Big Fish following a storm

So I have yet to actually see any of this for myself. But as some may know and some won't Grand Cayman just got hit by a Category 5 (6 if it existed yet) Hurricane. The island is trashed.

However Underwater is in good shape still, maybe messy in some places, but generally healthy. I just read an Item by Alex Mustard about why at Ocean Frontiers Website; very interesting.

However At the same time there has been reports of bigger animals following the storm and i wondered if anyone could tell me if this happens with every big storm.

First we had the sharks in the water, not particularly unormal, but we had more than normal and some that we don't normally see around here. We are used to Reef Sharks and hammerheads, there were more mako's and tigers apprently seen right off our coast by fishermen.

Then about a week or so later we had Whale Sharks storming up a feast in some bait fish.

Photo by Andy Murrant

you can read about that at the ReefDivers Website and choose the little cayman link.

But on top of that there has been Whales around too .. big Sperm whales (someone said blue whales but i only heard that once, i think they were mistelling what they had heard) Now we have had Orca's here before .. but they were back too. These types of animals are not comon around here, and thats an understatement.

Has anyone got any scientific info on why these larger animals may be following the storm is it for scavaging hunting ? weak smaller animals to pray on after a storm ?

n.b. I haven't seen anything but the whale shark and the sharks after the storm (saw a fisherman getting him a few mako's out the water) But the source of the larger Whales being here is reputable (same place the whale sharks were seen)

Awesome. Get me out there.

One reason for big plankton feeders might be - increased wind stress during storm leading to deeper upper mixed layer of the ocean - more wind more mixing. Also hurricane cools surface waters - making them denser than water underneath - and also promotes mixing due to convective over turning. Both these processes increase the mixing of nutrients from deep in the water column (below the euphotic zone) up into the upper ocean - setting of a plankton bloom and yum yum time for planktivorous fishes like the chap above.

Whale sharks know to turn up at traditional fish spawning sites - during the spawning season - e.g. Belize - so maybe they know to follow hurricane tracks?

Or maybe it is just coincidence?

Or maybe with a lack of divers in the water for a month or two all the big stuff is coming in close to the reef again.

Whatever the case - it all promises good diving once Cayman is re-open for business. Is that still scheduled for Thanksgiving?

Alex

p.s. hope you are well, bud.

I am well ... the island is picking up .. and as for tourists being allowed back to Grand Cayman. Who knows the real answer.

They have said cruise ships are coming back on the 16th of Nov. Now that was set at 2 a day, The cruise ship companies are used to sending 6 a day here during high season. So some of the big wigs have been coming down here to see if they think the island is in good enough shape for them to allow their customers to come visit, I am sure they will hold back.

As for flying customers .. officials seem to be quoting First Quarter for overnight guests. So that could be any time from Jan 1 to March 31st ?

Some dive companies are back open already doing business for residents, the sister islands are allowed visitors now, My dive company will hopefully be back in business in January .. need some new boats first

So I would say that sometime like February the island will be back in full business again. Hopefully like in the movie ... if you build it .. they will come .. well we are rebuilding quick, it's lucky this island has money.

Back to the Big critters, the Whale sharks have been in Little Cayman for about a week ... i need to find out if they are still there and maybe go up there this weekend.

It would be nice if we could keep some of these guys here, but they never do, but still would be nice. I wonder if any hurricane chasers exist who know about the fish feeding going on after. It's seems to be the sort of thing fisherman know about and keep quiet about so they can make money, the guys around here say they go out to the banks straight after a storm passes near by, this time they didnt have to go so far away.

It also may be a coincidence that the storm was at the same time as the new moon or spawning activity on the reef at full moon. larger animals and higher densities of fish congrrgate at these times..Iain