I was encouraged by a fellow BT'er, my dad Al, and my husband Rick to post this story.

I was doing my regular morning laps behind the Black Durgon Inn a couple weeks ago. It was a bit overcast, had just rained, but the water was calm.

I felt something sort of brush against my leg but I just kept swimming, didn't give it a second thought. A few seconds later I felt it the second time. I attributed it to a pesky Sgt. Major or one of our two resident French Angel Fish. (Both of which follow me pretty regularly.)

I never looked, and just brushed at it and kept swimming. The third time I actually felt something on me. It didn't hurt, and I remembered thinking "what in the world!?!". When I finally looked down, I was stunned. There was a fish I had never seen before, and at a quick first glance looked like a small shark, attached on my leg, just above my knee! I admit I freaked a bit. OK, a lot.

I brushed at it and started kicking my feet and it came off. I swam backwards as fast as I could back to the pier staring at this creature - who was STARING back and FOLLOWING me. I got on the pier and actually laughed out loud!

I called for my husband, while I was rinsing my mask, to come as fast as possible and bring the Fish ID book. I told him what happened and he laughed and thought I was kidding. I have been known to exit the water after one too many glares from a barracuda

He opened the fish book and I was thumbing through anxiously. Rick turned to the black and white outlines and asked what did it look like. I immediately pointed to the outline I had just seen. He laughed even louder when he turned to the colored pic and read the description to me. It was a Remora! I had a Remora stick to me for a brief moment!!

I admit at first I was FREAKED OUT! But now, the story is funny. And yes, I am the only one in my family who can say that I had a Remora stuck to me... Overall, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I will never forget. However, I would have much rather enjoyed watching it attach itself to someone else!

Rona, thanks for sharing...did it think you needed a bath? That's just pretty funny...nice visual of you exiting the water at lightening speed (I probably would have done the same thing)...I think you are the first BT'er to get stuck to a remora...or is it a remora stuck to you?

Rona what a great story thank you for sharing.. I also had an experience with a Remora in Palau.. It attached itself onto the yellow stripe on my dive skin it must have thought I was a big yellow moorish idol... I laughed so hard I almost swallowed my regulator.. No one else saw it until I surfaced , gasping because I was laughing so hard... again thanks for sharing and making me recall my remora incident... LOL

Freddie, glad to know "I'm not the only one"! And yes, Cyn, recalling the speed at which I exited, lightening may be an understatement.

Rona, small Remora eel's will use a number of hosts. They look for a free ride and share the food bits from their host.

A few years ago our family was on St. Croix USVI and we had a vidio taken of our morning 2 tank. Out of the blue came a Remora about 3 1/2 ft in lenght. He was swimming in the girls hair and tring to catch a free ride. The 10 divers in the water thought it was a special show that was given them by the animal. It was really neat.

From my experiance diving I new that a Remora that size would have a large host close by. The Dive Master also was looking for the host and after a few minutes we spotted a Hammerhead shark in the distance. When the shark feeds the Remora stands alone. Next time you see one look for its HOST as well.... Ron

Rona,

I agree with looking for the host. I have not seen it the last few trips but there used to be a larger turtle in your area that usually had a remora or two attached to it. Sounds like an excuse to come visit and do some "research".

Rona

Thanks for sharing, one of our memories was a large school of remoras in the Maldives, I remember swimming over the wreck and trying to fin the blighters away.

I do like the thought of looking for the host, we also had one this year hitching on us in the Lembeh straits but the visibility was very poor.

Thanks for sharing the story!!

Ron, can't imagine what I would have done, had he been near my head, let alone in my hair EEEEEK! It is funny you should mention the host. When we were looking at the ID book and saw the name "Sharksucker" in print, I turned to Rick, (you should hear him describe the way my face looked) and said that if the Remora was on me then WHERE WAS THE SHARK??

My dad said he has seen them on big whale sharks behind the Durgon, and "other" things as well. Mike, it is nice to have a second person mention the "other" things. I will just keep telling myself it was a giant turtle. And yes, this is a GREAT reason to come back to Bonaire and do some "research". Your room is ready!

Brian, they are pretty determined fish! And he was about 15 - 18 inches long. I have swam with fins on every time since - just incase

Hi Rona, Great story. I would certainly have freaked out if that had tried to hitch a ride with me! (Just be glad it wasn't at night!)

Aaaaaahhhh, Such a wonderland you have right there in your own back yard!

I'll have to send this link to the rest of the Tourkoise Adventurers. It's too good to not share! Most will be envious they didn't get to experience it!

Rona

It's always good to have a buddy - then you can push the blighters towards you buddy, the only problem then is that your mask leaks when you laugh as they struggle to send it back. The school had fifty or so remoras, not sure if they were breeding or waiting for a lift, I got clear and on to the wreck quickly.

Rona,
Thanks for sharing your Close Encounters of the Fish Kind.
I, too, am wary of just what kind of critter the remora 'hopped' off of...
It was a turtle, not a woman-eating shark, right? Yeah! Yeah! It was a turtle!

Whew!

Mare

Great additional remora stories...thanks for the "looking for the host" info...Rona, just keep repeating in your head "host was a turtle, host was a turtle, host was a turtle."

Rona, are the 2 angels the ones that are also seen South of you that used to hang out in front of the old Richter place? I remember snorkeling there a couple years ago and there were 2 French angels that were VERY friendly. I would hold my fingers out and rub them together and they came right to me.

Thanks for sharing the great story with us. I also had and experience while snorkeling with Renee at Torries Reef. We had a Remora following us the whole snorkel and trying to attach himself to us. It was just so cool to watch and a lot of fun. I must admit if I wasn't with Renee, I might have freaked!! All right.... I would have freaked!!

I have actually had a Remora attach to me twice--once on Exuma in the middle of my back (I could even feel its suction pad!) and then again in St. John one kept trying to attach itself to my leg. It is a pretty weird experience but kind of charming also. I guess I also have Remora appeal

Gayle, I am VERY thankful it was not at night...can't even imagine the outcome of that. We really do love our new "backyard"! Can't wait to hear the reaction of the other Turkoise Adventurers. Rick and AL both said the same, that others would love to have that happen... for me, could have lived my whole life having that Remora attached to Rick, Al or a guest without feeling any bit of envy.

Yes Cyn & Mare, my new mantra while I swim "Host was a turtle".

I can't imagine 50 of those determined creatures, phew, or it ever happening again. I thought I was in the clear, meeting my lifetime Remora quota, now I read Pauline's post.... "it was a turtle"!

Cyn, to answer your question they must be the same French Angels (the Richter's were just 3 or 4 doors down) because these 2 have been around a while and they come right to you or they follow like 2 puppies waiting for a bone. Next time you are here, you should come on over and we can check them out while we go Remora hunting.

Rona that reminds me of a dive I did on Grand Cayman with my buddy John. We were in about 60 feet of water off of 7 mile beach and came across a nice size stingray. John as usual had to get close and as the stingray left the remora decided to switch to John and his bright yellow swimming trunks. The sight of him trying to get away and the large gap that remora could attach to almost had me spitting my reg. out from laughing so much. After almost surfacing the remora changed his mind. These are the brushes with nature we hold dear while on dry land.

Rona, you're on! Although, I think I'll leave the remora hunting to someone else (unless the host is a turtle, in which your case it was)...

Rona - there were a few remora just north of you a few years ago. But I had a wetsuit on so no problem. Boy, I know you must have set a speed record back to the Black Durgon dock!

Hey Peg, yes, you know me oh so well! Record speed and then some.

Hope you and Ed are doing well!

Rona,
I finished my research regarding a host for the remora. You can go back in the water again. Jenni and I found an eagle ray last Saturday just off small wall cruising at about 100 feet. The ray had a remora riding just back of its head. So when you see the next remora just look for an eagle ray that is without its buddy.

Two weeks ago there was a tarpon at the Hilma Hooker that was accompanied by a small remora.

2 months ago I met a couple of tarpons at bari reef at night, the biggest also had a remora, size 1 ft. I think the remora's are short of sharks there

So, I guess they have to look to other fish to travel with. Susan

Nice photo, Sus! A picture really is worth a thousand words.
This is a great thread!

Awesome photo! Got any more?

Susan,
Great Picture....
Off topic...Looks like Joe and Lisa will be cooking Christmas Pizzas in the new Pizza Oven!!!! Santa came a few days early to Pasa Bon Pizza!! That Santa man is really great when it comes to handing out gifts.
Yana

Susan, great pic!

good news on the oven, but could that pizza get any better? me thinks not!

I'll give it a try



this was the tarpon at the Hilma Hooker with a small remora

And I saw this turtle last year at Bopec reef (too bad it's closed). It had a big remora on his back with a smaller one on top of that.....

Anne-Marie, let me just say WOW! Nice pictures.

Anne-Marie, those photos are just WAY TOO COOL! I just couldn't resist touching them up a bit in photoshop. I hope you don't mind. Just some quick fixes, with the original files the results might be even better. If you don't like them I will ask the moderators to remove :-)





BTW..... Hi Rona!

Absolutely not. It's a weird thing I have, I want my (digital) pictures to be really good from the beginning and don't change them.
These were in the folder 'bad quality but nice subject'......
But actually the final result is great. Maybe I should start with photoshop myself :-))

Anne-Marie...I have to agree with Tribs...double wow...the one of the turtle is AMAZING...how cool! Ellen, if I get my new camera for Christmas, I'm going to need instruction on how to make them pretty...there is a local digital dive club I'm going to try to hook up with! Have you ever seen anything like the turtle one on Bonaire???

I just thought of something, this thread needs to be re-titled "Rona and the Remora" ;-) Sounds like a good children's book! lol!

That turtle shot, er, those turtle shots, are incredible. Oh, should I be so fortunate as to see one of those! Oh what an awesome title for a book, Cynde. Just think what the little tykes could learn!

I'll just add Triple WOW! That is an amazing stack of sea life there! Awesome photos Anne-Marie! I hope one day I can see (and photo) something that cool!

WOW! Great fish story and pictures!

I just returned from "vacation" to find that the Remora thread lives on. What INCREDIBLE pics! Seems as if that large remora on the turtle could use a larger host...

Mike, I am glad you found the buddy to my remora. I bet that research was taxing, you poor thing! I will keep an eye open for that Eagle Ray.

Hi Ellen - nice color to the pics. And nice photos in your portfolio! Hope you and Erwin have a great Christmas!

"Rona & the Remora", very catchy Cyn! It could work Emily (my 2 yr old) loved seeing the pics in this thread. Thanks for sharing them!

Oh, by the way Mike, when I spotted "our" remora he was in like 6 feet of water...boy he gets around

Delightful!! The 'stack' reminded me of the poem about 'fleas that have littler fleas upon them... ad infinitum'. Perhaps someone here can supply the title and author and a link to the real poem.

With their bodies curved, the remoras look as though they are swimming. Are they acting as 'auxiliary engines' to assist the group's forward motion? Or just reacting to water flow as the turtle pushes with it's flippers??? Interesting, the things we don't know about our world.

Wow, that's a really interesting observation Glen. In the first photo, it appears they're just hitchin' a ride. The second photo could be interpreted as 'helping' with the pushing!

Anybody have any incite or experience with these critters?

Actually, the turtle was trying to get rid of his 'stack'. He/she was scraping with legs and turning to get them off when it swam away. Unfortunately those pictures are not sharp...

The second picture above looks as though the turtle is using one front flipper at a time instead pf together as usual, and the remora has shifted positions from the first to second pic. It is easier for the remoras to relax and let their bodies change with the water flow.

In all the video with remoras that I have seen, the remoras seem just be along for the ride. Of course, any swimming effort by remoras when they are latched onto a whale shark, or even 'just' a shark, would be rather small contribution to the general progress!

Good pics!!!

(Message edited by glenr on December 24, 2005)

(Message edited by glenr on December 24, 2005)

LOTS of info on remoras...HERE

Rona, Merry Christmas to you and your family, as well.

Anne-Marie those photos deserve to go from your "nice subject" folder to "fabulous subject" :-) !!!

Susan's shot is very cool as well!

Happy Holidays to all!

Ellen

TKS, Ellen. Happy Holidays!!

Still no shark around for this little one, but catching a ride on a goliath grouper also seems fun!

Thanks Gills, your pic of the Goliath Grouper brought back a fond memory of a dive at Forest.

Very nice pic Gills! I have yet to see one in person. Hopefully on my next dive trip.

well Jeanine, hurry, they have been spotted on several dive sites since a few months, before I never saw one. maybe they came over for holiday from Venezuela
We saw a couple during one dive at tori's reef 2 weeks ago.

and another pic:

Great photos gills... those grouper look huge, how big were they?

Becky, I think they were about 4-5 feet . they were massive. I hope they don't end as catch of the day.

Gills, this should be moved to Dinning. The big boys are sure to hooked by now. I'm so sorry!

I wonder where we will meet that remora again then, I hope he finds Rona again so Cyn can take a pic for the cover of her book.

Gills - thanks for the info!

Hey now - thanks Gills - but I have already met my personal lifetime remora quota So let's HOPE he finds a new friend.

Let me add that your photos are AMAZING! Actually, that was the type, color, of my infamous remora.

Rona, come on! Pretty Please? I have to admit, the size of that remora on the turtle would be a little "unerving"...chuckling here...

Gills, absolutely great grouper pics. I'm with you, I don't even want to think about it becoming someone's dinner!

Assumption is a divers worst mistake. Train yourself to not asume anything as the sea is always changing. Be alert as your surroundings are always changing.. Ron

This thread is classic BT Gold!!
Thank Rona for starting it and everyone else for sharing your experiences.
I learned something new (although hubby new it was a remora even before I finished reading the first post).
You all are just the best and I can't wait to visit your playground