and Roger give my regards!

Still would like to know why the Bumpies are thriving here. No predators or what!

To be honest I don't know any of the farang surfers/boogie boarders by their name. Not even their nick-name!
I've never had a real conversation other than "Hi, how are you?" and "What's up?" with any of those guys. I am often way too busy paddling out and away from them waiting for the big wave that (ofcourse) never comes....
I also tend to hang out more with the Thai guys playing the waves on their boogie-boards.

Uhmm, 200 meter wave sounds GREAT but errrr, shallow coral reef does not sound all that great. At least not for my "style (read: no style) of boogie boarding. I still got lots to learn and still find myself regularly sticking with my head in the bottom and fins up in the sky...

Those bumpheads must like it there because of the food. Lots of hard coral and not many natural predators. I don't think sharks will eat/attack full size bumpheads. And they're not highly prized by the locals too I suppose...

 

[lord khram]

Where in Thailand is the best place to see Bumphead Parrot Fish?
Are there heaps of them there? Where?
Is a huge group called a school or a herd?
I have been diving in the Banyaks Islands, North Sumatra and they are everywhere.
I believe someone told me the presence of Bumpheads is a good sign for a reef.
It is really impresive to be surrounded by 12 1.2meter bumpheads.

Thanks

Was at a lose end in Pattaya the other day, so a friend and I decided to launch his speedboat and go for a couple of dives.
Not long into the first dive, we saw in the distance what looked like a shoal of large bumpheads going through the coral.
Having never seen or heard of one in the area before we were most surprised :surprised and decided to take a closer look.:lookaround:
No such luck I am afraid. :depressed:
It was Mermaids interns. :w-t-f:

 

[Bowmouth]

It was Mermaids interns....

Were they eating any of the hard corals or just bumping it??

 

[lord khram]

Were they eating any of the hard corals or just bumping it??

They were certainly bumping, and judging by the spectacle before us, I dare say eating it as well.
Didn't hang around too long.

 

[Bowmouth]

They were certainly bumping, and judging by the spectacle before us, I dare say eating it as well.

If they indeed ate it than I have no problem with their behavior. They digest the hard coral and add their part to creating wonderful white sandy beaches with their waste products.

 

[lord khram]

If they indeed ate it than I have no problem with their behavior. They digest the hard coral and add their part to creating wonderful white sandy beaches with their waste products.

We not that lucky round here, we dont even get the white sand, just the dirty brown colour thats full of litter.

 

[Bowmouth]

We not that lucky round here, we dont even get the white sand, just the dirty brown colour thats full of litter.

:turd:

 

[TimA]

:turd:

LK, You should gather up a sample and take it to a lab for analysis. You may be on to a new species that will be named after you.