KISSED A GOLIATH TODAY

[guyharrisonphoto]

Today was a dive for the record books. Went with Splashdown out of Boynton. Couple of routine reef dives (if the beautiful Boynton reefs can ever be "routine"). Wanted to get it in before the big front and blow-out hitting tomorrow night for a few days. First dive was a nice swift drift, no exceptional critters but a great reef dive (vis 50' temp 77). One diver said he encountered a huge goliath, six feet long. Lucky person even if we thought the size was a little exaggerated.

Second dive, continuing on the same reef. We dive with this diver. Two big green morays, one free swimming. 20 minutes in, we encounter the goliath! He was not kidding about the size. it was as long as my wife, who is 5'9". Estimate 400 pounds. A true lord of the reef. It was hanging stationary like it was waiting for something. we settled to the bottom. The other diver tried to pet it, but the fish slid sideways (with amazing grace and no effort for such a big thing) but did not leave.

It looked at me and rocked back and forth. This is the signal it gives at a cleaning station. It then drifted in close to me, one foot from my face. I gently pecked at its lips and gills as a cleaner fish would do. It opened its mouth and let me peck at it. It rubbed against me when I pecked at its gills. Maribi and our other buddy caught on and got their share of interaction with this behavior, but the thing liked me. It ended up straight face-to face on my mask, bumping my regulator. So, I took out the reg and gave it a smack on the lips!

This encounter between the fish and us went on for over 20 minutes, never moving from the same spot. It is the most amazing animal interaction Maribi and I have had, in 2000 dives!

I LOVE Florida diving!!

No cameras, unfortunately. Ain't that always the way.

I will never, ever forget this dive.

 

[uncfnp]

I clicked "like" but it really needs a "jealous" button.

 

[CuzzA]

Thanks for sharing. Very cool and nice report. I read your post to my 3 year old. He liked it too. Sounded like a short kids story book.

 

[sportxlh]

I clicked "like" but it really needs a "jealous" button.

Agreed!

 

[Ghetto Diver]

You need to change your screen name after that post

 

[Sam Miller III]

Good for you !

This emulates JYC fish, in his 1953 book the Silent world and the movie by the same title.

The team encounters a grouper which as I recall they gave him the name Ulysses. He waited every day at the anchor line for the team to join him . After a while he became a pest so the team created a cage which they put him in during filming .

After filming he was let out of his gage and would accompy the team to the decompression stops and to the surface.

The next day the same thing was repeated.

It is suggested you might want to obtain the movie

What method did you use to determine his weight ?

Next time and every time you dive CAMERA..

SDM

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

I will definitely look up that movie!

As for the weight, it was an estimate. I had a reliable measure for its length since it laid right next to my wife and so was at least 5'9". It wasn't as "bulky" in girth as some of the ones we see at the summer breeding aggregation which have been weighted at 600 pounds by researchers. The captain of the boat is a biologist who has been running dives for 30 years. When she heard the description, she thought 400 pounds might have been a low estimate and said 500 was very probable, but I kept it conservative for my post.

I can tell you, when it is literally in your face, with its giant mouth open and a gullet that would hold my entire upper body, the enormity of it is vivid regardless of what the weight is.

As for the camera, it was too bad one else had one, but I am not sorry that I did not have one. I love my underwater photography, but having a big camera rig dictates the dive by forcing all your attention on "getting the shot." The gear and this mental focus often interfere with interactions due to the bulk, arms, flashes, lights etc. I am noticing that all of my best interactions happen without a camera and that is why I leave it behind about half of the time, as for I want to leave myself open to the possibility of other things during my dives. I am coming to learn that being the one "in" the picture (ie having the experience) can be even more rewarding than being the one "taking" the picture, who, by definition, has to be remote from the experience.

It's very possible I would not have had my interaction, but would have gotten amazing shots of someone else having that same interaction, if I had brought the camera. I wouldn't trade my actual experience this day for all the glory in the world from an amazing shot.

But, I am thinking about getting a small point and shoot (a Sea Life or Olympus TG 4) with no tray, flash or light for my wife to keep clipped to her BC so we can at least have something for decent shots but no bulk.

 

[CuzzA]

Get a GoMask and GoPro. Turn it on before you splash, forget it's there and when moments like that happen you'll have the footage. That cures the pic or video or it didn't happen.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Hey that's something I hadn't thought of. Will check that out.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Hey that's something I hadn't thought of. Will check that out.

Who knows, if you wear one all the time, you might catch some accidental interactions as well.