Taking a Day Off

*Blood was in the water, the shark was hot on his trail as he swam for the dinghy.* (continued below…)

What do you do in the Bahamas on a day off? Enjoy the crystal-clear water! A day to go diving is always a refreshing break from work. The reef and marine life are just as beautiful as ever. And the lobsters are everywhere! Our crew went lobster diving and spear fishing. In case you have never done this, here is the scoop:

With a cruising permit in the Bahamas, you may spearfish while free diving, but not with scuba gear. We take our dinghy out to find a good coral head or reef, snorkel around until we see some tasty fish on the bottom, then quietly dive down without scaring the fish, and try to spear it with a pole spear or Hawaiian sling. Again, know the regulations. Spear guns with triggers are not allowed in the Bahamas. 

If successful, you need to wrestle the fish to the surface while still holding your breath. Hopefully your buddy is doing his/her job and looking out for your safety while you are hard at work. 

It takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it, you will usually be able to bring back fresh fish for the evening meal. If you don’t catch anything, well, you have still had a wonderful time diving on the gorgeous reefs of the Bahamas. 

Lobsters are a bit easier to catch than fish, so they are a great place to start your spear fishing adventure. Look under ledges and in holes in the reef. Sometimes you will see their tentacles sticking out, revealing their hiding spot. They also do not attract sharks, so it is a bit safer going for lobsters. 

It is all very exciting. Especially because, once a fish is on your spear, there is now blood in the water. And of course, barracudas and sharks sometimes show up on the scene to investigate. The trick is to swim your catch back to the dinghy and get it (and yourself) back inside the boat before the predators cause too much of a problem. Another note: They can sense an increase in heartbeat, so make sure to stay calm while Jaws is nipping at your heals. 

Just today, a group of four of us took the dinghy out to the reef to scare up some dinner. We broke up into two groups of two (always have a buddy). I dove for a huge grouper, but just before I released my spear, I realized he was a Nassau Grouper which went out of season December 1^st. I had to settle for a lobster under a nearby ledge, which is not a bad compromise. 

A few minutes later, my buddy and I were eyeing a hog fish but could not get a clean shot. Surfacing for some air, we were watching the bottom of the reef from above. Visibility was not great, but I could not miss the shark that swam right underneath us. He seemed a little excited but did not look threatening, so no issues. I tapped my buddy and recommended we head back for the boat. 

I poked my head out of the water to look for our other team of two. I saw them swimming quickly for the boat, wrestling a large freshly speared Margate snapper. Captain Phin was trying to hold it out of the water, but the fish was longer than his arm and blood was pouring out of the fish. 

*Blood was in the water, the shark was hot on his trail as he swam for the dinghy. A few more sharks were starting to show up, which was our invitation to vacate the area. I jumped in the dinghy and grabbed the fish from Phin and brought it aboard while the other crew boarded our little boat. Our heart rates may have been elevated just a little! After checking to make sure all were safe, we started the engine and headed back to our sailboat. 

I’m writing this just after finishing a wonderful fresh fish dinner made from our catch of the day. We discussed the adventures for the day and made our work plans for tomorrow. Maybe a day of work with a little less excitement will be good for us all.