Cornwall 2011

[andycornish]

I agree with Gutshot that just dont get into those situations, especially at the moment when some of them will be calfing, they may be more aggressive.
[ame=http://vimeo.com/28556231]Freediving with Cornish Grey Seals on Vimeo[/ame]
Saying that I spent 2.5 hrs with this female and a juvenile male yesterday, (was specifically looking for them for a friends research). There was a big bull seal hauled up and he kept an eye on us, im sure if we did something he didnt like then he would have jumped in and told us but the most movement I saw out of him was when he turned his head to look at us. Vis was 1-2m so pretty shocking.

Just remember they are a predator (similar to us underwater, except they are a lot better evolved at it!:t), and give them the respect you would give any other predator

 

[gutshot]

Great filming. I do love diving with seals just not when spearing! I like to dive down and hide from them and have them coming looking for you! I have had some great moments with them grunting when i make sounds from my throat while under water! Andy, if your mate still needs info on seal sites i can PM you a good one for their research!

 

[Crispin]

Found the info quite quickly. Seal bites can lead to marine species of Brucella, Salmonella species and most commonly 'Seal Finger' which starts off as lesions, which swell and become painfull, and untreated leads to cellulitis, tenosnovitis and septic arthritis.

All Marine Mammal Medics are given a generic letter which you give to a doctor on recieving a seal bite as most doctors don't know how to treat it! This letter gives information on symtoms at medication required for successful treatment.

Good to know if it ever happens to one of us The guy went straight to hospital in an ambulance and he's still alive today so I guess they knew what shots to give him...

I've never had a seal be over agressive to me either, I try and stay away from them because I find they scare the fish away (although i'm sure others on here will probably have found the exact opposite...) e.g. I went to a spot a couple of weeks ago and shot 3 bass - went back there last weekend, same wind same tide, same everything - but with the addition of a big fat seal - didn't see a single bass in 3 hours... :hmm

 

[Pav]

My feeling now is that seals do not impact on the Bass in an area whilst they are "parked". At a particular spot I spearfish you will find the Bass within a few meters of where the Seals park themselves, yet if you move away you will see fewer fish. Last time I was out with them I had my gun unloaded so I could "play" with the youngsters 2 Bass swam right underneath the seals in full view.

Favourite experience for me was whilst hunting at this same spot I left the seals and found a quiet spot where I dived and took position belly down on the bottom. I sometimes drop my head, then raise it after a few seconds as my breath holds seem to be longer this way. As I raise my head I check forward, then slowly left and right. As I looked right there was a Seal a few meters away belly on floor, which seemed to imitate me, looking left and then right... then looking back at me as if to say "what we doing?".

I'd like a copy of that letter to have in the van. It does concerns me when I carry fish on my stringer close to the seals. However they always make a dive more enjoyable IMO.

 

[devondave]

The poll for August F.O.M. is now open, sorry for the slight delay

http://forums.deeperblue.com/uk-ireland/91915-o-m-d-f-o-m-comp-aug-2011-a.html

 

[gutshot]

I'd like a copy of that letter to have in the van. It does concerns me when I carry fish on my stringer close to the seals. However they always make a dive more enjoyable IMO.

Sorry Pav but the letter states "the person presenting this letter is a train volunteer Marine Mammal Medic". I am not sure about the legality of me copying the letter and posting it to others, but i can tell you that you could write this down and keep it safe to hand to the doctor incase you ever felt the need to check the sharpness of a seal teeth :t. The correct course of medication is "Tetracycline 500mg four times a day for 2-6 weeks. Penicillin, flucloxacillin, ampicillin, erythromycin and sulphonamides have all been associated with treatment failure". The doctor could reference this scientific journal to clarify the information " Baker AS, Ruoff KL, Madoff S. Isolation of Mycoplasma species from a patient with seal finger. Clin Infect Dis 1998;27(5):1168-70."

Crispin, from what i have heard and know i doubt your mate got the shots so was lucky but as with any bite it is not always 100% that the seal was infected or that it passed it on! Incidently it could also happen if you are in close contact and a seal sneezes at you!! May be the seal that bit your mate had recently gargled with listerine?rofl

 

[Kernowsniper]

2011... a big year of change for me.. surfboards still in the rack since my op in January.. thought I was gonna go crazy without it! So.. I made a few changes to my routines.. put surfing aside and committed fully to a new cause. Bottom line is... this year spearfishing has grown to be a massive part of my life.

Theres something about being completely comfortable underwater.. it's like an addiction.. searching.. finding new terrain.. then sinking into the deep to find a quiet place to hide.. a mysterious, beautiful, ever changing world right on our doorsteps.. a place I now go to get away from all the chaos that surrounds us.. to fly amongst the pillars of kelp in the hope that one day you see that fish of your dreams.. and when you do.. that adrenaline starts pumping.. and you really start to feel alive!

So.. This is a compilation of all the best clips I could find from the last year or so of footage.. a little insight into what goes on under the waves!

Enjoy.

[ame=http://vimeo.com/28616761]Spearfishing 2011 - Best of Summer on Vimeo[/ame]

 

[Hal8]

Wow great vid. Reminds me just how much i love the sea.:inlove

 

[SurfnSpear]

Top class James.

 

[sj257]

Great Video.

I'm now thinking of getting a Go Pro myself.

Any suggestions as to which set to get as a starting point and any essential or advised accessories?

Also any recommended retailers that are good on price? I see there is a retailer in Bodmin (Dogcam). Anyone have any experience of them?

Cheers.

sj

 

[Kernowsniper]

Great Video.

I'm now thinking of getting a Go Pro myself.

Any suggestions as to which set to get as a starting point and any essential or advised accessories?

Also any recommended retailers that are good on price? I see there is a retailer in Bodmin (Dogcam). Anyone have any experience of them?

Cheers.

sj

Thanks SJ... as for the set you choose.. kinda down to what else you might want the camera for.. although I know a friend of mine uses the bike mount to attach his camera to the gun. I have custom made an aluminium shaft that clips into where the reel would be on my Geronimo Pro.. the camera is mounted on that.. bit of a bugger to load the gun up quick tho! Great little pieces of kit tho.. oh and don't forget the flat lens (about £30) otherwise all your footage will be blurry!!

 

[sj257]

Thanks Jim

Any experience of Dogcam? See they're in Bodmin so I could swing by and get one potentially. Need to look ot my guns first to consider mounting options.

Haven't thought much beyond spearing yet. Would be interesting to drop one on a fishing line into the blue water in the Fuerte when I go in October to see what's in there. No spearfishing I don't think but might take a mask and fins. The windsurf mount looked potentially good for QR gun mounting. I also wondered if anyone has had much joy with the head torch type mount? Add a leash and it looked like an easy way to have a camera look where you do.

Again any recommendations for where to get the flat lense? And is the glass or poly better?

Sorry for all the questions, but it's a hefty investment so want to get it right if I take the plunge.

Wonder who will capture the first 3D spearo images. That Go Pro 3D set up looks a winner.

sj

 

[Crispin]

Thanks Jim

Haven't thought much beyond spearing yet. Would be interesting to drop one on a fishing line into the blue water in the Fuerte when I go in October to see what's in there. No spearfishing I don't think
sj

If you're talking about Fuerteventura I tried some ad-hoc spearing there in about 2002 I think - the fisheries people spotted me and I got a good talking to for having no permit.

 

[Kernowsniper]

Any experience of Dogcam? See they're in Bodmin so I could swing by and get one potentially. Need to look ot my guns first to consider mounting options.

No sorry mate never heard of them

I also wondered if anyone has had much joy with the head torch type mount?

Got one.. footage looks ok.. very jerky tho compare to the stability of the gun mount.. plus.. it sticks out like a sore thumb on your head!!! (not the best when trying to be stealthy!! Its like having a huge 3rd eye!!)

Again any recommendations for where to get the flat lense? And is the glass or poly better?

This is where I got mine from..GoPro GoForFocus Underwater Lens.. guessing glass would be better as less likely to scratch.. but this does the trick for £20 as I hope my video proves!

Hope that all helps.

 

[sj257]

If you're talking about Fuerteventura I tried some ad-hoc spearing there in about 2002 I think - the fisheries people spotted me and I got a good talking to for having no permit.

Yeah, that's where I'm heading. Shallow water and and blue water right on the coast all close by. I was last tehr a couple of years ago, and I thought they had banned spearing. I think the issue was too many have a go holiday makers, potentially leading to some serious safety issues.

I will try to find out more as I suspect it could be great spearing there.

sj

 

[sj257]

Again. Very helpful.

Thanks Jim.

I've emailed Dogcam to see what the score is with poping in.

sj

 

[sj257]

No sorry mate never heard of them


Got one.. footage looks ok.. very jerky tho compare to the stability of the gun mount.. plus.. it sticks out like a sore thumb on your head!!! (not the best when trying to be stealthy!! Its like having a huge 3rd eye!!)


This is where I got mine from..GoPro GoForFocus Underwater Lens.. guessing glass would be better as less likely to scratch.. but this does the trick for £20 as I hope my video proves!

Hope that all helps.

Do you use the colour correction filter or just the flat lens?

sj

 

[Kernowsniper]

too many have a go holiday makers, potentially leading to some serious safety issues.

Hmm.. Think its probably more like.. too many very efficient local spearos killing numerous large fish daily.. not for their table but to sell their catch for a very healthy income! At least I know in Lanza that has been the case in the past! Think the permit is just a way they can keep tabs on it all... and.. make the spearos pay something back to the islands marine reserve schemes.. or probably more likely.. the taxman!!

 

[Kernowsniper]

Do you use the colour correction filter or just the flat lens?

Both thats why some of the footage looks kinda gold/pink/orange near or on the surface.

 

[sj257]

Could be.

I know the owner of the fishing shop there quite well. He use to sell spearing stuff but had to stop. Might have just been temporary. I'll try to catch up with him and find out more.

sj