Going through today’s photographs, the scene of the art critic in Mel Brook’s film, History of the World: Part 1 somehow came to mind. For some unknown reason a Spanish hogfish decided to truly test my photographic skills today.
As I was poking my head inside the Mizpah wreck looking for the goliath groupers, out of nowhere this Spanish hogfish comes charging straight at my camera’s glass dome. In a glimpse he tested whether I had the proper exposure and my strobes were properly placed for an unexpected encounter. Needless to say, I was a bit sloppy and my initial encounter was a complete failure. I was far from ready!
Thankfully, this fishy art critic decided to give me a second chance, which I happily accepted. I guess he must have been slightly impressed because he returned again and again… and again! In fact, he wouldn’t leave me alone the whole time I was in this one spot even if I turned the other way.
So today’s lesson is, in the words of Scar from Lion King: “Be prepared!” You never know the instant something amazing is going to happen underwater. If you’re carrying a camera your settings should be pretty close to perfect and your strobes in place the second you splash in the water. And, take it from me, don’t turn off your camera and pull in your strobes in the middle of your safety stop. Leatherbacks, sailfish, and all kinds of other unique marine creatures can sense as soon as you do that and will come buzzing by!
If you haven’t guessed by the photographs, conditions were pretty awesome today. We had blue, warm water (60-70ft+ vis) and no current on the Corridor wrecks. On our second dive the current switched to the ON position and we were cooking at around 1 knot at Double Ledges. Thankfully, the ledges provide enough relief that tucking out of the current was easy to do.
It’s summer time here in Florida — both above and below the surface. Dust off your dive gear and give us a call. Just remember to be ready for when that fishy art critic shows up!
