Humboldt Squid

[gonetobaja]

Thats it Scott, Im never logging onto Scubaboard at your house anymore....

And the next time I come over Im gonna erase my pass word....

All of these scientefik names are givin me a headake.



My site http://www.gonetobaja.com is the company that is offering the Squid diving trips.

I dont know about all of this stuff you guys are talking about, all I know is that when I dive with the squid its really cool and fun. There is nothing like watching a free swimming squid flash colors and swim right up to you. I do it just because its so freekin awsome.

My research as a professional guide is still centered in the same area it has been for the past 4 years......mexican beers. Im still trying to find out if lattitude affects the amount of carbonation. Im trying to drink beer in as many places in Baja as possible to further my research.

Besides, on squid watching trips everyone has fun, even the squid.

Maybe the work Val Taylor was no good to sceyentests but I know alot of divers that use Neptunic suits. Commercial divers (people who dive for money) use the armor to perform various tasks underwater in a safer manner. Without people who were willing to get bit, the armor would have never been tested.

Could learning how to interact and share the ocean with predators without harming them be considered science?

Everyone knows Im not smart enough to answer that one......

Scott did provoke the squid, I was there. He was talking trash to the squid and told one of them that his momma was a sea cucumber....not real bad, but still out of line.

GTB

 

[Benthos]

Scott- Here is a picture of the posterior surface of one of the arms. To me it looks very different compared to the pictures I have seen of D. gagas. Does this look familiar to you? We don't have a teuthologist at the marine lab so I was advised to send these pics to C.R. over at the Smithsonian Institute for ID. D. gagas is most common, but there are three other rare possibilities that I would like to explore.

I'm a bit pressed at the moment but when you return from your trip I would like to bounce some observations about its behavior and anatomy off you and see if they are consistent with your experiences. There are many things I haven't communicated clearly and this thread is not fostering the dialog I was hoping for.

Feel free to PM me when your get back from your trip as I would like to explore this specific topic with you in greater detail.

Thanks,
Richard

 

[gonetobaja]

Mr. Tavernetti,

Wow! What a great pic! Did you get these images to Dr. Clyde Roper? If not I can do it for you quickly. He is a bit busy at the moment, but I can dicuss it with him when I see him him and get back to you in a week or two. As it appears, the edges of each suction disc maybe spasmed. This leads me to suspect the animal endured an attack and in its defense lost many of the ring teeth. (they are held in place by a series of tiny ligaments) I have seen this in situ often. It is suspected they can regrow if the creature has the chance.

I would like to offer you an email address to contact me on. If your are interested, I can tell you how.

Let me know if I can help!
Take care and dive safe!
Scott Cassell
Sea Wolves, Unlimited

 

[gonetobaja]

Well, well,....

So this is what it looks like when educated people talk about squid. Its gonna take me another 2 weeks to figure out half the words you guys used.

Just got off of the phone with Scott, he is on his way down south again. I am planning on meeting him down there. This trip is to continue documenting the flashing patterns that the squid use to communicate. Its usefull to know just for diving I think. After diving with the squid I know that they flash and then will turn dark before attacking. Why, I dont know. Thats for the scientests to figure out when they watch the footage. They also flash alot when they swim in schools. From there he heads to University of Baja, Ensenada where he will report the findings of our last dive expedition in Baja where we discovered a geothermal vent at 120 feet in an area known to hold one of the last good populations of Totuaba(a highly endangered Giant Croaker that gets up to 300lbs). Info like temp at depth, plankton amounts, visibility, etc. are very important to the researchers for the Totuaba breeding program.


He said that if you guys wanted some HD footage of the Squid free swimming and interacting he would be happy to help. (footage must be used for research and not sold). To him there was no clearer way to show his intentions other than to offer his work to others.

We have the footage of a large 6ft plus Humboldt (actually more than 1) attacking more than once. Maybe I could post it and we could try and figure out why it attacked by observing the footage?

What is it trying to say by its displays? Is it a territory thing? Is it just that the squid is hungry? Is it scared?

Like I said, that is for the edcuators to figure out. Till then we will try and bring back info from the sea and help in our limited way.

Dale Pearson(GTB)
Expedition Specialist
Sea Wolves Unlimited

 

[gonetobaja]

The availability of these dive trips was non-existent untill I was hired on to Sea Wolves Unlimited. That company is not part of www.gonetobaja.com . Gonetobaja is my company. I have been a professional beach bum and dive looser starting from when I escaped from high school and began cleaning the bottom of boats in San Diego Bay. After many years in Baja I was able to secure an FM-3 and legaly operate as an underwater tourist guide. Scotts FM-3 for mexico is as an underwater filmmaker and reseacher. This is the permit he has from the mexican government. Upon meeting Scott and getting on the dive team I was given the task of preparing gear and things for dive expeditions. Yes as you know the show "killer squid" has been on the Discovery Channel for months now. We where asked by the University of Baja CA at ensenada to do some field research on Totuaba. As you know (being a field scientest and all) the pay for doing field research is very minimal, far less than is necessary to do a proper dive with HD camera equipment, CCR dive systems and then include any logistic costs. The Smithsonian institute also wants footage as well. The problem again is money. I approached Scott and talked to him about offering spaces to people to dive with us in order to offset the costs of our dives. This way we could offer the scientests in the schools the footage they wanted and not have to wait for "funding".

Thats when Outside Magazine got ahold of us. The writer and photographer had a great time and just enforced the fact that alot of people would be interested in such an encounter.

All of our previous trip that where offered where freedivng/spearfishing for the giant grouper and snapper that live where my house is(the one in baja). I felt that it was a better way to make money off of the ocean for me (rather than shooting fish for money), and It would make it easier for Scott to continue his filming for the Universitys and such. I felt is was a responsible thing to do to diversify my trips to include shooting fish with a camera rather than a speargun, Im sure you would agree with that.

Now here we are. We have posted a clip of what it looks like to see Humboldt Squid in the water, free swimming. Not dead on the beach or in a bottle on a shelf. When I see a post that trys to discount what we do than of course we will have a different opinion.

Yes, some people may come on the trips just as thrill seekers, some will be from Universitys seeking real interaction with the animals (Maybe you archman?), some will be divers just looking for something different.

So to make the distinction, Sea Wolves Unlimited is a professional dive/research/film team that has very few members. Gonetobaja is a guide outfit that offers trips to dive with squid and hires Scott to lead the dives as he is the most experienced person that I know when it comes to diving with Giant Humboldt Squid. DIving with squid is not the only trip or service that we offer.

When I started being a guide in Baja people couldnt believe that the Mex government actually gave me a permit to work. I was accused of breaking mex. law and being a fly by night outfit. Needless to say, they where wrong. I never answered those people, I knew I had all of the credentials I needed and I told them to turn me in if they where so sure about things. I never felt the need to defend myself against those accusations with the real evidence because I knew the "real deal" and so does Scott. However after situations like this I finaly got fed up and posted my Mex ID number and the accusations stopped. I have a feeling Scott will do the same.

Our last dive to the Enchanted islands to record water temp at depth for Totuaba habitat was a success. We where able to provide info to the University of BajaCA at Ensenada for the Totuaba breeding program and also discovered a geothermal vent. We also found the largest population of Gulf Grouper I have ever seen in Baja in over 25 years. We plan on giving the footage to the University and then a copy to a producer in Hollywood to make a show so everyone can watch, even you.

So What are we,

Are we thrill seekers? (Squid, Sharks, Tech diving, armor, world records, remote dives)
Are we capitalists (dive expeditions for money, PADI instructors, etc)
Are we researchers(provide rare footage and info from the ocean to Universitys)
Are we fimmakers(Discovery Channel, Disney Channel)

We are sponsored by several companies also, in the interests of full disclosure. I dont know what catagory that is.

I was able to make my house payment this month, with no paycheck from any regular job.

To be honest, I really dont know the answer myself. My kids keep asking me. "Dad, whats your job?"


By the way, I still have no answer on the Squid Attacking footage. Dont you think that we could learn something about the footage that could be helpfull to the Scubaboard members? I honestly want to know your opinion of what you think the squids are trying to communicate before the attack and if you think we could do things different to keep the squid from attacking so we (and other divers) could film these beautifull animals without the need for armor and saftey cables. I may not be the most educated diver on the board but I am willing to learn from those who are. Especialy if it can help prevent me from getting nailed again....(by the squid)

Archman, I think you should go on an expedition with us and then report to scubaboard your findings. That way everyone would know the truth. Ill take you no charge...:11:

Dale Pearson
Expediton Specialist (is that a real job?)
Sea Wolves Unlimited
http://www.gonetobaja.com
http://www.spearfishingvideos.com

 

[archman]

Dale, that was an oustanding response, one of the finest I have ever seen on this board. This fully clarifies the functions and purposes of your operation, which is of course what I and others are interested in. It is no longer necessary for Scott to post specific information about the research component, as you have well delineated its scope and type for us. This is a different category of research than most people are familiar with, and rather than explain it myself (and perhaps get it out of context in reference to you folks), I deferred it you guys.

As I doubt anyone will object, I will later tonight exercise my secret moderator powers and comprehensively edit this thread. People can pm me for questions if they feel I have been too sweeping in the texts I remove.

If I ever make my way out to Baja, and overcome by phobia of blue water diving, I will certainly consider a squid dive. And I would not hesitate in having Scott lead it.

****
As an aside, would you folks PLEASE set up separate username accounts?

 

[gonetobaja]

Archman,

Im glad I could clear things up. I hope I wasnt too long winded. Ill be leaving in 2 hours for baja to join up with the rest of the team.

My offer of squid diving is open for use when you want it, it was a for real offer.

Blue water diving phobia is something I used to have. I would have trouble when I would jump off of a boat to try and spear yellowtail or dorado. When I would look down into the depths I would literaly "loose my breath" It was almost like it would suck the wind out of my lungs. I think you would find diving with the squid fun and with the saftey dive platforms we use, more comfortable in the blue water. It always is easier when you have a point of refrence to hold onto, controll boyancy, etc.

Sometimes curing a phobia can be one of the best thrill rides available.

Thanks in advance for using your secret powers to re-organize things. As divers and lovers of the ocean we all have something in common and are connected it that way, and need to stick together.

See ya at the bottom,

Dale

 

[archman]

Ha, it's not the vertigo part of blue-water diving that terrifies me, but the fact that I can't see all the man-eating critters down there. Specifically, sharks. As a result, I never dive in seawater alone, never go into surf alone, despise seawater night dives, avoid blue water dives... if there's a medication that can treat this condition, I want some.

Being tethered to the boat by a steel cable is somewhat reassuring, but irrational fears like mine are only dealt with by sticking me in a nice, solid cage, or having a visible seafloor.

 

[gonetobaja]

As you probably guessed, I have a shark cage. It is a two piece version custom built for transport to remote areas. We have it to research Los Lobos Island in the Encantadas chain. There is a large shark there eating sea lions. We dont know what type it is, and there is not supposed to be great whites up that far in the sea of cortez. The locals call it a Bufeo shark, or another one is called the Tinterera. We are trying to figure out what it really is. So far it only show up to nail sea lions and then takes off. I still havent seen what it is. As far as the cage goes, Its a two person and I can put chicken wire over the bars to keep the squid out. The gap in the bars is 9in.

Ok, now I got ya a cage and a free trip....now what cha gonna do...:11:

Or I can take you on a dive to view the giant grouper schools that I was talking about, but to be honest, the squid dive in the cage is safer.

Dale