15 replies to this topic

[Hipshot]

I was just reading where yesterday, in the lower Florida Keys, a spearfisherman drowned when the fish that he speared darted into a hole, and entangled him in the speargun's line. The 42-year-old man speared a Goliath Grouper, and according to the Monroe County Sheriff, it appeared that the fish wrapped the line around the spearfisherman's wrist and went into a hole in a coral rock, pinning him in approximately 25 feet of water.

When police divers found the man, the grouper was wedged in the hole, and the man's body was still tangled in the line.

Rick

[Cephalopod]

I was just reading where yesterday, in the lower Florida Keys, a spearfisherman drowned when the fish that he speared darted into a hole, and entangled him in the speargun's line. The 42-year-old man speared a Goliath Grouper, and according to the Monroe County Sheriff, it appeared that the fish wrapped the line around the spearfisherman's wrist and went into a hole in a coral rock, pinning him in approximately 25 feet of water.

When police divers found the man, the grouper was wedged in the hole, and the man's body was still tangled in the line.

Rick

I thought it was illegal to spear Goliath Grouper???

Cephalopod

[drbill]

Sad of course (for the speared Goliath grouper and the dead spearo).

However, I think I detect a trend here. Haven't we had several incidents of hooked marlin jumping up and spearing the anglers? Now this? I think it is just the beginning. The fish and inverts of the marine world are finally getting their revenge after years of our exploitation and interference with marine ecosystems. Wonder how the administration will deal with this new threat???

[intotheblue]

Sad of course (for the speared Goliath grouper and the dead spearo).

However, I think I detect a trend here. Haven't we had several incidents of hooked marlin jumping up and spearing the anglers? Now this? I think it is just the beginning. The fish and inverts of the marine world are finally getting their revenge after years of our exploitation and interference with marine ecosystems. Wonder how the administration will deal with this new threat???

I dunno... but any of you seafood eatin' divers better watch out!!! I know that I don't eat eggplant any more and I don't live near Chicago!

[Cephalopod]

Sad of course (for the speared Goliath grouper and the dead spearo).

However, I think I detect a trend here. Haven't we had several incidents of hooked marlin jumping up and spearing the anglers? Now this? I think it is just the beginning. The fish and inverts of the marine world are finally getting their revenge after years of our exploitation and interference with marine ecosystems. Wonder how the administration will deal with this new threat???

Within the last month, I have watched two very interesting specials on shark attacks, and current unusual behavior in their habitat.

One was caused off the shoreline of Brasil when a marine estuary was polluted by waste from a cattle slaughter house upriver, and displaced by the building of a marine park in what used to be a Mangrove shallows. The blood from the slaughter house was overflowing the holding tanks and leaching into small creeks leading to the local river, then following the local ocean current to the popular beach a few miles downstream.

This incredibly clever move, dumping hundreds of gallons of cattle blood each day into the ocean, was drawing in apex predators from deeper waters, Whites, Bulls, and even Tiger sharks. (Can anyone spell "dinner bell"?). Interestingly, the loss of the Mangroves, a prime spawing habitat for Bull sharks and their pups, was causing the Bull sharks to move a couple of miles upstream to the beach area, where they settled in and began to enjoy the occasional arms, legs, and torsos of local swimmers and surfers.

They also showed an aerial view of the shipping channels a few miles offshore, and indicated most ships still discharge their solid and liquid wastes overboard...and sure enough, there was a "chum" slick floating for a mile or more, trailing the ship. All this within sight of the affected beach.

The second situation was pollution involvement, whilch killed the smaller, shallow water marine species, which in turn disrupted the natural food chain for the bigger fish. No small fish, fewer big fish = hungery sharks. The local bull sharks, not a well tempered species to begin with, started becoming much more aggressive toward humans, and shark "incidents" were becoming much more common.

We have got to stop using our waterways for sewers. Most of the apex predators are now dangerous to eat because of their absorption of Mercury from their diet of smaller fish, which eventually feed on bottom dwellers, which absorb the Mercury from chemical waste discharge. I even had a waiter tell me the chef said their Swordfish was safe to eat, because they were "Farm raised"!

Idiots!

I made up a saying a few years ago..."For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction." Yes, dispite what you have heard, that was me!

"Ceph"

PS: I assume the petrolum industry is leading the way, under the current administration, to cleaner, healthier waterways.... Errr...at least I think they are.....hmmmmmmm!

[drbill]

Sad of course (for the speared Goliath grouper and the dead spearo).

However, I think I detect a trend here. Haven't we had several incidents of hooked marlin jumping up and spearing the anglers? Now this? I think it is just the beginning. The fish and inverts of the marine world are finally getting their revenge after years of our exploitation and interference with marine ecosystems. Wonder how the administration will deal with this new threat???

I dunno... but any of you seafood eatin' divers better watch out!!! I know that I don't eat eggplant any more and I don't live near Chicago!

Heck, no self-respecting plant or animal would even recognize what I eat as having come from them or their evolutionary relatives... it's been so thoroughly processed!

[sudsymark]

New meaning to the phase, 'Your food will come back and bite you."

[jextract]

I dunno... but any of you seafood eatin' divers better watch out!!! I know that I don't eat eggplant any more and I don't live near Chicago!

Given the history of that city, those eggplants are probably registered to vote!

[matts1w]

I thought it was illegal to spear Goliath Grouper???

Cephalopod

It is illegal to harvest goliath grouper with any technique, even a rod and reel.

Edited by matts1w, 13 September 2006 - 10:35 AM.

[drbill]

Good to hear Goliath groupers are fully protected. I've only dived with one once, but it was an interesting film opportunity.

I just realized this thread was about a FREEDIVER who died due to entaglement. With all due respect to his family and friends, what was he doing (1) spearing a protected species and (2) spearing a fish whose size should indicate the possibility of being pulled down by it. Can't even blame narcosis for this mistake.

[jextract]

Was he spearing without a float? Just wondering how he'd get entangled if he was prepared for game that size.

[Walter]

Good to hear Goliath groupers are fully protected. I've only dived with one once, but it was an interesting film opportunity.

I just realized this thread was about a FREEDIVER who died due to entaglement. With all due respect to his family and friends, what was he doing (1) spearing a protected species and (2) spearing a fish whose size should indicate the possibility of being pulled down by it. Can't even blame narcosis for this mistake.

Since he is dead and cannot speak for himself, we'll never know. I do know it is possible he shot at a fish in front of the Jewfish and missed. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened.

Bill, on your next trip to Florida, we'll put together a trip to some of the artificial reefs in the Gulf. You'll see lots of Jewfish.

[drbill]

Bill, on your next trip to Florida, we'll put together a trip to some of the artificial reefs in the Gulf. You'll see lots of Jewfish.

That would be great, Walter. Now that my nephew is at Univ. of Miami (and his Dad has a boat there), I'll have more frequent excuses to come to Florida's East Coast when I visit Mom in Sarasota.

[Walter]

While Jewfish are found off the east coast, that's not where you'll see them on a regular basis. They are much more numerous, less shy and bigger in the Gulf.

[matts1w]

While Jewfish are found off the east coast, that's not where you'll see them on a regular basis. They are much more numerous, less shy and bigger in the Gulf.

Walter is making an understatment.

Jewfish are everywhere in the Gulf, just about fearless, bullies, and freakin' HUGE in the Gulf. If you dive anywhere off Fort Myers Beach/Naples I can pretty much promise you will meet a jew fish or six.