Happy 2010

A little composition of some photos from this passed year supported by our friends.
A special thanks to Carlos Mendes, Francois Steers, Leonel, Rodrigo Salvador, Eneko Encenarro, Nelson and his son André, Jody Lot and finaly Francisco Lisboa. Congratulations to you guys for your great catches and thank you so much for share with us.
Good year for you and for all the passioned for the sea.

José Silva and David Ochoa.

Azores 2009

A medium size amberjack

Scorpion fish

A nice journey

A 4kg Atlantic Bearded brotula

10kg bluefish

Wahoo

22kg Amberjack

Barracuda

A great day

A big bared hogfish

Snaper

Here are some photos of the summer 2009 in Azores.

Also a clip filmed by David Ochoa and David Carvalho, and edited by Ochoa.

Hope you like, David Ochoa and José Silva

"Virtual spearfishing"

Here we pass a small set of footage of some of the fantastic species from the Azores islands. All the fish that appear in the clip could have been caught but spearfishing is not only sustained the capture of prey.

Release and catch

Hope you like, David Ochoa and José Silva

Report of a catch

Wahoo

August 2009, Azores.



At 7am we were on the open sea towards the bank that would start our journey. The slight waves were rocking the flocks of Cory's Shearwater that swung undisturbed in the vast blue, only the flying fishes reminded us that our presence wasn’t just completely unnoticed in this magical morning.
Arrived at our destination we noticed that the conditions were just perfect, it was one of those rare days to be out in sea.


As I prepared to enter into the water, with an apparent calm, I couldn’t stop imagining that coveted trophy that would test all the material. I entered in the water with our Spanish friend, Eneko. While my father stood in the boat looking for us. The visibility was about 25 meters and there was no current. The school of trigger fishes had the usual presence along with some barracudas and white trevally but nothing we were looking for. After few dives we decided to go near shore so we could hunt the three of us and do some filming. I went into the water with only a camera in my hand. I quickly became involved in a school of amberjacks and white trevally that were resulting in some fine moments. I went to a less deep area and found a hole with a very gentle and photogenic dusky grouper that captivated me during few minutes. Back from a dive I heard my father shouting and I soon realized what it was. I swam with all my strength towards the fish he had speared in the hope of filming the capture, followed a few meters behind by Eneko who ended up with my father next to the float.


After several minutes of intense swimming I saw a nice Wahoo struggling about 10 feet deep, now gaining a few meters for me now being recovered by the action of bungie. When I could see the fish with some clarity for the first time, I noticed that the shot was perfectly in the spine of the fish and didn’t worry in returning for a second shot so I started shooting the scene. On the second dive I made for shooting the Wahoo I unexpectedly saw the spear jumping out of the fish! The Wahoo, exhausted, begins to swim horizontally at 15meters deep and I was just with the camera in hand. I shouted for a weapon and Eneko tried to reach me but he couldn’t get near me, because I was swimming so fast behind the fish. I realized that the only chance of having the gun was to go back even if it means losing sight of the fish. I tried to set more or less the path of the fish and came back quickly to get the gun in my hand and then start at full speed towards the fish that I finally found a few moments later.

Although tired, the fish kept swimming about 15m depth. I prepared with great effort the dive and fell on top of the fish in hopes of getting a shot in the spine, from above. But when it felt my presence, moved away a few meters and I wasn’t in a good position for the shot, at the end of the dive I risked a long shot when the fish turned to see me. A good shot behind the head. The wahoo drove away and I soon had the reel at the end and was dragged to the surface until my father came with his gun loaded, completely worn out, and passed it to me, assuming that I would give the second shot. After all this "rush" was completely worn out. A dive to 20 meters seemed an eternity. Finally, with the fish at firing range, I shot just behind the eye and killed the Wahoo. It weighed 25kg and had stomachs completely empty. There was still time for a quick dive in another bank where we caught an 8kg comb grouper and 10kg.



White trevally. We returned to shore with a great satisfaction that only ended after a big dinner party, with lots of sushi and Ceviche...

This text article is in www.e-bluemagazine.com . Thank you Aris and congratulations on your great job.

Some shots from the blue

A school of mackerel trapped at 10 meters deep, between the voracious school of Bonitos and the attentive eyes of the Cory´s shearwaters.




Finally, the feeding frenzy begins




Several dozen Bonito (Katsuwonus pelamis) start the chase forcing the horse mackerel up being completely trapped between the large school of predators and the band of Cory´s shearwaters .

While the predatory feast follows, a small school of Antognia capros, a characteristic species of the Azores Islands

The school begins to be separated into smaller pieces and begin as more predatores start coming.

Huge Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thinnus) join the feast

Before the school of mackerel is completely decimated, a boreal Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) arrives in time to proclaim its meal until the big blue back will calm down again into a day of rare conditions to shoot more than 20 miles from the coast.

A sincere thanks to Carlos Mendes, a scuba instructor and tour guide of the Hotel Ocidental, for giving us these fantastic pictures. Carlos is probably one of the most experienced when it comes to sight animals in the open sea.

Hope you like, David Ochoa and José Silva