Bajamick
Junior Nomad
Posts: 60
Registered: 10-20-2009
Location: Underwater as often as possible!!
Member Is Offline
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An even better day out...
What can one say?? What can one do when surrounded by at least as many as ten or twelve Whale Sharks ranging from 12ft/4m to about 23ft/7m in length??
That was yesterday, Friday 6th November. The location was just a few hundred yds/m off of San Bruno Harbor entrance in as little as 12ft/4m of water,
but as much as 50ft/15m.
There have been reports of Whale Sharks, Rhincodon typus, congregating in single numbers outside of San Bruno between the harbor entrance and the
island of San Marcos. Last week I went out there with some friends, but failed to find them after the high winds that we had suffered a day or so
previous. We still had a good time though (see "A good day out...") posted earlier.
This time though, we were not to be disappointed. There were three of us, Danya, Ed and myself. It has been a life long ambition for Danya to swim
with these largest of fish, and today her dream came true, many times over.
We launched and took the boat out about maybe a kilometer or so (5/8 mile) when we got the first one, then the second, then the third and so it went
on. Snorkeling gear was the order of the day, so in rolled Danya and myself, the ocean to ourselves and our new friends. We spent some 45 minutes,
maybe an hour with about six or seven animals, until we decided to break contact and head for our first dive site, a new pinnacle that rises out of
the deep close to the west light on San Marcos island.
We dropped the hook and she held first time. Current was not too bad, so in we went. Viz though was not so clever at only about 12ft/4m due to
plankton. However, we dropped to 106ft/32m and found a sandy ledge, so we started to circumnavigate our way towards the surface. A total dive time of
44 minutes. This pinnacle definitely deserves better viz. The overhangs are truly stunning, and the colors gorgeous.
Then it was off for dive #2. This was to be with the sealions, and I had brought along my underwater camera for the occasion. The dive was not to be.
The current was ripping in and around the rock formations, that diving would not have been a good idea, and the sealions are not going anywhere, so
another day is called for. Watch this space.
I do however have a picture taken by Danya of a female sealion with heavy duty fishing line wrapped around and cutting quite literally into its neck.
She is slowly beheading herself as she grows. More on this in a seperate posting. But so sad to see with a feeling of helplessness.
So it was back to the Whale Sharks after spotting dolphins that did not want to play on the way back towards San Bruno. The Whale Sharks did not fail
us. They turned up here and there, spread across about a square kilometer (5/8 mile sq) of ocean. As before, one two, five, seven and so on. We reckon
we had at least 10 to 12 individual animals on the surface at any one time. Again Danya and I were in the water, out of the water. Move the boat, in
the water, out the water, move the boat. They came so close to the boat that one or two were often alongside. My flash unit did not want to play, so
many of my shots are not so good (any excuse), but I have one or two fair ones.
A couple of points to note. I believe we only saw females, but cannot be certain of this fact.
One poor shark had been hit by a boats prop at some time quite recently and received a cut dorsal fine for her sins, and an extremely deep gash that
has at least severed 50% of her tail. The wound might heal, but it is right on the caudal preduncal (not sure of that spelling) and it takes pressure
whenever she moves, thereby keeping the wound open and looking very bad. I wish her good luck.
The other thing of note was some of the ramoras that were attaching themselves to all parts of the sharks, and at one time, all parts of Danya also,
were not the usual ramoras color. About some 25% to 30% of these ramoras were white in color. All white, no other markings or colors. I have never
seen that before on any large pelagic species.
We had some 3 hours or more in the water with these animals, and if I can get my head around things, I'll try to post a few pictures. Sharks with
mouths wide open on the surface, and in one instance, I believe I have a shot looking straight down the throat of one animal. The sharks were at first
quite stand offish, but as they seemed to come to realise, we meant them no harm, we had so many close encounters, even having to roll out of the way
many times rather than accidentially hit the animal. We stroked and touched, but did not ride. I gave up on the camera in the end and left it on the
boat, but the pictures tell the story far better than I do.
All in all, with a beer and some snacks after the event (Thanks Beth) we all had a wonderful, dream filled day out. Danya was happy. Ed was happy. I
kept trying to beam my children down, but Scottie was not listening.
Simply another wonderful day out diving and playing, under and on, the Sea of Cortez.
The Ocean is my playground,
And the marine creatures, my playmates!!
Honi soit qui mal y pense!!
Who Cares Who Wins??
www.cortez-explorers.com |
|
|
Bajamick
Junior Nomad
Posts: 60
Registered: 10-20-2009
Location: Underwater as often as possible!!
Member Is Offline
|
|
An even better day out...
What can one say?? What can one do when surrounded by at least as many as ten or twelve Whale Sharks ranging from 12ft/4m to about 23ft/7m in length??
That was yesterday, Friday 6th November. The location was just a few hundred yds/m off of San Bruno Harbor entrance in as little as 12ft/4m of water,
but as much as 50ft/15m.
There have been reports of Whale Sharks, Rhincodon typus, congregating in single numbers outside of San Bruno between the harbor entrance and the
island of San Marcos. Last week I went out there with some friends, but failed to find them after the high winds that we had suffered a day or so
previous. We still had a good time though (see "A good day out...") posted earlier.
This time though, we were not to be disappointed. There were three of us, Danya, Ed and myself. It has been a life long ambition for Danya to swim
with these largest of fish, and today her dream came true, many times over.
We launched and took the boat out about maybe a kilometer or so (5/8 mile) when we got the first one, then the second, then the third and so it went
on. Snorkeling gear was the order of the day, so in rolled Danya and myself, the ocean to ourselves and our new friends. We spent some 45 minutes,
maybe an hour with about six or seven animals, until we decided to break contact and head for our first dive site, a new pinnacle that rises out of
the deep close to the west light on San Marcos island.
We dropped the hook and she held first time. Current was not too bad, so in we went. Viz though was not so clever at only about 12ft/4m due to
plankton. However, we dropped to 106ft/32m and found a sandy ledge, so we started to circumnavigate our way towards the surface. A total dive time of
44 minutes. This pinnacle definitely deserves better viz. The overhangs are truly stunning, and the colors gorgeous.
Then it was off for dive #2. This was to be with the sealions, and I had brought along my underwater camera for the occasion. The dive was not to be.
The current was ripping in and around the rock formations, that diving would not have been a good idea, and the sealions are not going anywhere, so
another day is called for. Watch this space.
I do however have a picture taken by Danya of a female sealion with heavy duty fishing line wrapped around and cutting quite literally into its neck.
She is slowly beheading herself as she grows. More on this in a seperate posting. But so sad to see with a feeling of helplessness.
So it was back to the Whale Sharks after spotting dolphins that did not want to play on the way back towards San Bruno. The Whale Sharks did not fail
us. They turned up here and there, spread across about a square kilometer (5/8 mile sq) of ocean. As before, one two, five, seven and so on. We reckon
we had at least 10 to 12 individual animals on the surface at any one time. Again Danya and I were in the water, out of the water. Move the boat, in
the water, out the water, move the boat. They came so close to the boat that one or two were often alongside. My flash unit did not want to play, so
many of my shots are not so good (any excuse), but I have one or two fair ones.
A couple of points to note. I believe we only saw females, but cannot be certain of this fact.
One poor shark had been hit by a boats prop at some time quite recently and received a cut dorsal fine for her sins, and an extremely deep gash that
has at least severed 50% of her tail. The wound might heal, but it is right on the caudal preduncal (not sure of that spelling) and it takes pressure
whenever she moves, thereby keeping the wound open and looking very bad. I wish her good luck.
The other thing of note was some of the ramoras that were attaching themselves to all parts of the sharks, and at one time, all parts of Danya also,
were not the usual ramoras color. About some 25% to 30% of these ramoras were white in color. All white, no other markings or colors. I have never
seen that before on any large pelagic species.
We had some 3 hours or more in the water with these animals, and if I can get my head around things, I'll try to post a few pictures. Sharks with
mouths wide open on the surface, and in one instance, I believe I have a shot looking straight down the throat of one animal. The sharks were at first
quite stand offish, but as they seemed to come to realise, we meant them no harm, we had so many close encounters, even having to roll out of the way
many times rather than accidentially hit the animal. We stroked and touched, but did not ride. I gave up on the camera in the end and left it on the
boat, but the pictures tell the story far better than I do.
All in all, with a beer and some snacks after the event (Thanks Beth) we all had a wonderful, dream filled day out. Danya was happy. Ed was happy. I
kept trying to beam my children down, but Scottie was not listening.
Simply another wonderful day out diving and playing, under and on, the Sea of Cortez.
The Ocean is my playground,
And the marine creatures, my playmates!!
Honi soit qui mal y pense!!
Who Cares Who Wins??
www.cortez-explorers.com |
|
|
|
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