Fish Bit my Video Light.

[peterbkk]

Here is a true story that you all might enjoy. It comes under the category of "You might as well laugh about it!".

Last weekend, on my 4th dive of the weekend and the 4th dive with my brand new HID lights, I was slowing panning around the corner of a large rock, taping a large bed of anenomies and clown fish, when, out of the corner of my eye, I see something darting towards me, fast. I turn towards it. I see one large, angry Titan Triggerfish, heading for my face. Instinctively, I move my hands up to protect my face. In my right hand, is my L&M Housing with the new HID lights. Chomp! The fish gets a direct bite on the left video light cable. I start exiting the area, rapidly. The triggerfish charges again, straight at my camera again. I pull it away from the charging fish. Chomp! A direct hit on the side of right hand. "#@$&!" Leaving a trail of black blood, I finally get out of its territory.

Damage assessment: One broken video light cable - it severed the outer plastic in 3 places and cut through at least two of the cables inside. One badly damaged right hand, with 3 holes on the back of the hand and one huge gash on the side and palm, just next to the small finger.

Fortunately the hand will heal. But not so the light cable. I wonder how much this'll cost me...

During the whole time of the attack, the video was running. I don't expect anything but garbage as the camera flew around the place. I haven't had time to capture from the tape yet. I wonder if the UW microphone picked up the expletive?

I have attached a photo of a Titan Triggerfish (aka Giant Triggerfish). The one that attacked me was about 50cm (20 inches) long but it looked as big as a whale to me at the time. if you ever seen one of these fish, my advice, is to avoid them...

Anyhow, I finished the dive and did one more dive in the afternoon.

Regards
Peter

 

[Mike Veitch]

Excellent story, i just love the entertainment these fish provide, good to see they are nesting there at the same time they are nesting here, we have the even larger Yellow Margin Trigger nesting at the moment too.

Had a guest once who got bit in the ear by a Titan, ended up with 50 stitches to close it, i could almost fit my little finger through the hole in the lobe! Ouch...

Sorry to hear about your light cable, that sucks! Blood is not a problem, underwater video equipment on the other hand...

 

[ssra30]

Hmm, this must happen around Koh Tao either at Green Rock or some place nearby, am I right?
If it is, now I am worry as I suppose to go there for a quick weekend trip to try out my new camera set up in a couple of weeks. May be I should be diving with a big bat rather than a big camera

 

[peterbkk]

Hmm, this must happen around Koh Tao either at Green Rock or some place nearby, am I right?

ssra30,

Not quite at Koh Tao. The dive site was at the underwater pinnacle about 300 meters north of Hin Ngam Yai an hour east of Chumphon.

This was probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It hit the only vunerable part of the system. It will almost certainly never happen again to me. But, in any case, I am going to buy some of that plastic "cable tidy" stuff that they sell in computer shops and wrap it around both light cables in the future.

I hope that you are luckier with the viz too. The currents and wind were coming from the southwest and the sea is choppy and full of plankton. Viz was down to 2 meters at depth and not much better in the shallows. There might have been a whale shark following 5 meters behind me during every dive but I would not have known it...

Regards
Peter

 

[ssra30]

hmmm, does not sound too promising. I suppose to go with some friends on a quick liveaboard trip, one day at Chumporn Pinnacle and around Koh Tao and 2nd day at islands near Chumporn. I hope viz clears up a bit but I guess my main objective at least at Chumporn is to find saw blade shrimp so poor viz should not affect macro stuff very much. However I definitely want better viz to watch out for those triggerfish though

 

[peterbkk]

hmmm, does not sound too promising.

The plankton clouds could clear up by then. They tend to come and go.

Also, this past weekend was very cloudy and a bit choppy, further reducing the viz. If you get some sunshine and calm sea it'll be better.

As you say, when the viz is bad, focus on macro and shoot close. That's why I did not see the triggerfish. You can always recruit your buddy to act as lookout.

Regards
Peter

 

[drbill]

When I'm filming nest defense by one of our local damsels, the garibaldi, they often grab hold of my video light and shake the camera. Fortunately their mouths aren't big enough to do any real damage. I'm just waiting for the first time a 600# black sea bass decides to swallow housing and all as I'm filming it!

 

[peterbkk]

When I'm filming nest defense by one of our local damsels, the garibaldi, they often grab hold of my video light and shake the camera.

One theory someone put forward on the dive boat was that, maybe the bright video lights caused the "more aggressive than usual" behavior. I have been chased by trigger fish before but this one was so aggressive it was just looking to bite. And it headed straight for my face / video camera, even though my fins and legs would have been closer to the nest. Who knows? :06:

Regards
Peter

 

[Bottle Diver]

I was attacked by a puffer fish in Cozumel two years ago while filming. It was at night, I was filming him from different positions when I guess he'd just had enough, turned and rammed at warp speed head on into the housing lens. Scared the beejeesus out of me! I turned the light off, held my position for a moment, turned it back on to see him heading back for me, so I turned it off and scurried away. When my heart rate normalized I shone my light into the housing to assess the damage, and was lucky to not find anything significant. The noise of the ramming picked up on the video tho, and combined with the sight of him rushing the camera made for very cool footage!

 

[DennisW]

Triggers can be very aggressive. And they can take pieces of you with them when they leave.