one good turn......

[edward]

Just a short report that might interest some of you other marine life enthusiasts.

A couple of weekends ago, we were diving out of Exmouth (on 'Tiger', an excellent offshore 105 run by Paul and Jackie Fenton - highly recomended). We were doing the usual for the area, as we haven't dived there before - Bretagne then Galicia as a second dive. Bretagne was fine if a bit poor on the vis side, due to algae etc.

Galicia was to be the second dive. As we got ready, Paul mentioned that there may be some lobsters on the wreck tangled in fishing nets, as it gets trawled into quite a bit. He also mentioned that if we couldn't free them underwater, we could bring them back to the boat. Lo and behold, after 20 mins on the wreck the missus and I find a lobster trapped just like that. We decide, being wildlife lovers, to call the dive and take Larry and a big lump of his net up to the boat. As i was doing the SMB, my darling wife had to hold Larry all the way to the surface from 18m, including stops.

Larry was cut out of the net on the boat - took about 10 minutes even with three people and a pair of scissors. You'll be pleased to hear he was released back into the water right over the wreck, so hopefully he'll live to fight another day.

Anyway, being early back on the boat was a bit dissapointing, but then we saw a fin on the surface! First we thought dolphin, but it didn't surface to breathe at all, so we think shark. And the missus also thinks she's quite pleased she didn't get in the water with this 'dolphin'.

Then the fin turns and comes to the boat. As it goes arond the boat, we realise that it isn't any of the above, but has a long pointy nose! Herself bangs off a few pictures from the boat, we follow the fin with the boat and get few more sightings, then it disappears. We all get excited, and look it up in the book of words. Turns out we saw a 2.5metre SWORDFISH. We were both glad we rescued the lobster now

The pictures got sent to the national marine aquarium, and although they wern't prepared to give 100% ID as the pics were not perfectly clear, they were pretty confident it was a swordfish. They are apparently pretty rare to see in the UK, and are mostly found washed up on beaches, or are caught by fishermen, so seeing one 'on the go' was a rare treat.

So, a really good weekend of diving made even better my that one amazing chance sighting

So, sometimes, what goes arond really does come around in spectacular fashion!

[SoggyFox]

Nice case of Karma.....

can you post the pics?

[edward]

edited swordfish 2.JPG

this may have worked - I dont know. Anyway, I do have some better pics from right beside the boat, but they are not on this PC, so I'll have to wait until tommorrow to put those on.

[SoggyFox]

nice one, nearly got confused with sailfish till i googled it to remind myself.

you lucky so and so.

[edward]

swordfish edited 3.JPG

swordfish edited 4.JPG

found them - seem a bit clearer

[SoggyFox]

definitey can see it from the top photo.

[Lou]

Wow - that is pretty fantastic. Good on you! Great pics too. That really is a once in a lifetime sighting. Isn't it so much cooler when you see stuff like this in UK waters?

[Letz]

How wonderful

Like Soggy says, karma

Thanks for sharing

[Lou]

Trying to ignore the fact that this one is hooked, here is a pic from trawling the net - look at he similarities. I can't see that there is much room for doubt on the ID.



Really amazing.

Well done on releasing lobby too!

[SoggyFox]

Originally Posted by Lou

Well done on releasing lobby too!

i did have a momentary giggle after reading the story, i wondered if the swordfish was swimming round the boat munching a lobby. wondering why those mad humans were throwing away good food.