"You never see anything interesting in a swim through"

[TONY CHANEY]

I was on a deep dive in Hawaii with Jack's Dive Locker. We saw a huge fish in a big tube/arch structure at about 105 feet. The fish was longer than I am tall and it was taller than it was long. Nobody could identify it and we never did find it on any of the fish ID charts. Even Jeff, the DM,who's dived Hawaii for years, couldn't figure out what the fish was. He thought it might be something visiting from far away. It kind of looked like a mola,but not quite.
So, sometimes,you do see cool stuff in swim throughout. I'm very drawn to any kind of swim through or cave,anyway.

Sounds like this guy: http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/fish/Perciformes/Labridae/Cheilinus-undulatus I saw on in Okinawa and it at the time the largest underwater animal I had met. Eyes like plates and lips that looked like motorcycle inner tubes.

 

[Brodydog]

Sounds like this guy: http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/fish/Perciformes/Labridae/Cheilinus-undulatus I saw on in Okinawa and it at the time the largest underwater animal I had met. Eyes like plates and lips that looked like motorcycle inner tubes.

Wow! Now that's a fish!

 

[Dsix36]

I was diving on a reef off of Key Largo many years ago. My buddy was on the other side of the reef when we both came to a short (10') swim through. I began to go through and got about mid way when my buddy got real excited and was pointing above me. I rolled over on my back and saw the belly of my very first goliath grouper less than 2 foot away from me. Needless to say, I needed a new wetsuit after that little surprise.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Cool fish, but it doesn't look anything at all like a mola...

 

[drbill]

I've done swim throughs that were 100% boring and ones that were teeming with life... but then I carry a video camera with lights so I can actually see the critters.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

How about Okinawa, Japan, Bolo point, 150' deep, tanks to ceiling and belly to sand, and seeing about a 7' white tip reef shark sleeping? OBTW, you really can hear "holy S##t" underwater thru a reg. We had to do the second dive to see if the shark was still there. Also you always need to look up often in Okinawan due to Lion fish on the ceiling.

 

[azscubadude]

A while back there was a thread about GoPro cameras and I posted about the family of new divers that were bobbing and weaving all over the place trying to get video with the father wearing a GoPro head strap. The one boy was very nervous on the boat that day because he was a new diver. Well on that same day we did a swim thru and I was bringing up the rear and the two young kids (teens) were directly in front of me.

As we worked our way thru the swim thru I notice something out of the corner of my eye. As I turned to look-see one of the largest green moray's I have ever seen went cruising right by me in the swim thru. It worked its way toward the boy and all I could think of was "please lord do not let this boy see the eel or he will die". I was certain the kid would die of a heart attack if the moray went past and under him like it did me because he wouldn't see it until they were eye to mask.

As I watched, not knowing what to do because there wasn't enough room (or time) for me to even warn him, the moray swam past me and then turned straight up to go thru a bubble hole in the ceiling of the swim thru. Just as it got to the kid it turned upward and went right between the kids legs, I mean right toward his future manhood. It continued thru his legs and up thru the hole in the ceiling of the swim thru. He never saw it and luckily his father was holding up the group trying to get video so the kid wasn't finning either or he would have hit the moray as it passed through his legs.. and who knows what would have happened then.

When we got back on the boat I told his family what had happened and the kid nearly fainted even though he was on the boat and safe. I can not imagine what would have happened if the moray had continued past me and stayed down so it would have passed under him (like it did me) and literally inches from his mask by the time he would have seen it passing him.

It was pretty amazing, and as it turned out I am glad I didn't get his attention so he didn't turn right when the eel decided to go up and was passing through his legs.

True story..

 

[TONY CHANEY]

Cool fish, but it doesn't look anything at all like a mola...

I was focused more on the "kinda" looked like a Mola and I can see the likeness considering the conditions. Google Image Result for http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2147/2091941854_ae5eaab3a5_b.jpg

 

[robint]

I like doing swim-throughs because I like looking at the light as it dances around between the structures and reflecting off the divers.... but then I am an ARTIST so I see things others do not see.

 

[cvchief]

but then I am an ARTIST so I see things others do not see.

I have had that problem with Ray's margaritas.....