Grouper Attack
- Thread starter Qnape
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OP
Qnape
Contributor
This guy was definately "in her face". I've added the photo taken at the onset with the back of her mask over her head and the grouper above her head turning to come in again. She was very alarmed at this point. The two images of the grouper immediately precede the third and are almost certainly of the same grouper as he swam near me before moving to my daughter.
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Surface Interval
Contributor
Your daughter did very well! You must be so proud. 
jon m
Contributor
ya she doesn't look too happy.
perfect response though, good job.
i say wattya gonna do? we ARE in their ocean....
my wife was attacked by several large (10-15lb) fish in Roatan. they pulled her do-rag off and proceded to yank out clumps of her hair. funny after, but not at the time. the DM gave her his "pointing stick" so she could fend them off. as you can see in the pic, she don't look too happy, either. the fish in question are in the pic, too. bottom left, moving away....
perfect response though, good job.
i say wattya gonna do? we ARE in their ocean....
my wife was attacked by several large (10-15lb) fish in Roatan. they pulled her do-rag off and proceded to yank out clumps of her hair. funny after, but not at the time. the DM gave her his "pointing stick" so she could fend them off. as you can see in the pic, she don't look too happy, either. the fish in question are in the pic, too. bottom left, moving away....
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Hank49
Contributor
Treat this fish like an aggressive bear in a park. Well, I don't eat bear....
OP
Qnape
Contributor
You definately have a point, it is THEIR ocean. I'm very pleased with the way my daughter handled it, and it seems your wife got through well also - good for her. I guess the point to take away is be prepared - 'cause Murphy's Law applies underwater as much or moreso than on land.
I still have too wonder if too much interaction with divers may encourage this kinda thing - after all, you don't pet bears in the park.....
Hank49
Contributor
I think this is exactly what's happening.
I saw some huge cubera snappers diving off Roatan. They were not afraid at all of the divers and would swim off in a circle and as they came back, would quiver their whole bodies in what appeared to be aggressive behavior. This would send all the smaller fish hiding in the rocks.
I'm not advocating it, but I would guarantee that one or two spearfishermen would adjust the attitudes of those fish real fast.
vladimir
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I have read that pearl divers in the Torres Strait feared the groupers more than the sharks. They do get a lot bigger there and they can be aggressive. In this case I too believe this animal has become habituated to divers. I don't know why we insist on treating wild animals as pets. Here's a picture, from an aquarium in Fuzhou, of one with a whitetip shark in its mouth:
thankyou for sharing your story, i often wonder about the likly hood of such things happening. What i found interesting is that it was an unprovoked attack. When i dive i try to be as respectfull as possible as i'm sure we all do. I think you did really well to prevent any further harm to your daughter.
InTheDrink
Contributor
Our dive group was surprised in June this year when a large Napoleon bit our guide up to her elbow. She withdrew it/it expelled it pretty quickly and all she got was some scratches and scrapes. But the napoleon had to be fought off for a while after this. On a dive in or near this site a napoleon attacked my buddy's head. I found it all quite amusing but he's wary now of napoleons.
I think the very simple lesson is:
If an animal is large, and not scared of you, you need to be cautious. Be this grouper, napoleon or titan trigger. They've all got a lot of power at their disposal and if they decide you're of interest then they have the means to potentially hurt you.
I think it is quite clear that their familiarisation with divers is what is leading them to not being scared or wary of humans/divers.
BTW - I think you're daughter handled herself amazingly!
J
I think the very simple lesson is:
If an animal is large, and not scared of you, you need to be cautious. Be this grouper, napoleon or titan trigger. They've all got a lot of power at their disposal and if they decide you're of interest then they have the means to potentially hurt you.
I think it is quite clear that their familiarisation with divers is what is leading them to not being scared or wary of humans/divers.
BTW - I think you're daughter handled herself amazingly!
J
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