Freshwater Eels?

[shoutatthesky]

Here is a short clip I took of some eels in a lake called Lake Rotoiti situated at approx. 360m altitude.

I wasn't able to fit in a dive on this trip but it is only about an hour away from home so hope to get up there again in the next few weeks.
These guys were pretty calm, but I was wondering what experiences people have had diving with these creatures?

YouTube - Lake Rotoiti Eels

p.s. Notice the tag on the big one at the end of the clip?

[Spaniard]

Great vid! All I could think of was, "Mmmmmm eels with garlic, chilli and parsley sauce!". I think Spago has experience with freshwater Eels in Italian Lakes. They look very similar to our congr eels!

[shoutatthesky]

Oh, I should mention these particular ones are protected. No garlic, chilli or parsley sauce allowed.(or killing of either)

[sanso]

I once met one of these guys in mid-water, pretty unexpectedly. He/she actually stopped and came over to look at me more closely, as did I. That was a nice encounter.
EDIT: Also no garlic on that one.

[Whopperhead]

Man! Those are weird. Freshwater eels? that would be cool to see- as long as they don't bite. Or at least don't bite too hard. I hear there are also Freshwater Stingrays too. Would be cool to see one of those too. Thanks for sharing that video!

[Old Man Dave]

All our (Euro) freshwater eels breed at sea, supposedly the saragasso sea, half way around the world. They live their lives in freshwater and travel even overland on damp nights to reach the sea. On breeding they die and their spawn eventually turns into elvers that take 2 years to arrive back here, where they re-enter fresh water to live out their lives before the breeding/dying cycle starts again.

I see them in the harbours and occasionally off the beaches where a fresh water stream enters the sea. Saw one a few months ago on a night dive. Never speared one but could have if I wanted to.

When in the harbour using scuba to repair boat moorings, freshwater eels can be a nuisance as they are attracted to the work area and have a habit of biting your fingers as you work in the disturbed sea bed.

Max weight is about 10lb but average is 1 to 2 lb.

Dave

[spaghetti]

They're quite familiar to me: I have watched some hundreds, shot some dozens and eaten the aforementioned dozens of freshwater eels.
But Shout, kudos: the video is awesome indeed and very interesting for me, cause It's not so usual to see them swim in open water over here.
Their behaviour is very similar to sea congers. From sunset and all along the hours of darknes they do move around, especially if it's stormy weather.
But during the day they stay hidden under rocks, into the kelp or under the sand. That's why hunting them is so challenging: you have to duck-dive up and down like the needle of a sewing machine, scanning the bottom inch by inch, looking under every rock, watching with the greatest attention through the weed...
When you detect them, the shooting is the easiest, same as with congers: a fixed, motionless target. But they're hard to die.
Yes they do try to bite, but their bite is nowhere near as nasty as congers' and moray eels.
What else can I say of any interest?
Their meat is fat, but if you cokk them in a manner to make the fat melt, then it's very, very good to eat.

[podge]

I’m with Spaniard except I would chose a Cider Sauce.

[spaghetti]

Now the most amazing thing about Atlantic/European freshwater eels is their reproduction cycle.
When sexually mature, they all leave rivers and lakes to get back to the sea, where they all come from, and swim the whole ocean to the Sargasso Sea: that's the only place they have sex at...Then the new born, and the survivors, swim back to the same european rivers and lakes following a mysterious nature's call...
In any case this species is next to go through some kind of protection programme because the Atlantic/European stocks are dramatically diminishing.
The European Union has been discussing an extreme measure in terms of 15 days a month of no-fishing. That would be an unprecedented form of protection.
What's killing eels is the nasty habit of fishing the young sexually immature ones while they're still at sea, and the blockade of rivers and lakes by dams and power plants.
In facts in the lake where I dive, eels cant get in or out because of dams. They are imported from breedings in Camargue, France, and released in the lake just for the purpose of being fished and served in local restaurants....They'll be never be able to reproduction and that's why I don't feel any guilty for hunting them.
I'm not sure my daughter, who is now 3 years old, will ever be able to dive with the eels as we do.
I think I'll have to try Podge's "Eel in cider sauce" recipe before it's too late...

[atomichaggis]

Fjord here locally is full of em in summer, they are often just sitting out in the open or on rocks in shallow water basking. you can grab them with your hand when they are on the rocks with their head under weed but they wrap around your arm and cover you in slime... they bite a bit too! best admired from a distance I think.

[billieball]

This is funny, as my hubby Todd and I went diving at Vortex Spring (Ponce de Leon, FL) yesterday. Everytime Todd got to the bottom of the spring (just outside the caverns), he would have an eel about 3-4 feet swim up to check him out. When I would make the descent, there would be no eel. I LOVE them! No, not to eat them (although they are quite good), but to swim with them. Unfortunately, this particular eel only liked those of the male persuasion...he never showed himself to me! Some of the scuba divers at Vortex bring cans of Cheez Whiz down with them, and feed the eels. They really enjoy getting right up in your face for some treats. They're like little puppy dogs!
--Billie