sheephead at Casino Point

[Empty V]

Alright you got me, but in my defense the octopus was handed to me, I didn't pull it out of it's custom designed home. I do feel strongly about feeding fish and them getting used to eating from humans. I have heard many accounts about it destroying ecosystems. It causes the fish to neglect the food they naturally prey on and everything just goes bonkers after that. IMO spear fishing and bug hunting is completely different because different actions are being taken. It's shaping fish behavior in a different way. It causes them to be more defensive opposed to friendly and reliant.

Does that sound like it makes any sense at all? If not then please correct me.

Billy

 

[Codyjp]

i think considering the small scope of the feeding going on at small locations like casino point i have a hard time believing it has any major affect on the whole population. and if it can interest people who are snorkeling or riding that glass bottom boat to be interested in the marine life below the water line that is just more people in our corner in support of the ocean. lets not get to bent out of shape about this.


What is good healthy fish food if you MUST feed the fish?

 

[drbill]

i think considering the small scope of the feeding going on at small locations like casino point i have a hard time believing it has any major affect on the whole population. and if it can interest people who are snorkeling or riding that glass bottom boat to be interested in the marine life below the water line that is just more people in our corner in support of the ocean. lets not get to bent out of shape about this.


What is good healthy fish food if you MUST feed the fish?

Speakin g as a marine ecologist,I have to disagree on this. I think the fish feeding can induce changes even in the species composition and abundance within an area. I have dived near-by Lover's Cove on a number of occasions (and the dive park at least 1,200 times) and find that several fish (such as opaleye) are much more abundant and apparently due to the unnatural feeding done by the glassbottom boats and snorkelers there.

 

[JDog]

That's a shame that you had to interfere with nature in such a harmful way to have a memorable diving moment.

Next time you are at the dive park at Catalina take a stoll over to the other side, where they do the glass bottom boat tours. It's quite the feeding frenzy when they shovel that food out to all the critters.

And quit manhandleing that octo............ talk about "interfering with nature"

Don't throw rocks while living in a glass house.

 

[Empty V]

And quit manhandleing that octo............ talk about "interfering with nature"

Don't throw rocks while living in a glass house.

If anyone would like, I could send you the sequence of pictures that were taken. I was actually pulling the octopus off of another diver to release it, not for a photo op(although it may appear to be the opposite). I may not be the most experienced diver but I do have an incredible respect for our oceans and believe that the less we interfere with nature, the better off it is and we are. As divers we are tourists, guests in a foreign land and must leave it as it was before we arrived. If you have a problem with that, then then maybe you should consider something along the lines of underwater basket weaving(no offense intended to all of the underwater basket weavers out there[at least the ones that do it in a pool]).

Billy

 

[Empty V]

Next time you are at the dive park at Catalina take a stoll over to the other side, where they do the glass bottom boat tours. It's quite the feeding frenzy when they shovel that food out to all the critters.

Does that justify it? I don't understand why you are pointing this out, please clarify. I'm sure there are a lot of people that kill urchins and feed fish that don't see anything wrong with it. I can almost guarantee you that those people's dispositions are based on their ignorance of the impact that their actions are having on the environment.

Billy

 

[JDog]

Can't you just admit, You talked some smack, and got busted, goofing off with that octo.
I don't want to see the photo's.
Just appoligize to everyone for speaking out both sides of your mouth and press on. Nobody is perfect. The older you get, the more you relize that all we can strive for, is to do a better job the next time we get the oportunity. So change your avitar, and watch what you say.

It's a small world Billy.

 

[Empty V]

Can't you just admit, You talked some smack, and got busted, goofing off with that octo.
I don't want to see the photo's.
Just appoligize to everyone for speaking out both sides of your mouth and press on. Nobody is perfect. The older you get, the more you relize that all we can strive for, is to do a better job the next time we get the oportunity. So change your avitar, and watch what you say.

It's a small world Billy.

If that was the case I would. I have nothing to cover up and why would I need to change my avatar? It's a clownfish. Trust me, I realize that I am far far away from perfect. I do agree that everything is a learning experience, I just hope some people can read through the muck on this thread, which I sparked, and pull something ecological out of it. These discussions back and forth are fun for a minute, but usually pointless and directed towards a person's character. You seem to want to go after me then the subject at hand, how feeding fish affects the synergy between the ocean and it's inhabitants. I'd rather learn then argue.

Billy

 

[miket]

I don't want an apology. Just realize that everyone may not be as conservative with their interaction with marine life as you want us to be. If you posted a little less harsh, I (and everyone else) wouldn't have made a big deal about it.

And I too, try to discourage divers from feeding or interfering with the ocean life. I know where you are coming from. Try to inform or teach others about what they are doing wrong (or did wrong 5 years ago, in my case) instead of accuse them of being "interfering or destructive".

- More on the topic of Sheepshead...

I like when I see Sheephead with urchin spines stuck in their heads, anybody else see that?

- MikeT

 

[Empty V]

...Just realize that everyone may not be as conservative with their interaction with marine life as you want us to be.
...
And I too, try to discourage divers from feeding or interfering with the ocean life.

- MikeT

It's not how I would like people to act when it comes to our oceans, it's what we need to do to preserve them. Not that it matters, but it's always nice to hear about other respectful and conscientious divers.

Billy