Posted by HD on October 10, 2004 at 23:55:23:
In Reply to: Re: What is your scariest diving expirience? posted by So Cal Divin on October 09, 2004 at 20:09:05:
It happened two years ago on the Peace with the Sea Sabres Dive Club. Many divers on the boat were hunters. That day I was one of them. I happened to have found a great cove near one of the channel islands (don't remember which one or where, cuz I don't log that stuff) and was harvesting some good sized scallops off of an approx 20 foot wall.
As I was suspended between the top of the wall and the sea floor, I felt something tug on my fin. I thought it was just a friend messing with me at first and didn't turn around right away because I was too busy with a scallop. Then it happened again. This time it pulled me back and away from the wall. It scared me this time and I spun around fast. I saw a dark object quickly swim away but didn't have time to really see it. I think I scared it when I spun around. I wasn't able to tell what it was at that point and I continued on that wall for a few more minutes.
Anyway, I was running low on air. I needed to get back, so I decided to surface, get a heading, descend back down, and swim along the bottom back to the boat. I figured whatever it was would have had a harder time seeing or getting me (..:-)...)on the bottom than between the depth I would have been above the floor and the surface. While I was moving along the bottom I, all of a sudden, noticed something again pulling on my fin. this time it stopped me from going forward. Now I'm freaking out and I turned around again. I can see this time that it is a seal, so I relax (whew, not a shark). But I still didn't know what to think because I had never heard of a seal doing anything like that. Also, because I was diving solo (hunting), I figured no one would believe the story when I got back....until I heard some of the other stories that were being told.
It turns out that same seal(probably)had actually attacked some of the other divers on that dive, even drawing blood from two of them. I figured I was lucky then, all I got was a bit fin.
The discussion topside was that it was probably being somewhat territorial and those of us that had been there were being reminded of whose ocean that was.
I know some of the other divers on that boat that trip will remember this.
Dive Safe. HD.