Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker seaotter.com |
About a year after we
started scuba diving, we heard rumors of this tiny fish called the Pacific
Spiny Lumpsucker (PSL). Everyone talked about these magical, adorable
fish with such affection and wonder, we decided we had to find them.
We spent dive after dive
searching for this mythical fish, but no matter where we dove, and not matter
how much we searched, we could never find even a single PSL.
Sometimes it's easier to
find something underwater when you know exactly what it looks like, and where
it likes to hang out. One Saturday morning, we decided to take a tour of
the fish tanks at the Highline Community College Marine
Science and Technology (MaST) Center at Redondo Beach in
DesMoines, Washington. We heard that they might have one of these
mysterious PSL's, and even though we weren't underwater, we were excited that
we were finally going to see this tiny fish. Unfortunately, luck was not with
us. MaST is a wonderful place to visit, and the staff there knows their
stuff, so the visit was nice but we did not see a PSL.
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker http://www.aquariumofpacific.org |
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker - Victoria High School
One day, I joined a couple of friends taking some specialized training with the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA). We were learning exactly what it takes to scuba with people with disabilities. You talk about challenging! In order for us to truly understand what would be required of us if we chose to dive with an HSA certified diver, we did several dives in the pool simulating the experience, first as the diver with a disability, and then as a dive assistant guiding a diver with a disability. Once we convinced our instructor that we had mastered these activities, it was time to put them to the real test out in the cold waters of the Puget Sound. We were all excited and scared to death to finish up our training in the cold water. We finished the first round of dives where three of our masks were completely blacked out, and three other divers gave us a tour. It was an interesting experience being guided around, limiting the experience to what the guide chose to place in my hands. Still, the water is a tranquil place, a time to relax completely, listen to your own breathing, and float weightlessly.
Here's where things get
funny. The first dive was short, so we didn't need to change our tanks,
we just had to swap masks. It was my turn to guide my "blind"
student through the water. Things were going well for the first half of
the dive, until I spotted my first lumpsucker. I was so excited, I let my
divers hand go, and swam off to get a better look of this adorable swimming
fish the size of a quarter. I generally don't touch things underwater,
but taking a blind diver underwater means that you get to touch things, and
place them in the diver’s hands. Remembering my blind diver, I scooped
the PSL up and swam back taking care not to squish the fish. I carefully
placed the fish in my diver's hands. Moments later I carefully returned
my new found treasure to his home in the eel grass, and then finished the dive
leading my blind diver out of the water.
Once we were all out of
the water, we talked about the whole experience. My blind diver was able
to figure out everything I put in his hands, guessing that the PSL was a fish,
and super excited to find out the he actually got to hold one.
Since that
dive, I've been lucky enough to spot a few more of these beautiful little fish. Hope you are lucky enough to spot one someday.
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker http://pugetsound.wikia.com |
Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers On Balloons |
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