Did two dives the other day on new sites...amazing. Hope to get out again later this week or early next. Here is a short story and two pictures.
We had never been here before and had only found the ground by cruising along with the sounder on...it looked active so over I went. I got almost to the bottom when this massive shape appeared from over one of the "hills"...a giant potato cod! Beautiful. He swam right up over me and I was able to take one shot under his chin, only inches from me.
I hung motionless and watched as he did a lazy circle around our anchor line and then Darling Husband appeared. Immediately the cod attached himself to DH. DH was getting our dinner and wasn't sightseeing...the cod had other plans and really checked DH out. I just hung there and watched the interaction...the cod had no interest whatsoever in me. DH disappeared and the cod swung out wide in the same direction. I lost sight of the cod - no chasing for me - and figured he'd come back eventually.
Sure enough, a little later I was near our anchor again and DH had a small dinner in the catch bag. The cod was right there, getting close to me, then swimming slowly to DH, then back to me. He stuck his chin out, I obediently gave him a rub. He circled around again for a belly scratch then turned to face me for more chin rubs. After a couple of minutes he saw DH come down again and this time made it his mission to get attention from him!
DH finally complied and gave up a bit of a belly scratch. DH then wandered off to get more dinner.
Back at the anchor line minutes later, Mr. Potato Cod thought, hey, how about a free meal? He started to dart in (this is a almost 5 foot fish here) and DH started spinning away. Cod-boy started pushing and ramming and nuzzling...DH is really working hard...I am trying to decide if I want to capture the action on stills or video
I go for video and start filming...they are doing a bit of thrashing now, but DH manages to keep our dinner out of that gaping mouth - he is willing to give up the fish, but needs to get the spear out so Cod-boy doesn't get hurt. Cod is impatient. I see a big hit and hit the off button & swim over to help push the cod away...no need...
Mr Potato Cod has our huge coral trout in his mouth (he can only get the head in) and happily swims past me wagging his butt, he is so proud of himself and knows there is nothing I can do about it...I only got one shot off. The whole epic battle was only a minute or two long, but the memories and laughter will last a lot longer!
This guy was such a character, I only took about 10 shots in all! He was blind in one eye and had fishing line through his gills. Didn't seem to slow him down much and he definitely wasn't going hungry! I had a great time just enjoying him. Kicking myself from both dives as I didn't take as many photos as I should have...oh well, I guess the price of that is that I have to go back!
We had never been here before and had only found the ground by cruising along with the sounder on...it looked active so over I went. I got almost to the bottom when this massive shape appeared from over one of the "hills"...a giant potato cod! Beautiful. He swam right up over me and I was able to take one shot under his chin, only inches from me.
I hung motionless and watched as he did a lazy circle around our anchor line and then Darling Husband appeared. Immediately the cod attached himself to DH. DH was getting our dinner and wasn't sightseeing...the cod had other plans and really checked DH out. I just hung there and watched the interaction...the cod had no interest whatsoever in me. DH disappeared and the cod swung out wide in the same direction. I lost sight of the cod - no chasing for me - and figured he'd come back eventually.
Sure enough, a little later I was near our anchor again and DH had a small dinner in the catch bag. The cod was right there, getting close to me, then swimming slowly to DH, then back to me. He stuck his chin out, I obediently gave him a rub. He circled around again for a belly scratch then turned to face me for more chin rubs. After a couple of minutes he saw DH come down again and this time made it his mission to get attention from him!
DH finally complied and gave up a bit of a belly scratch. DH then wandered off to get more dinner.
Back at the anchor line minutes later, Mr. Potato Cod thought, hey, how about a free meal? He started to dart in (this is a almost 5 foot fish here) and DH started spinning away. Cod-boy started pushing and ramming and nuzzling...DH is really working hard...I am trying to decide if I want to capture the action on stills or video
I go for video and start filming...they are doing a bit of thrashing now, but DH manages to keep our dinner out of that gaping mouth - he is willing to give up the fish, but needs to get the spear out so Cod-boy doesn't get hurt. Cod is impatient. I see a big hit and hit the off button & swim over to help push the cod away...no need...Mr Potato Cod has our huge coral trout in his mouth (he can only get the head in) and happily swims past me wagging his butt, he is so proud of himself and knows there is nothing I can do about it...I only got one shot off. The whole epic battle was only a minute or two long, but the memories and laughter will last a lot longer!
This guy was such a character, I only took about 10 shots in all! He was blind in one eye and had fishing line through his gills. Didn't seem to slow him down much and he definitely wasn't going hungry! I had a great time just enjoying him. Kicking myself from both dives as I didn't take as many photos as I should have...oh well, I guess the price of that is that I have to go back!
