Question for experienced divers

Hello!

Had the opportunity yesterday to go offshore with an experienced fishing captain, and I brought along the camera. We were approx 10 miles off Key West, in 1000 ft of Atlantic Ocean blue water, and we came upon a “weed line†teaming with baitfish, (and what I assumed could be various varieties of juvenile game fish). One particular area of the weed line was the size of a golf green. I was toying around with the idea of donning the mask and snorkel and jumping in to see if anything was photo worthy, when we hooked up a 5 ft shark (standard Caribbean Reef variety)…and I scared myself out of doing it. We were not “chumming†the water, just dragging a couple of lures behind the boat. Again, no blood in the water. Was I right to be freaked out, or was I just letting those old episodes of Jaws that kept looping through my mind talk me out of a possible good photo opp?

I've encountered numerous sharks in the shallow waters at the reef, and I didn't even think to be nervous.

Has anybody ever taken any photos like these in similar conditions, and if so any pointers? (besides making sure the lines are back in the boat )

Respectfully,

Al Nelson

Hi Al, must say i love a dive like that! I think it is better to be in the water on scuba as opposed to snorkel as that always makes me feel somewhat safer. (Was snorkelling with some Silkies the other week and would much rather have been on scuba) But not necessary as freediving will make you more mobile.

I think its important to have someone with you to watch your back. Conditions like those you describe, floating logs, seagrass, garbage etc etc are all great places to find schools of juvenile fish and therefore attracts the gamut all the way to pelagic sharks. Some phenomenal photo opps can be had.

Odds are the sharks will check you out, especially the oceanic variety, but very low they will attack you. Bring a friend next time and go for it!

I want to see a Mahi Mahi photo, so thats your assignment....

Hello,

I am with Mike on this one.

I feel much better on scuba, diving with sharks and I believe you wouldn't have a problem snorkeling and taking some good pictures in the sea grass.

... and 5ft shark is not ... that big :-))

Looking forward for the juvenile sail fish pictures!!!!

Vlad

Mike and Vlad,

The more I think about it, the more p***ed off I get at myself for being such a wuss and not slipping in the water and just going for it. Next time I'll bring a buddy and we'll see what happens.

I was telling this story to one of the girls who posses for me, and she told me about a time when she jumped in and free-dove down after spotting numerous "schoolie" dorado dolphins, in similar conditions...and she said they all schooled around her and checked her out for about a minute or so.

Next time...I'm in there!

Al Nelson

Next time I'll bring a buddy and we'll see what happens. 

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That's the only reason why I dive with a buddy: the chance of being eaten is 50%, as opposed to 100% when diving solo.

What is a weed line?

Thats the line up of purchasers for my province's biggest export....

Sympathies Al! You get that damn Jaws music in your ears and that's it. Might as well pack your dive bag. Steven Speilberg has much to answer for. I wonder if he dives?

Keep in mind this is a biased sampling. You're only getting responses from the ones who survived.

What is a weed line?

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It's a line of Sargassum weeds that form offshore...and it holds all kinds of fish. We've followed one for 15 + miles while fishing.

Mike V: that was a rather clever answer!

Mike, you clever guy, nice answer. So I have a question for you. What is a weed line? lol

Joe

I allways enjoy taking a snorkle break when I get hot when out fishing on a weed line. Very interesing stuff. It is reasonably safe. I must say that swimming with a camera when the bottom is 1000' below does make me nervous.

Hi Al,  must say i love a dive like that!  I think it is better to be in the water on scuba as opposed to snorkel as that always makes me feel somewhat safer.  (Was snorkelling with some Silkies the other week and would much rather have been on scuba)  But not necessary as freediving will make you more mobile.

 

I think its important to have someone with you to watch your back.  Conditions like those you describe, floating logs, seagrass, garbage etc etc are all great places to find schools of juvenile fish and therefore attracts the gamut all the way to pelagic sharks.  Some phenomenal photo opps can be had.

Odds are the sharks will check you out, especially the oceanic variety, but very low they will attack you.  Bring a friend next time and go for it!

I want to see a Mahi Mahi photo, so thats your assignment....

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vis sucks on weedlines. the water is clouded by broken up chunks of weeds but Mike you asked so you shal recieve. Here are some Mahi Mahi(known as dolphin in this part of the world) on a weed line I took with you in mind on wednesday.

Cool!

Not seen a juvie before...then again only seen adults on boats dead...

Soo...what is that suspicious looking white line attached to your Dorado?(this fish has far too many names..)

Thought about jumping in one time when i was with a guy who hooked a 400 pound striped Marlin....then thought better of revealing myself to an angry 400 pound fish with long sharp object.....

M

That's the only reason why I dive with a buddy: the chance of being eaten is 50%, as opposed to 100% when diving solo. 

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And the old joke, as a diver grabbed his giant free-diving style fins before a dive. "Why do you wear such big fins," the buddy asked.

"Sharks", replied the long-finned diver.

"That's silly," the buddy replied. "You'd never be able to outswim a shark no matter how big your fins are."

"I don't have to outswim the shark," the first diver replied, "I just need to swim faster than you."

I know, it perpetuates the silly myth, but I still like it.

Frogfish (Robert Delfs)

Al,

By all means go for it. Diving in the open ocean can be a real eye opener. Finding a weed line or any other debris in the water can be a magnet for a whole chain of sea life. The open sea abounds with miles and miles of emptiness but for those willing to look, great congregations of sea life can be found like the weed line you described.

Freedive spearfishing for pelagic fish in the open ocean has been my passion for over 10 years. Far offshore is where much of this sort of freediving takes place. Many hours in a day are spent drifting and searching in empty water but when one finds a "crossroads" of sorts in the open ocean, the sights and experiences can be unparalleled.

Don't let the shark intimidate you. That he was there is evidence that something's going on. Recently, I was 200 miles offshore. There was a small branch drifting in the water. Under the branch was a small shark trying to get at the little trigger fish that were sheltering there. Under the shark was a huge school of rainbow runners. Under the rainbow runners were hundreds of yellowfin tuna. All of this was going on under this innocuous looking drifting stick floating in the water.

I dove this mass of sea life for over and hour just admiring what I was seeing. The tuna were not the size I was interested in so I never fired my speargun. After satisfying myself that the larger fish I was interested in hunting were not patrolling this edges of this congregation of life, I broke out the camera and shot some photos.

I would recommend freediving over scuba in this situation as it is quite and less likely to spook some of the more cautious fish that might come in on you. Don't get overly spooked by the shark (within reason). Learn which sharks are relatively harmless and which sharks to be on high alert around.

The open ocean can be a very boring place to be but when it "goes off", the experience can be unparalleled!

Joe Tobin

Santa Cruz CA

Joe,

Thanks for the response. Reading your reply got me really fired up to go for it next time the opportunity arises.

Thanks

Al Nelson

I used to work for NSW Fisheries (Australia) and we used to go diving (free) and photoing at the FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices) off the coast...The FADs are in about 100 m of water and you get all sorts of stuff out there...dolphinfish, marlin, great whites ...it is a bit freaky first time, but once you get used to it its really fun, so much stuff out there...

here are some photos that my boss took

http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/recreation...-_photo_gallery

...(thats me driving the boat)