KISSED A GOLIATH TODAY

[sportxlh]

Some GG's will exhibit really friendly and patient behavior. A few years ago, there was one of the Amaryllis wreck in WPB that followed divers around like a puppy dog. He'd come right up to anyone showing any interest. I suspect someone had feed it lobster or something, but none-the-less, it was a lot of fun to interact with it. Here's a screen shot from a Hero II....

 

[CuzzA]

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

I did not expect that... I should have known better. lol

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Either did I, as you can tell from the audio. Apparently the diver did not have good situational awareness about what was behind the targeted fish. Luckily the shaft was about out of steam after going completely through the targeted fish and Goliaths have super tough and thick skin. An accident, I'm glad i wasn't where the jewfish was.

 

[scubadada]

A couple of years ago there was a big GG on the outside of Boytnon Beach Reef across from Black Condo. You would descend, it would find you , and then swim with you for the rest of the dive until you ascended. I always figured it had been fed lobster or something by divers. It was there for months, I must have dived with it half a dozen times.

 

[scubadada]

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.

Hi @guyharrisonphoto

What site were you on?

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

The inside edge of Lynne's Reef off of Boynton.

 

[MrChen]

Sounds like a sweet dive.

 

[AdivingBel]

Great dive @guyharrisonphoto . There were two GG's that almost always hung out under the boat @ Looe Key. They were nicknamed Tom & Jerry (one was bigger than the other). They always had a cloud of cleaners around them. Sometimes the biggest party (and the best dive) was right under the boat.

 

[iamrushman]

nice dive report...thanks for sharing.

 

[makologic]

Since I started diving here in Jupiter, I have come to realize Goliaths are a lot more intelligent than people think. They definitely have "characters".

We were on a dive a while back on the Kayalami, and one came up and followed us, tagging along the entire dive like a puppy. The DM (Anna) told us that he does it every time they dive that area, and named him "Oscar". He would come up for a rub on the forehead and it definitely wanted to be close to her. At one point the Anna and another diver were looking at a small turtle that seemed like it might be injured or something. As she was working with the turtle, the goliath came up aggressively, grabbed the turtle, ran it off about 50 yards, dropped it and came back, pushing his head into Anna's hand. I can't explain it other than he was jealous and wanted her attention.

here is a pic with Anna and "Oscar"