razorfish and light canon

[partridge]

Hi all. Went on a night dive last night. Saw the resident school of razorfish. Thousands of them really clumped together. I have heard that these fish are hard to come by in some places but not here.

Anyway, I have seen this school many times as I dive this site a lot and they are always here. Tonight, however, was the first time I dove here with my light canon. As soon as I shone my light on them the school just disintegrated. It was really weird. They all just took off in all directions. It got so bad, they were swimming into me and hitting my face and arms, that I switched to my backup. It was a Q40. They did not seem to mind this. I was pointing the light canon into my stomach. I tried it again and same result. I just turned off the light and finished the last 10 minutes of the dive with the backup. They also did not mind my previous dive light. It was a King Pelican. I guess there is such a thing as too bright a light. I'll try it next time with the filter inside and see what happens.

Anybody have this happen to them? What other night creatures go crazy with too bright a light?

 

[SubMariner]

Anybody have this happen to them? What other night creatures go crazy with too bright a light?

Octopus are notorious for being "light shy". You have to use indirect light to get to see them at night.

However, what is interesting is how some fish become accustomed to divers using lights at night & actually shadow divers to hunt.

I have had the big tarpons off Buddy Dive in Bonaire do this as well as several large resident snook & mutton snappers.

You are swimming along, using your light to see the critters when bam! one of those big guys hits & the occupant of the "spotlight" is now a Happy Meal.

 

[medic_diver45]

Catfish are very light shy....where I used to skin dive to recover golf balls to earn extra money in one of the larger water traps there was a lot of fish and other pond life (there were also mallard ducks that like to attack me when I surfaced unexpectedly, pulling at my mask and snorkel). The water was relatively clear (by Indiana standards at least- 5-10 ft visibility) and I quickly learned that there were several very large, very aggressive catfish that inhabited this lake (20 lbs plus for the biggest one). If I shined my light on one for more than a few seconds I would get rushed by it and the fish would try to grab the light I had with me. My figuring is that their brains are so primitive that the light simply overwhelms them and provokes an agressive response (like a bite from a mosquito would provoke a response of swatting the offending organism). Just my two cents.....

 

[Paul Evans]

The LC is like a lighthouse underwater, scares the hell out of the critters down there.

A little tip, Use your fingers in front of the LC to block and disperse some of the light, much more critter freindly

 

[adshepard]

I really don't understand the need for lights such as the Light Cannon if what you are doing is a typical recreational dive. That much light is just not needed to fully enjoy the ocean depths at night. In fact as you plainly pointed out it can ruin the experience. A simple smaller light is all that is needed for recreational tropical night dives.

Wreck dives or cave dives may require a huge light (and a back-up) but not the dives most do. Even the cold, dark waters of my diving world of New England don't need things like the Light Cannon.

Edge lighting easily spooked creatures is teh best thing to do. Never point your light directly at creatures at night.

DSDO

Alan