Getting “stalked” by a Sharksucker

One of the first things we are taught when taking the Open Water certification is to “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but bubbles, kill nothing but time”, essentially to have a passive interaction with the marine life we encounter.  But what does one do when the marine life WANTS to interact with the divers?

This happened to us recently on a dive at West End, on the North Side of Utila; for at least 20 minutes we were “stalked” by a Whitefin Sharksucker, who was actively trying to attach itself to us or our tanks.  As you can see from the photos below, this was a very large specimen indeed.

                  

Sharksuckers, also called Remoras, have distinctive first dorsal fins that take the form of a modified oval, sucker-like organ with slat-like structures that open and close to create suction and take a firm hold against the skin of larger marine animals. By sliding backward, the remora can increase the suction, or it can release itself by swimming forward. They can attach to other organisms like sharks, rays, large

fish, turtles, even small boats and yes, sometimes even divers! They swim well on their own, with a sinuous, or curved, motion.

                      

Do you know what to do if one ends up attaching to you while diving? Though its grip may be firm (and might leave you with a hickey!), it is harmless and can be detached easily if pushed forward.

Check out the video below to see our interaction with it!

 

UCD special offer

Welcome to our UCD blog!

Welcome everyone,

As we begin the month of June, we’re starting off our Utila Cays Diving blog! Yes, you can still follow us on Facebook and Instagram, but from time to time we will post here stories that can go into a bit more detail than a status update or just an image.

We look forward to sharing with you local stories from Utila and the Cays, along with relevant photos and videos. In the meantime, don’t forget to bring a buddy and take advantage of our Slashing our Prices special throughout the month of June.  Even better, we’re offering deeper discounts with your Promodias card this month.

UCD special offer

Here’s a quick video to make you “Dream On” about our pristine reefs and abundant marine life, especially in the Marine Reserve areas on the north side of Utila.

Keep checking  back in for updates, and enjoy your underwater adventures.