Remora Encounter

[dkktsunami]

I have had them try to bum a ride a few times.

Me too, but not on bare skin.

 

[RYCO]

can they hurt you ?

 

[Buoyant1]

I had a blast watching one over the course of two dives that was trying like hell to attach to the submerged mooring buoy on the Thunderbolt off Marathon in the Keys! During both safety stops this little bugger tried and tried! I was just glad he didn't try me!

 

[langperf]

Great thread informative and amusing.....this hadn't crossed my mind. But now it won't freak me out when it happens...lol

 

[Blazinator]

Had a little 8" remora harass me on a safety stop in WPB, FL. - out in the middle of bue water - 1/2 mile or so from shore. When I realized what it was, I then realized what he was trying to do. Very aesthetic (cool) looking fish. If he was bigger and tried to suck on my leg, I' sure I would think otherwise.

 

[Belmont]

I have had several encounters with much smaller remora. They freak my wife out all the time. I haven't had one latch on to me by they certainly annoying, you can feel them rubbing against you as they try to "clean" you.

I was leading a group once and was letting them swim around a "table top" formation. Viz was great and you could see the entire group while hovering above the reef. I watched as on male diver swam with board shorts and the remora kept swimming up his legs and under his swim trunks. No amount of smacking, swatting or anything would get that "sucker" to leave him alone. At the end of the dive it followed him up the anchor line to 15ft and stayed until the very end of the dive.


Not nearly as startling as your encounter but they are pesky, but we are in their ocean so we can't blame them for doing what they were put in the ocean to do, clean!

I think they grab on to larger fishes to get free ride and any bits of food their counterpart is leaving behind. They don't clean the other fishe's skin.

 

[rodman4085]

Saw a turtle do it's best to sluff(sp?) a couple remoras off its back....rubbed on some coral, some rocks....finally got rid of the suckers.....:mooner:
Gotta be a hindrance for the underwater gang!
:mooner:

 

[Stu S.]

Venice, FL (Gulf Coast) has remoras. I have not seen one over a foot long there. While wearing a 3mm suit, I can't feel one attach itself. It's surprise! There's a fish attached to your chest. If you brush one off it will still follow you around.

 

[RikTikTavi]

It didn't bother me, it just felt funny, kind of like the sole of a sneaker. I felt her land against my thigh, then the sucker pad flexed to make the vacuum to hold on. It wasn't a lot (then again, I wasn't swimming at 10 mph either). It looked like she was just waiting for some food to slip by her way.

Never any Fish Kibbles & Bits handy when you need some. Oh well.

- Ric

 

[mneal]

I have seen them every year when we scallop in Homosassa Florida. I have had then attach to bare legs, does not hurt but a bit dis-concerning. We now take a rod along and hook it and fight it for a while and then release. Other wise they will be your buddy all day and be a general PITA.