Hammer Time

So after a couple of days swimming with the tigers, it was time for some hammerhead action.  Scalloped hammerheads gather into schools and come into Cocos for one reason, to get cleaned by the little barber fish.  Hammerheads get easily spooked by divers' bubbles, so the technique to get good photos or videos as follows:

Find a cleaning station....get close, but not too close...wedge yourself between a couple of rocks....every time a hammerhead comes in, hold your breath a hope he gets close enough for a shot before you pass out.  The second you exhale, it will bolt away.

Did I mention you need to do this in a current/surge with the bottom littered with sea urchins?  They call it a "Cocos tattoo" and most of us got nailed once or twice (right through the wetsuit).  Hurts like hell right when it happens, but the pain fades through the course of the dive and a little vinegar spritz when your back on the boat helps dissolve the spines over a day or two.

Anyway.....hammer time!  Its an awesome sight when they do the initial flyby:

 

 

 

And if you hold your breath long enough, you may get one to come in real close:

 

[breeeeeeeathe!]

 

Comments

[Scuba Diving Philippines]

Those hammerheads are such good thing to look at. I hope I could have close encounter on them too. :)

[Diving in Kota Kinabalu]

I bet that was a great experience, Hammerheads are an amazing looking animals and the waters are so clear. Nice pics BTW!