redrover
Guest
All my experience is Hawaii and I do not spearfish. As for the predators being likely, I'm not diving with another predator and trust the supreme cares it is not me. In this, I draw the asking for trouble line.
Galapagos? Large and aggressive.
- Morays: Well I netted them and didn't hand feed them in my aquarium but they are pretty cool slithering around your body - under water anyway. I tried to get too personal, past 1' to a Giant Moray and it convincingly encouraged me to reconsider. I did in retrospect, some hilarious very, very, very close, 1"- 2" away examination for some minutes, of what I thought was a piece of coral shaped exactly like an eel head except with it's mouth closed. Absolutely motionless during my helicoptering round and round, on my belly crawling round and round, determined to locate where it was 'ah ha!', not an eel. Geeze, it looked just like the head of an eel sticking out of the sand. Didn't know 'bout Crocodile Snake eels then. On purpose, I will not get close enough again to maybe touch them after seeing what happened when a buddy did.
- Scorpion Fish: I look carefully before touching any thing that appears to be inanimate and better have a good reason to. If can't effectively control position ie surge, stay where it's not a problem (accidentally touch anything that appears to be inanimate.) Can't recall ever walking around on the bottom, maybe just my nature, too lazy to walk if can float. Guess I respect it as much as any fish distance wise, close as it will let me and resist any urge to pet the fishies.
- Cuda: I seem to have a fine line between fascination and fear with these. All of a sudden a switch is flipped at 14' - 15' for a Great, Heller's it's 10', and I slam on the brakes. Can't creep over that line either, no rationale, fascination is just stomped into submission by unease. I look a while and if they go, fine with me. If not, I quietly back off and end up looking over my shoulder until back in closer to shore.
What seems really odd is a Wolverine distance, in full snarl with every one of them pearly white knife blades gleaming is 3' (then them brakes are locked up.
) - Stingray: Funny, never think about the spines when I see our rays. But then it never occurs to me to wrassle with one either. I don't land with a thud on the bottom and if for some reason park on the sand, as a matter of course look for anything buried, mollusk etc. Most of ours are deep water anyway.
- Cone Shells: They tend to work their savagery out of sight in the dark so it's a real joy to see one and I'll watch them to about ½' from behind for some time if they are out out predatorizing. What I've seen is sorta obscene, it's a bit embarrassing when they are. Netted a couple when had an aquarium. The Geographic is not here and frankly, I don't see them near enough, not a worry, they aren't going to jump up and nail me or anything.
- GW: Now there's a dilemma. I want to see one, and if, suspect I will run the trashing the cage footage from Blue Water White Death in endless loop. My plan is to become one with the bottom and pray it thinks I look as unappealing as I do every morning. Good thing I don't get into Deco. On a stop, other than a GW flyby, it is probably going to be an abbreviated one. Seriously doubt I would ever physically approach a GW but would not hesitate to dive where they may be encountered or a cage opportunity. Other than a caged dive I doubt it would occur to me to photo. If it did, I'd probably choose what I have before in rare and marvelous experiences. I can buy footage and photos, can't buy the real thing so burn that entire experience into my brain forever. You could probably cut an arm off and I wouldn't notice concentrating so hard on retaining every detail I can cram in.
- Tiggers: Desire and apprehension are equal with a Tiger. Diving, if I know a Tiger is around, or likely like here in the harbor; if anyone wants to see a Warhammer, just go latch onto my fin and yank hard. I prefer in the harbor with the theory being it is well fed, that's my mantra, "It's cool, it's well fed." Exiting the water I don't quite follow as that takes quite some time and I do not like turning my back on anything I would like to increase the distance with, I want to know where we stand with each other at all times. Unless being stalked or some sort of curiosity other than, "I see you, whatevas" I suppose, but have not been in that position and hope I never will. I have the feeling if everyone was swimming toward a Tiger, I'd tag along. Have not had the opportunity to pin down my distance comfort zone but expect I'd be the first one to turn around. Theory being it gets well fed with the front runners and, there is just so much excitement I can take. I am getting in to snorkel (boat dive) theory being someone is sure to get in before me. It can only test one person at a time and I hope I get to see it before it chips a tooth on the tank and goes looking for something squishier. I think about them mostly on night reef shore dives. I avoid turning my back on the deep water, don't stay deep for more than a few minutes sticking closer in shore. Just in case the surface is too inviting, I'd rather be semi-snorkeling and luckily our topography lends itself to that. I keep an eye out there at all times, look at cool stuff, look out, look for cool stuff, look out and around. Some friends will stay out well into dusk and others have a set: on shore before 4pm, no entry before 10am, because of the Tiger. As long as there aren't any recent sightings I have a mid-window for time in the water or willing to enter an hour or so after dawn and stay to just before dusk. But I'm pretty much hugging the shore and not out anywhere near the deeper side of the ocean (like my rigid friends think makes any difference.) I respect this shark and take solace the divers are not the ones suffering their curiosity.
- Hammerhead: I'm not leery of these, are reported to be more problematic off shore, this is not an off shore place, but have yet to see one diving. Do not expect to hesitate trying to approach if reasonable (uh, I don't fin fast enough to chase anything really.) Guess will have to just see how it goes from there.
- Bulls: Okey, happy there are no Bull Sharks over here. I want to see them, in a nice big aquarium. I never had any particular fear of sharks - except for the 4 months after seeing Jaws. (But heck, had not seen or gave much thought to sharks yet and drove along our dark and foreboding ocean daily. LOL, the 'our' ocean then was Cook Inlet, AK and would swear I could hear, duh duh, duh duh, thru the rain.) From what I now know of sharks, I am not going to seek an opportunity to see a Bull whilst diving. And I'll bet if I ever did go somewhere and did, that would be an exit the water as quickly and unobtrusively I could. That shark is for me, one scary dude, and cannot put a finger on just what makes it stand out so.
- Sand Tigers: Hmmm, do not recall giving much though to those. We have a couple Sand Tigers but are deep water, I'm not a deep diver.
- OW: Man, I would love to see one of these, next in line to the GW...she says from the comfort of home.:blinking: We have them and have seen them from a boat. Once, once mind you I almost got to get in to snorkel but it went down and disappeared. I felt trepidation scrambling to get my gear ready but there was really no struggle with; did I or did I not really want to? As on my island the open or boat diving is just an accessibility to shore diving really, I don't worry about the OW. But not sure just how I'd feel if I saw one in my ventures out further away from the reef checking if there is any big man in a grey suit. Gotta lean to back kick.
- Titan Trigger: Seeing as I was about pecked to death (big exaggeration) by one of our Triggers, I would bone up on that fish if I went where they are. One stinky eye and I'm beating feet outta dodge.
Galapagos? Large and aggressive.
