Kevin Carlisle
Contributor
Last weekend had a nice gator swim by, there were two others on the bank.
Memorable Critter Encounters
- Thread starter Hawkwood
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toddster541
Registered
Oh yeah. About 25 years ago, I was free diving in a pass between two islands down there. Maybe 30 feet down. So, time to head back up for more air and I looked up to see a whole school of barracuda between me and the surface. At that point, I had no choice but to swim up through the middle of them. Nothing happened. They were gone when I went back down. Can't say I was too disappointed.
K
KeithG
Guest
We have had a few.
Funniest was the antics of a lost remora trying to attach to divers chests as they came back to the dive boat ladder at the end of the dive.
Most personal was a night dive encounter with a small very curious octopus that came up to us and reached out and gloomed onto my hand and Bare arm. It took a little self control to not yank my arm, but instead to slowly roll my arm away so that the octopus could disengage its suckers.
Neatest was seeing bulldozer shrimp and goby living in the same sand hole in Belize. This was more of a sighting as opposed to an encounter.
Most startling was having my mask struck by a 4 inch damsel fish that was guarding its algae crop that I stuck my face too close too.
Cutest is the swarms of cleaner shrimp and cleaner fish that will pick away at your hand at cleaner stations.
Bestest was a 20 minute encounter with a juvenile whale shark (only about 20 feet long). We were at a sea mount and the shark made continual trips around the mount and swam up to us each time, forcing us to move or be run into.
Funniest was the antics of a lost remora trying to attach to divers chests as they came back to the dive boat ladder at the end of the dive.
Most personal was a night dive encounter with a small very curious octopus that came up to us and reached out and gloomed onto my hand and Bare arm. It took a little self control to not yank my arm, but instead to slowly roll my arm away so that the octopus could disengage its suckers.
Neatest was seeing bulldozer shrimp and goby living in the same sand hole in Belize. This was more of a sighting as opposed to an encounter.
Most startling was having my mask struck by a 4 inch damsel fish that was guarding its algae crop that I stuck my face too close too.
Cutest is the swarms of cleaner shrimp and cleaner fish that will pick away at your hand at cleaner stations.
Bestest was a 20 minute encounter with a juvenile whale shark (only about 20 feet long). We were at a sea mount and the shark made continual trips around the mount and swam up to us each time, forcing us to move or be run into.
freewillie
Contributor
Sitting a foot away from a turtle feeding on algae on the Great Barrier Reef was what finally clinched the decision for me to get into underwater video (I was already a topside videographer).
However, perhaps the "best" encounter was with the critter I didn't see. I was diving off Catalina with Wyland at his request so I could show him our giant sea bass. Mid way through the dive Wyland indicated he was returning to the dive boat, but I stayed under for another 30 min. When I got back to the boat, he said "Didn't you see the 14 foot great white shark swim past us?" I said no, I hadn't and asked where it was. It swam between us... and I had my back (and camera) to it so I never saw it.
However, perhaps the "best" encounter was with the critter I didn't see. I was diving off Catalina with Wyland at his request so I could show him our giant sea bass. Mid way through the dive Wyland indicated he was returning to the dive boat, but I stayed under for another 30 min. When I got back to the boat, he said "Didn't you see the 14 foot great white shark swim past us?" I said no, I hadn't and asked where it was. It swam between us... and I had my back (and camera) to it so I never saw it.
One of my most interesting experiences was while diving in Cozumel. I observed a grouper working in tandem with a moray eel. the eel would go into the rocks and the grouper waited on the outside. They went from formation to formation while I watched fascinated by the cooperative effort.
At a couple of dive sites I've been entertained by large napoleon wrasses. One named Bob at the Yolanda in the red sea and an unnamed one at blue corner in Palau. Both had apparently been fed by divers at one point or another as they were ridiculously friendly coming right up to us and hanging around as if expecting a treat (later one of the divemasters who got special attention from the one in Palau used to feed the blue corner wrasse before he became politically correct.
And another vote for the manta dive off Hawaii.I laughed so hard I nearly lost my regulator when the diver next to me who wasn't anchored to a rock got bowled over during one of the near misses. The "jetwash" gave him a huge shove. Me? I had my light in one hand shining it up and the other hanging on to a big rock to hold me during the near misses.
At a couple of dive sites I've been entertained by large napoleon wrasses. One named Bob at the Yolanda in the red sea and an unnamed one at blue corner in Palau. Both had apparently been fed by divers at one point or another as they were ridiculously friendly coming right up to us and hanging around as if expecting a treat (later one of the divemasters who got special attention from the one in Palau used to feed the blue corner wrasse before he became politically correct.
And another vote for the manta dive off Hawaii.I laughed so hard I nearly lost my regulator when the diver next to me who wasn't anchored to a rock got bowled over during one of the near misses. The "jetwash" gave him a huge shove. Me? I had my light in one hand shining it up and the other hanging on to a big rock to hold me during the near misses.
volvorules
Registered
My most amazing encounter was with mantas at German Channel in Palau. We dropped down to wait for them at the cleaning station, but instead they were feeding in the current. Two DMs signalled for everyone in the group (13 of us) to head up and swim with them. I took off into the current, finning as fast as I could. When I turned around, I saw that most of the group had not followed. There were the 2 DMs, my buddy (gf), and one other guy. For ~20 minutes we finned as hard as we could to stay in one spot over a group of rocks, while 5 mantas made passes back and forth, and did their barrel rolls. It was an amazing experience, felt like I was alone with them. At one point 3 of them went by me close enough to touch, got that on video. Just surreal.
My first sea turtle experience was in Aruba. It was one of my first real OW dives, and I was finning along looking down at the reef, and almost ran head-on into a small turtle! Didn't see him till the last second, and he zoomed by me. Wish we had that on video! I learned to keep my head on a swivel after that, so many things going on down there that I don't want to miss!
My first sea turtle experience was in Aruba. It was one of my first real OW dives, and I was finning along looking down at the reef, and almost ran head-on into a small turtle! Didn't see him till the last second, and he zoomed by me. Wish we had that on video! I learned to keep my head on a swivel after that, so many things going on down there that I don't want to miss!
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I think my most memorable encounter was a large live Atlantic Deer Cowrie right out in the open on a wreck deck.
pughio83
Contributor
Probably for me was the first time i saw manta rays. Hanging in German channel , palau, in 30m viz in a gentle current, then turning around and seeing 10+mantas swimming en masse towards me and one large black manta swings right next to me giving me a good eyeball. Seeing them like a flock of birds, and for the first time was amazing.
Or...
On the same trip, a dive at the pelileu express started with giant trevaillys and chevron barracuda schools, followed by large group of jacks, all feeding on smaller bait fish. White tips and black tips were lumbering around and then some large grey reefs passed in the blue, then as I stared ahead, 2 really big sharks were coming towards me and it wasn't until one of the swam just below my fins that I could see tryst were massive bill sharks! Heart pounding adrenaline dive.
Other notables include great hammerheads in the Philippines in panagatan, and seeing my first and currenty only,blue ringed octopus, in lembeh.
Or...
On the same trip, a dive at the pelileu express started with giant trevaillys and chevron barracuda schools, followed by large group of jacks, all feeding on smaller bait fish. White tips and black tips were lumbering around and then some large grey reefs passed in the blue, then as I stared ahead, 2 really big sharks were coming towards me and it wasn't until one of the swam just below my fins that I could see tryst were massive bill sharks! Heart pounding adrenaline dive.
Other notables include great hammerheads in the Philippines in panagatan, and seeing my first and currenty only,blue ringed octopus, in lembeh.
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