My Kill

The boat engine was cut as we reached the stored GPS coordinates. Almost an hour ago in the weak light of dawn we had left the dock taking advantage of a mirror calm ocean. Jerry, the captain had done his homework and his prediction of calm seas was dead on.

The boat named “Barely Legal” surely reflected the nature of our four man“crew”. Each member had run ins with the law, all had been indicted at one point or another and two of us served a number of years in prison but aside from this our love of women, boats and the sea bought us together into a unique “brotherhood”. Today two of my buddy’s sons accompanied us. The boys were thrilled to come with us, to hear our anecdotes and partake in the comradeship that was so unique to our group.

Before the anchor was secured I was already in the water. The water’s  morning temperature mildly shocked me but it was barely noticed above the excitement. I immediately gauged the direction of the slight current and began to swim against it. I had the title of “First One in Last One Out” of the group and today was no different. It took me about five minutes to find the first of the immense coral heads we had found a few months back and my spear gun wielding arm raised above the water to alert Jerry where the coral heads were. In turn pointing in my direction Jerry barked orders to the other guys who were in the water.

Ricky was my “dive buddy” but I did not wait for him. I took a deep breath and went 25 feet down on my first “recon”. As I reached the base of the coral head and looked around. There were a number of snapper but the prized groupers and hog snappers were no where to be found. As I rounded the coral I spotted a number of lobster antennae jutting out of the ledges. I slowed down to conserve my air but in a bit over a minute my lungs were bursting for air. I ascended to the surface.

As I took the snorkel out of my mouth exhaled and inhaled and yelled “lobster!” knowing full well the rest of the crew would head this way. I turned over and began to swim towards the Southeastern end of the coral head where I was sure to run into more of them. About a hundred yards away I came across two heads separated by a marine trench. By this time I had been breathing deep and hard concentrating on expanding my lungs. I bit down on the snorkel, spurted air out to clear the snorkel of water, took a deep breath and descended to the foot of the coral about 35 feet down. I moved fluidly concentrating my leg strokes to be purposeful and complete becoming as fluid as the water I was engulfed in, I reached the bottom of the coral base and slowly began to circle around it, holding on to the coral and pulling myself along. Careful not to place my hands on the life coral so that I would not damage them. Suddenly as I made my way around a dark shadow darted in front of me and I spotted the first grouper of the day. But It was small and I continued to follow it.

There were a number of sea urchins around and a colorful school of Parrot Fish were feeding off the coral. They looked like a small herd of cattle as they fed and silt floated from their ravenous mouths. I took a detour down into the trench. There were a large number of lobsters there and one could tell these coral heads had not been fished for awhile if at all. My lungs were panting for air and I slowed down using up all the air in them. I slowly began my angled ascend lungs bursting and I exhaled to make use of the last bit of air in them. I knew I was getting my “Aqualungs” back. As I ascended I noticed a number of groupers peering from their holes.

Just before breaking surface I spit out the snorkel. I would not have any air left to push the water out of it. This was the set back to the technique I would use. Although by pushing all the air out of my lungs on the ascend I would extend my down time by as much as a minute, I knew I would have to literally lift my head out of the water to renew my air supply. Once I broke the surface I breathed in and out a number of times, took a reading as to where the boat and the others were, bought the snorkel to my mouth, cleared it, breathed in and descended once again to the base of the trench separating the two coral heads. As I began to go around the other coral head I noticed a large indention about six feet over my left and I made my way to it. When I peeked in I was face to face with a nice sized grouper. Underwater it looked huge and this meant it was large enough to spear. But a grouper doesn’t reach that size without being wily and this one was no exception. The moment he spotted me he took off through one of the crevices. I followed in and realized the crevice made it’s way out to the opposite side of the coral head. The grouper had stopped halfway and I had to push the spear gun after it in order to flush him out. As I did this I spotted a nice sized moray eel eyeing my movements. I made a violent movement and the grouper took off. I backed off out of the hole and pushed up over the coral and a bit away from what I thought was the exit hole the grouper had come out of. He was no where to be seen and I swam down to the base moving slowly. Still felt I had plenty of air left in my lungs but my timing had to be good in order to locate the fish and still have air to chase it. As I came across I spotted the grouper swimming slowly but aware of my presence. As I moved slowly towards it, it took off again to the other side of the coral head. Once again I went up to the surface to get my air and descended rapidly. As I did this I saw the grouper go out into the open water and I followed behind. I was thankful the visibility was excellent and about thirty yards out I could see another set of large coral heads. I tried to swim a few feet under the surface, keeping my snorkel over the waterline and keeping my fins from breaking the water surface and splashing. At the same time I kept a close eye on my quarry.

My eyes followed the fish over a small coral mound as I broke the surface and swam hard angled to the spot where I hoped to find him. Sure enough he was there. I went back up again slowly taking a lungful of air and descended towards him. I was going for the kill shot. This was my first dive of the season and although I had been doing the stair-climber at the gym for a week before my breathing was a  bit labored. I had swam a full hundred yards in a matter of minutes.  The grouper was swimming high over one of the marine trenches that snaked across the ocean surface and instead of going directly after him I swam to his far right taking the “high ground”. When I reached the spot I wanted to get to I began to make myself back to him thus confronting him from his right. I unlatching the safety I bought my spear gun up and spotted a number of large barracudas as well. As I closed in the grouper took an almost sharp turn to his left and reminded me that I was indeed in his element. I closed in. He picked up speed and approached a coral mound at about halfway and I dove down kicking my legs smoothly and in rhythm. I did not want to warn him of an attack by kicking hard. He began to pick up speed but continued to move to his left exposing his side and I began to swim with my spear gun ahead of me extending my reach and narrowing the gap. All the sudden he slowed down and began to descend to what I thought would be a hole for him to get into. I was a bit far off but I’ve made these shots before. I squeezed the trigger and the rubber bands launched the spear at the grouper. Everything seemed to go into slow motion for a fraction of a second and the grouper broke into a fast swim at the last nano second and avoided the deadly projectile. I did not hesitate and began to gather the trailing line as I kicked hard to keep  up with the grouper who was now swimming away fast towards another coral mound.

I gathered in the spear quickly aligning the shaft into the spear gun, pulling down the safety switch and wrapping the cord under the housing, in a few practiced moments I was prepared to take another shot and I still kept the grouper who had moved some twenty-five yards away in my sight. I was caught up in the chase and determined this fish was going to be my next meal. The ocean floor began to descend and I was sure I was in about 35-40 ft of water, way close to my limit and I was exhaling once again having run out of air and getting the last bit of it out of my lungs. I was about five feet under the surface and I was completely out of air. It seemed like an eternity before I broke surface and refilled my lungs. In a smooth motion I returned to the chase. The grouper was completely aware that I was after him and his complete attention was in moving away. Luckily there were a couple of coral heads in front of us and he slowed down to look for a safe haven. Most groupers don’t believe in swimming out into the open ocean for fear of a larger and more efficient predator. As I came to the coral heads I noticed a rather large barracuda was swimming above us a few feet under the surface. I made a mental note of that. My breathing was a bit labored and I concentrated on bringing that into control. I was swimming with the spear gun in a neutral position but now I began to pull back on the propelling bands and hooking them to the notch on the spear shaft. I was ready and I was closing in again. The grouper darted  quickly. I chased hard. Down to the coral heads base and around. I followed. He went up and when I chased hard he went down to the base again. I still chased hard and was running out of air. I chased a bit more and he went around the coral head once again I took a left angle and surfaced for air. When I returned my descend he had slowed down and I was approaching from his rear left side. I bought my spear up in front of me, released the safety and took aim about a foot in front of him.  I kicked hard and continued my angle a few feet in front of him. I was about four feet away when I squeezed the triggered. The spear gun’s release mechanism detached itself from the spear and the bands once again propelled the deadly missile. The grouper did not have a chance at the last moment it exploded in a burst of speed forward and down to just the spot I had aimed the spear to.

The spear tore into it’s skin right behind it’s gill and came out the other side. The shot did not hit any of it’s vital organs, heart or brain and was not an instant kill and could have been better but the shaft had fastened itself well and It was now a matter of moments to reel him in and avoid him from going into the jutting corals where the line could be cut or my spear shaft bend. All of the sudden the large barracuda that was above us attacked the grouper. The fish swam frantically one way and the next avoiding the ‘Cuda’s attack. I closed in quickly and bought him in. His movements straining my spear shaft but I had him away from the coral head. As I held the line with my left hand I bought the spear gun’s butt end with my right and smashed it into the side of the attacking barracuda. This bitch was not going to take my kill. I hit the ‘Cuda two more times and it backed off as I moved my hand up and secured the spear and the grouper. As I did this one of the grouper’s fin quills dug into my gloved and and pierced the base of my palm. At the same time the ‘Cuda launched another attack. In one motion I pulled my hand away and moved it up the shaft to hold the fish taking another swing at the  ‘Cuda. It easily darted the blow but it was aware that I could hurt it. I swam up the surface took in air and ducked my head under water breathing hard at the snorkel.

Keeping my eye on the ‘Cuda I grabbed a firm hold of the grouper with my left hand. Placed the spear gun under my right arm and unscrewed the spearhead. I quickly took the spear into my mouth, I was still underwater, I could taste the grouper’s blood on the spear, I pulled and released the spear allowing it to sink below me. Keeping a firm hold of the grouper, thankfully it had calmed down due to the loss of blood, I placed it into the catch net attached to my waist.

I bought the shaft up, screwed back on the spearhead, reloaded and promptly chased the ‘Cuda, who was mercifully keeping a few yards away while I was doing this, away. I came up and saw the boat was about 400 yards away. But before going back I decided to look for some more fish. I had spotted a couple of nice size hog snappers and those are my favorite. As I was making my way back I speared a small hog as well. I kept going and spotted another hog that was bigger than the first. I wanted to make sure that I had enough to offer Jerry in lieu of the grouper that I was planning to eat with my family.

Hogs are rather easy to spear. They are just plain stupid and if you just approach them slowly they will lazily expose themselves for a clean shot. It is rarely that I don’t get a kill shot right off when spearing them. As I swam towards this large hog it started swimming towards me. I veared to my left and when I came back it had it’s left side flank completely exposed. My shot was placed right behind the eye and is was instantly dead when speared. As I stuffed it into my catch net I realized I over 30 pounds of bloodied fish strapped to me and about 300 yards to get back to the boat. I was lucky enough to be up current.

As I began swimming to the boat I kept my eye open. There were plenty of fish and lobster around. I was sure this was going to be a successful day out and it would be hard to resist over fishing. But the truth was that I had more than enough with just the grouper. I was already envisioning how to prepare the fish using lemon, bijol a few other condiments, stuffing it with shrimp and baking the whole thing. A couple of bottles of Pouly Fuisse were at the house and my mouth watered at the thought of this. All the sudden I had an instinctive feeling come over me and I looked over my shoulder. Some ten yards behind me was a six foot shark.

I reared up and turned to face it. I had no idea how long it had been behind me and I could feel my beating heart try to explode out of my chest. The  shark was slowly coming towards me. Was it curiosity, hunger, I didn’t know fear came up and almost paralyzed me. Today I’m sure this is the same feeling that grabs a deer when caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. I did not think, I reacted and lunged at the oncoming shark. It swerved to the side and I swung at it with all my strength with the spear gun I was holding in my right hand. I realized I had the spear gun halfway. The shark seemed to swim away but I was caught in a fear panic. I yelled at the guys that were about a hundred yards away that a shark was attacking me.

Jerry had seen the sharks dorsal fin from the boat and yelled at me to release any fish I had in my net bag. For some insane reason I simple ignored him and continued to swim towards the boat. My heart beating a thousand miles an hour. I swam slowly and  delibrately keeping my head underwater and looking around. To my horror I saw the shark approaching me from my lower left flank. I turned to it and in once again despite a wave of absolute terror I swam head on towards it. The shark once again veered off upwards and to my right and I dug into it with the tip of my spear as I jammed it with my spear gun. It shot off in a burst of speed away from me.

I came to the surface and my breathing was so hard I felt I would hyperventilate. Unknown to me was that Jerry was already trying to undo the anchor and come after me. By this time the boat was under 100 yards away.

Despite the jabbing the shark had smelled blood and was not going to give up on what it probably considered an easy meal. It came back swimming pretty quickly. I saw it’s approach and strangely I wave of calm came over me. I took the spear gun in two hands and everything seemed to slow down. I took to the side and once again lunged hard at the shark. This time deliberately aiming for it’s eye area. The shark had turned on it’s side and had been coming at me with it’s jaws opened wide but the second the spear point touched his eye he flinched in mid attack his snapping jaws came within inches from my torso. I jammed the spear into his thick under belly one more time as he flashed by me but did not pierce his thick hide.

By now my fear had turned into rage and I actually began to swim after it as is swam by and began to turn to it’s right. I came at it and it swam further away. I began to hear the sound of the boats engine approaching me. The shark was about 20 yards away and turned as to make another pass but by this time Jerry had come up with the boat and came between us. I put my head below the water as I heard  Jerry screaming and turning off the engines. I took off the catch net and with one hand actually swung it over my head and it the back of the boat. I later found out it weighed 38 pounds.

As soon as I did this I put my head back in the water and looked around. As soon as I did the shark was under the boat behind me and I swung around to face it. I tried not to paddle my fin strapped fins frantically but the shark lunged towards me and once again I rushed to meet it’s attack head on. Before I came close it veered to the side again and I watched it swim off. I practically jumped onto the dive platform behind the boat and frantically pulled my feet out of the water.

Jerry was screaming obscenities, he had never dreamed of anything like this happening but all I could think of was that our buddies were still in the water and ripping off my fins I told him to go pick up the rest of the crew. Jerry gunned the engine and we started to go after them.

Everyone had seen my head bop up and down a couple of times and had seen the sharks dorsal fin break the water surface a couple of times as well but had not idea what was happening. A couple of the guys saw me lug the fish on board and described it as me “heaving a ball of blood on board”, I realized then that was why the shark had been relentless. Jerry and Rick laughed at my stupidity at not giving up the fish and I explained to them that all though I was scared shitless, no lie, “I would not give up my fucking kill”. At the end of it all it became a fish tale  that the kids, now grown men, recount to describe of my obvious insanity. Of course the tale has changed. I could never tell what kind of shark it was and I am sure it was about 5 feet long. The way they tell it, I had about fifty pounds of fish strapped to me, the shark was a great white from 10 to 15 feet in length. Jerry ran over it with the boat and saved my life after the shark almost tore off some part of me………in the end everyone agrees, including myself that I had become temporarily insane.

We’ve been back to that spot on numerous occasions. The spearing has always been good but for my part I’ve punched off a number of barracudas from my kills, even became pissed and shot a huge one, but I am always paranoid when spearing fish and I keep a good watch as to where my dive buddy is……