My NC Wreck Shark Shootout results

[stuartv]

These are some great pics. I take a lot of N.C. shark pictures and these are impressive. Really makes me want a rebreather even more.

I've dived out of Morehead City a fair bit on OC. This was my 4th year at the WSS, but I've been a number of other times as well. I have never had so many really close encounters as I did last week on CCR.

@Sutarappa was there, too (and he also got some very nice photos). He was diving OC double steel 120s. As one example, we had one dive where we compared afterwards. His total dive time was 40 minutes. Mine was 70 minutes on the same dive. That also really helps with getting good pictures. When the whole boat of divers is down on the bottom, the sharks tend to swim off out into the sand. After all those noisy bubble makers go away, the sharks start coming back....

Oh, and @laikabear was also there. She also got some great photos. I hope they will both get in here and post some of their results. It was laikabear's first time ever diving with a camera better than a GoPro and her results are doubly amazing when considering that she was shooting a camera that was brand new to her.

 

[RyanT]

@stuartv, external fish parasites are really common across a wide-range of fish species, bony and cartilaginous. The interesting thing about parasites though is that they can range from the generalist (parasitizing a wide-range of species) to extreme specialist (parasitizing only one species). I did a quick search, but didn't come up with anything specific on these guys. I would be interested to know more about them, but it would require removing the parasite. I don't think the sharks would be all that cooperative about that for a diver on scuba!!!!

 

[stuartv]

Awesome!!!

What full frame camera are you considering?

I'm hoping Sony will put out an a7r IV by the time I'm ready to splash the cash. Otherwise, the a7r III. Or, if the IV comes out and I can score a good deal on a used III rig, I might do that.

 

[stuartv]

@stuartv, external fish parasites are really common across a wide-range of fish species, bony and cartilaginous. The interesting thing about parasites though is that they can range from the generalist (parasitizing a wide-range of species) to extreme specialist (parasitizing only one species). I did a quick search, but didn't come up with anything specific on these guys. I would be interested to know more about them, but it would require removing the parasite. I don't think the sharks would be all that cooperative about that for a diver on scuba!!!!

Even if it would let me, I don't think I would want to put my hand that close to its mouth. They are very docile, but still.... LOL

 

[WinfieldNC]

Copepods? I found this article. That F'ing Monkey: Copepods or WTF is in that shark’s mouth??

 

[stuartv]

Copepods? I found this article. That F'ing Monkey: Copepods or WTF is in that shark’s mouth??

Yep! That looks like it, to me! Gross.

 

[Jay]

Congrats! Very cool pics!

 

[tridacna]

Great pics!

 

[MilesC]

Thrilling pics! Stu
Congratulations!

 

[KG Diver]

Awesome shots. One of these days I'll have to take a drive down from Richmond and do some NC diving. Have been "meaning" to do it for 4 years now.... Haha.