deepdiverbc
Contributor
Why every diver needs to carry a camera.
I was diving a small wreck at Porteau Cove near Vancouver today when my buddy Doug and I saw a seal shoot past and disappear into a porthole. As we swam forward to look into the porthole Doug spooked a large ling cod that swam off, but being more interested in the seal I didn't pay it much attention. I reached the porthole first and stuck my head inside to look for the seal. When I took my head out I looked up at Doug who had a very shocked look on his face. I thought he had maybe seen the seal but looking around couldn't spot it so stuck my head back into the porthole to take another look. Not finding the seal I looked up at Doug again who had the same stunned look in his eyes. Not seeing the seal I swam off and we continued the dive. When we got to shore Doug told me that while I was looking into the porthole the ling cod that he had spooked swam over to me and settled itself onto my back on top of my scuba tank. As I was peering into the hole I had a fifteen to twenty pound ling cod behind my head with its chin resting on my first stage and its tail sticking out past my tank onto my but. It stayed there until I swam off. I had my camera in hand waiting for a perfect seal shot while Doug was staring at a perfect photo unable to do anything but watch. I don't expect to ever see this behaviour again from a ling cod and am thinking now that it was probably trying to hide from the seal and blend in with me. It was a weird day.
I was diving a small wreck at Porteau Cove near Vancouver today when my buddy Doug and I saw a seal shoot past and disappear into a porthole. As we swam forward to look into the porthole Doug spooked a large ling cod that swam off, but being more interested in the seal I didn't pay it much attention. I reached the porthole first and stuck my head inside to look for the seal. When I took my head out I looked up at Doug who had a very shocked look on his face. I thought he had maybe seen the seal but looking around couldn't spot it so stuck my head back into the porthole to take another look. Not finding the seal I looked up at Doug again who had the same stunned look in his eyes. Not seeing the seal I swam off and we continued the dive. When we got to shore Doug told me that while I was looking into the porthole the ling cod that he had spooked swam over to me and settled itself onto my back on top of my scuba tank. As I was peering into the hole I had a fifteen to twenty pound ling cod behind my head with its chin resting on my first stage and its tail sticking out past my tank onto my but. It stayed there until I swam off. I had my camera in hand waiting for a perfect seal shot while Doug was staring at a perfect photo unable to do anything but watch. I don't expect to ever see this behaviour again from a ling cod and am thinking now that it was probably trying to hide from the seal and blend in with me. It was a weird day.