cxg31s
Guest
to a hammerhead is if it's the HUGE loggerhead that hangs out around the south end, usually somewhere on Palancar. I have seen that big guy twice so far and have yet to get a pic of him! Grrrrr.......
Hammerhead sighting in Cozumel today!
- Thread starter Christi
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cxg31s
Guest
but there's only one way to find out--my Thanksgiving trip will bring the truth to light! 
scubasteve27
Guest
Saw that loggerhead Turtle on a night dive in febuary,thought it was a salt water croc at first because all I could see were one of it's front flippers[it was laying on a ledge that was recessed].The DM was going crazy trying to get everyone's attention,what a sight it was,the turtle was HUGE!!!!!!I will never forget it!!
ASTA
SCUBA STEVE:mean:
ASTA
SCUBA STEVE:mean:
cxg31s
Guest
the big guy is still around--I wish I could get a picture so people could comprehend just how big he is. I think his mate died a few years back, so he probably doesn't have long to go. But it's always heartening to hear reports that he's still alive and kicking it on the reefs down there, and I'm hoping I get to see him again when I'm there Thanksgiving!
Moodiejeff
Contributor
I know this a bit late but saw a Hammerhead last May...
Was coming back from our last boat trip of the trip and had just said to my girlfriend "What an awesome week, saw EVERYTHING except a shark". Not 5 mins. later I look to my left and see a fin sticking out of the water, apparently the crew saw it at the same time and turned to get a closer look. It was a Hammerhead swimming on the surface.
It was doing these crazy figure 8's trying to mouth what looked like a ball. In fact it was an inflated puffer fish!!! The shark would back off, get a look at the fish and swim in trying to mouth it. We watched it for a few minutes while we got our snorkel gear on. Divemaster slipped into the water but the shark took off. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to think about getting in the water w/ an 7-8 ft. Hammerhead but jeez, how often do you see that!?!
A memorable experience to say the least
Was coming back from our last boat trip of the trip and had just said to my girlfriend "What an awesome week, saw EVERYTHING except a shark". Not 5 mins. later I look to my left and see a fin sticking out of the water, apparently the crew saw it at the same time and turned to get a closer look. It was a Hammerhead swimming on the surface.
It was doing these crazy figure 8's trying to mouth what looked like a ball. In fact it was an inflated puffer fish!!! The shark would back off, get a look at the fish and swim in trying to mouth it. We watched it for a few minutes while we got our snorkel gear on. Divemaster slipped into the water but the shark took off. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to think about getting in the water w/ an 7-8 ft. Hammerhead but jeez, how often do you see that!?!
A memorable experience to say the least
chrpai
Contributor
I just dove Palancar caves and some reef ( didnt get the name.... it was one long drift dive ) and we saw 3 barracuda. I guess they are pretty rare down here since everyone was ooing and awwing. I've seen them by the hundreds in Bimini. Still very nice dives.
Moodiejeff:
Oh wow, it's neat that you mentioned the figure-eight feeding pattern. That style is fairly well documented in the hammerhead family (Sphyrinidae), and thought to relate to the enhanced sensory features on the head. The figure eight style is considered pretty advanced, which tracks with sphyrinids (they're the shark newbies, less than 30 million years old!).
Most sharks just do loops.
In the Sea of Cortez, the Scalloped Hammerhead forms schools---at least that is what I have read and been told by fellow divers. Even after many trips to the area they were sited in the past, I have never seen a Hammerhead.
I would love to just see one! Maybe in Cozumel in April!
What type of Hammerhead was sited in Cozumel? Was it a Scalloped Hammerhead or a different type?
I would love to just see one! Maybe in Cozumel in April!
What type of Hammerhead was sited in Cozumel? Was it a Scalloped Hammerhead or a different type?
Most divers can't tell the difference between hammerhead types... even I have problems. Doesn't really matter though, the three types found in the area (not including bonnetheads) have pretty much the same behaviour and habitat preference. S. mokarran gets somewhat bigger, and bites people more often.
Scalloped hammerheads do that weird super-schooling in areas other than the Sea of Cortez. They generally congregate around shallow seamounts or salt domes, and they're mostly subadult females. At night the sharks disperse to feed.
If you're obsessed with seeing schooling hammerheads, try booking a February trip to the Flower Garden Banks. If the weather allows the boat to go out, it's sharks galore. People make reservations months in advance for the opportunity; it's the second favorite trip after the synchronized coral spawning in late summer.
Scalloped hammerheads do that weird super-schooling in areas other than the Sea of Cortez. They generally congregate around shallow seamounts or salt domes, and they're mostly subadult females. At night the sharks disperse to feed.
If you're obsessed with seeing schooling hammerheads, try booking a February trip to the Flower Garden Banks. If the weather allows the boat to go out, it's sharks galore. People make reservations months in advance for the opportunity; it's the second favorite trip after the synchronized coral spawning in late summer.
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