Fish Abuse ??

[Stoo]

After all, is it really so different from me pursuing/annoying marine life with my camera?

I'm going to disagree there Richard. Successful photographers know that "chasing" a fish or other beast is rarely going to yield a good image. We find a nice location and wait, or we follow a potential subject at a distance and wait for it to pose.

I agree though... baiting an animal with a laser seems childish and cruel. Observe and learn. Don't harass and frighten.

 

[Stoo]

I just splurged on 2 H2YO shakers at $25 each and intend to use my finger to point at something once I have my wife's attention via the shakers.

If we ever end up on the same boat, I predict that by Day 2, both shakers will have been lost under mysterious circumstances.

 

[deepsea21]

If we ever end up on the same boat, I predict that by Day 2, both shakers will have been lost under mysterious circumstances.

Believe me, nothing pisses me off more than endless rattling and that air-powered duck quaking that can take place when divers with such devices decide to use them to signal yet another commonly encountered creature. RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE... Here's a turtle. RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE... Here's a Barracuda... Here's a Grouper. I've no worries as supposedly these shakers keep pretty quiet (depending on how they are attached and I will attach them for silence). As I dive with Tres Pelicanos, no one is RATTLING uncontrollably over a commonly seen creature. With 3P's divers, if one hears a rattle it is something special or an emergency. After over 100 dives with 3P's, every RATTLE from the DM or from fellow divers was for something special and not for an emergency situation thank God.

 

[Stoo]

RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE...

I'm glad to hear that DS21. They drive me insane.

 

[Snoweman]

With 3P's divers, if one hears a rattle it is something special

So what do you consider "special", other than a seahorse (I'm assuming a seahorse (or pair) is special)?

 

[mstevens]

So what do you consider "special", other than a seahorse (I'm assuming a seahorse (or pair) is special)?

Free-swimming splendid toadfish, free-swimming moray, non-nurse shark (hammerhead, whale, blacktip...), dolphin, pilot whale, manta ray, loggerhead or leatherback turtle, mermaid, scorpionfish, squid, octopus, pygmy pipehorse, etc., etc. There are lots of things that count as "special" in the sense of being uncommon in the area or hard to find.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I use a green laser when diving as a pointer and to get my buddies attention. Occasionally on safety stops I have used it to play games with the fish and have them chase around the light. Some fish go crazy chasing it while others totally ignore it. Do you guys think this cruel to the fish or just fun and games?

I suppose if you're not shining it in their eyes it's probably not hurting anything. Some fish like to play too. I figure that our mere presence disturbs their routines to some extent.

 

[deepsea21]

I figure that our mere presence disturbs their routines to some extent.

I am actually quite amazed at how little my presence seems to impact their behavior. I don't think fish think, they only react and being a 5'-6' swimming mass by their standards we are not seen as being the size of common predators to most sea life. Exhaled bubbles tend to spook fish as they don't know what those are about which is why UW photographers getting in close tend not to exhale for fear of spooking their subject with the uncommon sound or visual bubbles present. I've really enjoyed on a few occasions coming across a school of barracuda swimming against the current. With a careful approach I've been able to match their swim against the current and gradually drift right up beside and almost into the school. Were it not for the bubbles, I think I could blend right into the middle of the stationary school and have them all around me paying no attention to me. That experience may be limited to those who dive re-breathers.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I am actually quite amazed at how little my presence seems to impact their behavior. I don't think fish think, they only react and being a 5'-6' swimming mass by their standards we are not seen as being the size of common predators to most sea life. Exhaled bubbles tend to spook fish as they don't know what those are about which is why UW photographers getting in close tend not to exhale for fear of spooking their subject with the uncommon sound or visual bubbles present. I've really enjoyed on a few occasions coming across a school of barracuda swimming against the current. With a careful approach I've been able to match their swim against the current and gradually drift right up beside and almost into the school. Were it not for the bubbles, I think I could blend right into the middle of the stationary school and have them all around me paying no attention to me. That experience may be limited to those who dive re-breathers.

What I meant was more along the lines of our how our presence would alter what would have happened if we had not been there. For example: let's say you are swimming along and a fish sees you and turns around and goes the other way. Along comes a hungry barracuda, sees the fish, and eats it. If you had not come along the fish might not have been eaten. OTOH, you could just as easily prevent that fish from being eaten. And then it goes and eats some other fish's eggs that it wouldn't have, and so on. It might not make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things, but I'm suggesting that our presence does change things, at least to some extent.

As for the bubbles, I'm sure I would have gotten some nice videos of some subjects if not for my bubbles scaring them away.

 

[deepsea21]

What I meant was more along the lines of our how our presence would alter what would have happened if we had not been there.

I can say first hand divers have an impact on night dives based on what you mentioned. I'll never forget a night dive when the lights and divers stirred up a sleeping blue tang or something from its sleep. Well, that Tang started swimming around in the illuminated area and on the outskirts of the group's lights we saw something moving... I can't remember what was but think it may have been a Snapper of some sort... That fish rocketed in and cut that Tang in 1/2 rocketing out with 1/2 of it in it's mouth and leaving a flickering cloud of fish scales and 1/2 a fish floating in front of us. 30 seconds later it rocketed back in and took the other 1/2 vanished in a flash with more fish scales left floating in the water. We certainly had an impact on that Tang's existence. It was REALLY cool to see but that Tang paid the price. Oh well, The Snapper was the better for it and I preferred seeing it eat a fish when it is hungry than taking a baited hook.