Coolest Animal Encounter?

[Okc_diver]

for me it was a barracuda, grouper, toucan and manatee (last 2 taken at Xcaret)

[CODMAN]

I must admit my first encounter with a Blactip reef shark in the Turks and Caicos was awesome. Just 10 feet away...

But the critters in the Philippines just blew my mind away. This Pigmy seahorse was simply an amazing critter. So is this Frogfish found on a wreck during a night dive (spotted him about 3 minutes before the end of the dive!). Seasnakes simply fascinate me. Saw tons, and they aren't shy either often coming right up to you! And well cuttlefish... You can just tell they are as fascinated with you as you are with them.

Another fascinating event was watching a baitball form and a bunch of Jacks and big snappers dive in and out feeding on them (sorry, no photos of this).

These are certainly some of my highlights of aquatic animal encounters.

[Cougar Diver]

My dive buddy and I were checked out by a sunfish in our local lake. For 20 mins it would just float about 3 ins from my fins. Then it would swim around to my back and then go back to my fins. Very friendly. He is my new fish friend.

[TJDiver]

Well, I guess the one that comes to mind first, is snorkeling with a very large manta while anchored in the shallows off Bimini. How something that large can move so gracefully in such shallow water is amazing.

I guess the next is a second place tie between the shark dive at Cay Sal, and a large hammerhead I saw somewhere in the western Bahamas...both of which were very close encounters.

The next would have to be a manatee at Crystal River that followed me around like an old hound, constantly rolling over on her back wanting me to rub her belly. I would pet her a little while, and then start heading towards the boat (getting low on air)...only to get bumped by her, and turn to see her rolling over on her back again. She had no shame.

The eeriest (is that a word?) encounter was a night dive, where I was looking at all the colorful nightlife on a coral head, when something large bumped me from behind. I instantly turned my light in that direction, and nuttin there. I don't know if something was sizing me up for dinner, or just stumbling in the dark like me, but it had me looking over my shoulder the rest of the dive.

[diversteve]

Originally Posted by scubadiver888

and saw a ray (mantaray?)

Spotted Eagle Ray :



Manta Ray:

[scubadiver888]

Thanks diversteve. By the time Robert sent me the pictures I was back home and no one here knew what it was.

[rmkrause]

By far, swimming alongside a green sea turtle in St Croix - turtle didn't seem to mind, just kind of swam along together for a few minutes then waved good bye as he swam off.

Probably about 20 feet down, 5-7 feet between us, good visibility, shell was clean and I'd guess about shell was about 1-1.5 feet long, turtle appeared to be healthy.

Second would be spotting 2 sting rays about 20 feet away swimming around and swooped up and could see their undersides. Again in St Croix, another dive though.

[Tekdivr]

Haven't got to dive with whale sharks or manta's yet ,but diving the Sugar Wreck in the Bahamas is a must see. The depth is approx 22' and there is more sealife on that site than any other I've been to. From logerheads, to nurse sharks, to baracudas and everything in between! Plus you can stretch the dive to 90 minutes at that depth. One of the wildest things I've seen, is a lobster, darn near the size of an 80cf cylinder lurking in the deeper waters of Cozumel. If I remember right, it was somewhere near the Palancar caves.

[mrm777]

Originally Posted by diversteve

Spotted Eagle Ray :



Manta Ray:

[Tassie Diver]

There are two things I can't decide between. Both of them were open water swimming rather than diving.

The first was a southern right whale and her calf. I knew they were in the area but was pleasantly surprised when they swam over to me and checked me out. I watched the mother nuzzling her calf, who wanted to swim over to me. They passed by so close, her pectoral fin went underneath me and I had to roll out of the way of her tail fluke. Not content with that, they swam away about 100 metres, then turned around and came back for a second pass.

The second was a pod of about half a dozen bottlenose dolphins that looped over and around me for a couple of minutes while I was swimming along.

The best part about both these experiences, is that they happened within view of my lounge room!

Okay, whales win!

And diving, well I once watched an octopus hunting and feeding for about 20 minutes. It was content to go about its business, spreading its web over a crack under a rock and then 'tickling' the shrimp out, before sucking them in, eating them and then squirting the detritus out of its siphon. There were a few fish that hung around and snatched up the debris. Very cool experience.



And I just noticed this is my 150th post! Cool!