At 01:09 AM 6/21/01 -0400, Feeeesh wrote


>John Nitrox should be able to tell us which of them are safe to pull
>their tails.  <BWG>


         Thanks Bob, for an invitation I just can't pass by.  While hoping
I'm not to sharks what Strike is to triggerfish, I'll have to admit that
some sharks and rays seem to get annoyed just seeing the camera, so I never
lay a hand on them.  IMHO, taking pictures of elasmobranchs is like
photographing the topless ladies at a French beach.  Try not to get to
close; try not to use the strobe; don't be too obtrusive especially if they
are feeding or involved in a mating ritual; and leave at the first sign of
a threat display.  This can be an arched back, lowered pectoral fins,
French spoken very quickly, or rapid serpentine movements in a small
area.  Generally, it's easiest to get good pictures of the sluggish ones
that are resting on the sand.

         Just last week I got some hot video of about 20 of them having
lunch out on the sand.  I hid behind some natural cover letting the camera
run when "whack" one of them hit me from behind and kept right on
going.  Let me tell you, I was startled, but the view was so exciting that
I just kept the camera running.  There's just something so arousing about
those beautiful, firm bodies that makes it hard to put the camera
down.  Ordinarily, I wouldn't spend the money to do something like that,
but since the shark dive was part of the liveaboard package, I took full
advantage of it.  It took place just outside one of the blue holes in Cay
Sal banks just off Cuba, and even Brooxie enjoyed the trip on the Nekton
Pilot.

         Also, I have to thank Lee for his hospitality before we boarded
the boat.  At the time he  was recommissioning a heavy cruiser into the
Bell fleet and I got to meet a group of captains at his boat club who's
main question was, "What kind of beer are you drinking?"  ...a question I
always love hearing.  Lee may have slipped me a mickey because the rest of
the evening had a vague dream-like quality, but I do remember a casino with
lots of wagering on the size of fish, a pop machine that only dispensed
beer, both a liquor bar and a sushi bar inside a huge sporting goods store,
and other things too amazing to be credible.  The only proof that it all
happened was in the smoking of Jayna's gift of a Dominican Cohiba  days
later on the dive boat and reflecting on a delightful evening with Lee and
his beautiful wife.


DPTNST,


John