Great Barrier Reef
October 2010
October 2010
Hello All
Our adventures on the Great Barrier Reef continue aboard Blaze. Since Brendan has arrived the scare factor has gone up exponentially. There was the day we went snorkeling. We dropped Brendan and Ian off to go spear fishing. Ann and I opted to snorkel in another location.(Survival instincts at work!).
After we finished our amazing snorkel we went back to pick up the guys. As we approached Brendan vaulted into the boat with spear gun in hand. His eyes were gigantic, hands shaking and face pale. What was going on?
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| Shark Leftovers! |
Brendan had successfully speared a 35lb grouper. The fish fought hard to get away. The grouper managed to dive down in a crevice between two rocks. Brendan reached down hoping to pull the spear out. A shark suddenly shot by and took a chunk out of the fish! Brendan snatched his hand up and froze. He watched in shock and incredible anxiety as the shark circled below his fins. A second shark appeared and attacked the grouper as well. The deadly animals continued their vicious attack. They darted in and out of the rocks to devour their prey. The frenzied feed continued until only the head was left. The sharks retreated and Brendan could breathe again. He was still afraid to move. Were the sharks finished? He spotted us approaching and leapt into the zodiac. He still had the spear gun in hand. Ian pulled in the line. The fish still had the spear stuck through his head. A gruesome sight! That was too close a call. We all shuddered as to what could have happened -thanked our lucky stars ( that would be God) everyone was safe!
After so much heart stopping drama, Brendan toned it down for us. The next evening we were having a BBQ on the aft deck. Brendan and Dane had the fish head hanging on a line from the steps. The small fish are attracted to the lights below the boat but no interest in the fish head. Suddenly there is a large splash followed by Brendan yelling shark! We all jumped up and stared into the darkness. We could see a large shape moving back and forth in the water. The shadow approached again and we could see it was a Hammerhead! He viciously ripped the fish head off the line. We all jumped back shaking in terror.
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| Hammerhead Hello! |
A hammerhead is a prehistoric looking shark. Their snouts are expanded laterally. There jaw looks like a gigantic head on a vacuum cleaner. Only there are teeth that snatch up their victim. They look vicious and can be quite aggressive. They are not a speices you often see. Our only other sighting was in the Galapagos. After 3 days of frightful excitement with Brendan we dropped him off on Hamilton Island. Actually he had to go back to work! Thank our lucky stars.
Wishing Everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!
Captain Molly and 1st Mate Peter