Diving bird encounters

[kelpmermaid]

A group from the board did some diving Saturday at Casino Point in Avalon, and, although conditions were not fabulous, I did manage to see something I've wanted to see for a while: a cormorant on th hunt. It was weird; at about 20 feet, the dark form was headed toward me, and I knew the movement was not that of a fish...and as it went past, I realized what it was. I think it was probably after a school of small blacksmith in the area.

I am curious as to how many others have encountered birds underwater?

 

[sapphire]

Hi Kelpmermaid ~

Diving birds are cool, aren't they? The first time I saw one was about 10 years ago, in Monterey. I was a fairly new diver, and I had to ask my buddy after the dive "Was that a bird we saw at 35 feet?" He laughed and told me it was a cormorant fishing!

And then, just last month in Cabo San Lucas, we saw cormorants fishing underwater on more than one dive :biggrin:... my only regret is that they were zipping by too fast to take a picture of! I guess I need an underwater video camera for those "high speed" moments...

It's nice to hear that you had a good dive for the SoCal get-together!

peace,

 

[drbill]

I've managed to get a few video segments of cormorants underwater. The best came one day in the Dive Park when a cormorant appeared suddenly in front of me at 65 ft. I was too slow to capture it, but I watched it at the surface from that depth and started the camera rolling when it started its dive down. I followed it through its hunt, about 1 1/2 minutes of footage if I remember correctly. Hard to keep it centered in the frame!

Dr. Bill

 

[sapphire]

Dr. Bill ~

Now I know I don't need an underwater video camera to catch a cormorant, I just need you as my buddy next time I head to Cabo :biggrin:!

Seriously, do you have any information on just how deep cormorants go when they hunt?

 

[Mo2vation]

too funny. Jaye and I saw our first this Friday in the park. Right before the So Cal Dive In on Sat.

I've been in fishing skiffs in Newport and on the local lakes in my float rube, and had one swim under me before, but I've never seen one from the water until Friday.

K

 

[ppilot]

I've seen loons fishing underwater before. Very cool.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It's a fairly common sight in Puget Sound ... both cormorants and grebes. I've seen a grebe at more than 80 fsw (didn't realize until then they actually go that deep).

A couple weeks ago I was diving a fairly shallow site with a new diver ... an old abandoned ferry pier that hosts large schools of small fish. As we were swimming back to shore we encountered an entire flock (school?) of grebes down there hunting. It was awesome!

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[drbill]

Sapphire-

I think I remember reading of depths in excess of 150 feet for cormorants. You can read a bit about them and see a few pictures on my web site at:

http://www.starthrower.org/products/DDDB/DDDB_000-049/DDDB_017 cormorants.htm

Dr. Bill

 

[sapphire]

Sapphire-

I think I remember reading of depths in excess of 150 feet for cormorants. You can read a bit about them and see a few pictures on my web site at:

http://www.starthrower.org/products/DDDB/DDDB_000-049/DDDB_017 cormorants.htm

Dr. Bill

Thanks, Bill, for the information and the photos! I enjoyed the reference to the Japanese using the cormorant to fish for them... it reminded me that I used to read my daughter a children's book about that practice, when she was young. It was called "The Story about Ping", and it took place in China. A great read-aloud book, for those of you with young children!

:biggrin:

 

[kelpmermaid]

I remember that I did meet such a fisherman in the city of Gifu some 20+ years ago. I didn't get to see them actually fish, but he did show us his birds and the cord/ring they used...