Snorkeling Question - what can you do to lure more fish?

[tinkerbellmom1]

Hi everyone,

We're heading out for our next cruise in less than 2 weeks! We're doing the Eastern itinerary again and I just wanted to ask if any of you have used different tricks to lure more fish in when you are snorkeling at different ports.

I've heard of dog treats and squeeze cheese but I hadn't heard if it is acceptable or frowned upon.

Have any of you done this? If so, can you tell me what you used and where? TIA!!

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Hi everyone,

We're heading out for our next cruise in less than 2 weeks! We're doing the Eastern itinerary again and I just wanted to ask if any of you have used different tricks to lure more fish in when you are snorkeling at different ports.

I've heard of dog treats and squeeze cheese but I hadn't heard if it is acceptable or frowned upon.

Have any of you done this? If so, can you tell me what you used and where? TIA!!

cheese whiz works well also you can put saltines in a zip lock bag and crush them up and disperse them under water,break apart some dry rolls from diner and do the zip lock bag trick.

Rob

 

[kcashner]

Technically you're not supposed to feed the creatures at Castaway....When we snorkeled at??? the excursion leader dumped the lunch leftovers overboard to attract fish before as we were getting in.

They seem to like any kind of bread or starches in small pieces.
Be careful...it's actually kinda scary when they all swarm around you.

 

[justmestace]

I know that on a couple of islands, we've had boat operators drop bread overboard to attrack the fish, but any good diver or dive operator will tell you to NOT feed the fish at all. Ever. It's a good way to attract the wrong kind of fish...ones that could hurt you, and even with the more "tame" fish, it's a good way to get your fingers bitten. Not to mention upsetting the natural order of things.

 

[MKJEcruisers]

When I am scuba diving I hum one long note over and over and swarms of fish swim over and get so close they often touch my mask. I'm not sure if this would work with a snorkle but it's definitely worth a try.

 

[SharonLowe]

Please do not feed the fish anything!!! They don't need human food and giving it to them only encourages bad behavior. Just look for fish where they naturally want to be - near crevices, etc. And, remember, there is more to snorkeling than just the fish - look for the coral formations and the life there.

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

I'm so glad I asked! I'll just try the humming thing and hope for the best!

Thanks all for the input!

 

[bbn1122]

I snorkeled in Grand Cayman a long time a good. I remember the closer you get to the reefs the fish will swim right up to you. But, once you move a way the head back to the reef. This was right off shore.

When we did the shipreck snorkel they were all over the place.

I agree, do not feed the fish. Just enjoy the view

 

[trimix]

The best advice is to be VERY, VERY STILL.

A friend was once scuba diving (without me, but I forgave him) and was buddied up with some old guy in his upper 80s. The old guy wasn't very strong and didn't have a lot of endurance; when he went into the water he chose a coral head to swim to and kneeled on the sand near the coral head then remained still until it was time to surface. My friend said at first he was bored beyond belief, but soon he noticed a lot of fish coming out of hiding. He saw more of the reef on that one dive than all his other dives on that vacation combined.

On my August 09 Western, I took my daughter snorkeling in Cozumel. Swimming into the current I would approach a coral head then do my best to jold the position for two or three minutes. It took a moment, but when I tried to be still over the coral head I would start noticing a lot of movement, and a lot of small creatures living together in a small space.

Unfortunately I wasn't up to snorkeling Castaway Cay.

 

[natale1980]

Please do not feed the fish anything!!! They don't need human food and giving it to them only encourages bad behavior. Just look for fish where they naturally want to be - near crevices, etc. And, remember, there is more to snorkeling than just the fish - look for the coral formations and the life there.

I was just skimming your post and read it wrong!!! lol!!!
All I read was DO NOT FEED THE FISH... ENCOURAGES BAD BEHAVIOR... THEY WANT TO BE NEAR CREVICES.

I thought you were saying that if we feed the fish they will be attracted to our crevices. lol!

I really need a nap!!

-nat

 

[pjacobi]

The fish are there. You've got to swim out to see them. Just follow Dory's advice.


-Paul

 

[Jeanne B]

I was just skimming your post and read it wrong!!! lol!!!
All I read was DO NOT FEED THE FISH... ENCOURAGES BAD BEHAVIOR... THEY WANT TO BE NEAR CREVICES.

I thought you were saying that if we feed the fish they will be attracted to our crevices. lol!

I really need a nap!!

-nat

That sure would make for a funny thread on the DIS if that actually happened to someone!!

 

[mmouse37]

On our Western cruise last month there was almost a fight in the water at CC because one woman brought some bread into the water and some fish appeared, including one larger one....and this sparked another woman to scream and yell at her because 2nd woman was afraid of the fish. She grabbed the bread out of the water and tossed it further out away from them and some words were exchanged.

In the past, in St. Maarten, we have used Cherrios to lure some fish.

MJ

 

[LCoulter]

At St. Thomas we went snorkeling on our own and I brought bread. DH was not happy about that. I was holding the bread in the water and DH kind of freaked out because the fish swarmed me so he backed way off. He couldn't even see me anymore because they were swarming me. I thought it was great until I saw a big yellow fish open it's mouth and saw teeth coming at me. He bit my finger and drew blood I threw the rest of the bread and got out because I was afraid I would attract sharks

The bite wasn't bad but it did bleed a little. I haven't feed the fish since but still love to snorkel.

 

[natale1980]

That sure would make for a funny thread on the DIS if that actually happened to someone!!

Now all I'm going to be thinking when I snorkel is "OH NO... Crevices!!"

Ok... I'll stop now.

-nat