black goo

[Daffleck]

found this in cozumel there was lots of it different shapes and sizes. no local dm's could tell me what it was. this one was about size of my head

---------- Post added February 1st, 2015 at 05:35 PM ----------

[img=http://www68.zippyshare.com/thumb/HEHZjO93/file.html][/img] ok maybe this will work

 

[Daffleck]

Zippyshare.com - G1313697.JPG

ok my last attempt to post this photo and im going to try another site

 

[KathyV]

Previously posted by Daffleck:
....found this in cozumel there was lots of it different shapes and sizes. no local dm's could tell me what it was. this one was about size of my head ...


Sorry, I can't see your pictures but the description of "black goo" reminds me of tarballs that we have seen on beaches and in the water in various locations, including the Bahamas. They are balls of petroleum products left over from oil spills, some of them can be quite large. You can see a picture of a big one at the link below:

Tar Balls Wash Ashore In Alabama Following Tropical Storm Lee

 

[Daffleck]

it was more water soluble then a ball of tar . Zippyshare.com - G1313697.JPG posted it on this link

---------- Post added February 2nd, 2015 at 02:47 PM ----------

it was more water soluble then a ball of tar . Zippyshare.com - G1313697.JPG posted it on this link

well now my links are showing up sorry about multiple post, not sure why they suddenly all showed up

 

[Bianca McCartt]

Is maybe a type of algae?


Bianca
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KeithG]

did you notice anyone molesting octopus?

this looks like octopus ink to me. the ink retains shape and can be seen 10 or 15 minutes later if there is very little current.

on our recent bonaire trip we stumbled upon a day time octopus which "swelled up" and then inked before scooting away. the ink remained suspended in the water column. partsof it looked just like your photo.

 

[WarrenZ]

I'll go with ink also.

 

[KeithG]

did you notice anyone molesting octopus?

this looks like octopus ink to me. the ink retains shape and can be seen 10 or 15 minutes later if there is very little current.

on our recent bonaire trip we stumbled upon a day time octopus which "swelled up" and then inked before scooting away. the ink remained suspended in the water column. partsof it looked just like your photo.

and to be VERY clear. We did not molest the octo. it was free swimming on a sand bottom at around 10 feet about 20 feet away from the dock during our morning dive.

i think it saw us at about the same time we saw it. Surprise! It rose up a bit and spread it's skirt (trying to look "large" and intimidating?) and then a few seconds later it inked and scooted between us. It zipped into a nearby large pipe (garbage off the dock) and compressed itself onto the inside wall of the 2 foot tube. We followed and from my end of the pipe it looked like an encrusting sponge so i was confused about where it went. My divebuddy pointed and indicated "there it is stupid". I swam around to the other end of the pipe and it clearly was an octopus stuck to the inside of a pipe. i took a few pics, stared at it for a while and then swam on. By this time the ink had separated into 4 or 5 "strands" that looked very similar to the OP pic.

I have never before witnessed an octopus "spontaneously" inking. They either ignore me or slyly slink away over there...

I have seen them ink every time a Hawaiian divemaster molested one. One of the reasons we are not in a hurry to go back there.