Posted on 09/29/2010 6:27:31 PM PDT by JoeProBono
JUPITER, FL - A dozen divers suited up Tuesday morning for what has become one of the most popular dives in the state of Florida.
The divers braved rough seas on a journey to see the goliath grouper, which has made quite an impression off the coast of Jupiter.
"About a decade ago they were sparse," Mike Costanzo. "You very seldom saw any. In the last several years, it's just incredible how the population has come back."
For the past several years, around 60 divers congregate between September and October on popular dive sites in 90 feet of water.
"It brings people from all over the world," said Costanzo. "These goliath grouper are just a very unique species to observe in this environment."
Weighing 400 pounds and stretching up to 6 feet in length, it's hard to miss the giant fish. But they make an impact on divers because they're not aggressive and very curious.
"They're just a fantastic animal to see," said Jupiter Dive Center's Gerry Carroll. "They're so majestic. They're so docile. They're not afraid with interaction with humans."
Jupiter is the only known documented spot in the Atlantic where goliath grouper spawning occurs.
Researchers have had a field day scooping up as much as they can learn from the endangered species.
"Scientists are really trying to get a feel for what they're diet is, what they're spawning pattern is," Carroll said. "There's so much unknown about this animal. Really, it's a shame how little we know about them."
That would make a fine fish dinner!
They are cool, God loves His babies..
I’d be scared to death.
“That would make a fine fish dinner!”
Ah jewfish. Would that make it a kosher meal?
I didn’t know goliath groupers were Jewish. LOL
>”Scientists are really trying to get a feel for what they’re diet is,
****
Definitely not humans, or else you wouldnt be here talking about them.
A Philistine fish.
Goliath grouper are the big boys of the grouper family. This one, speared by Don Castille of Bridge City, Texas in the early 1960s, weighed more than 700 pounds.
“I didn?t know goliath groupers were Jewish. LOL”
They used to call them jewfish. I guess the political correctness crowd had to change their name.
Saw a show where these fish were portrayed as very dangerous and testy. Looks like a giant bass to me and they aren’t too friendly toward prey.
We saw one of these at Yalkul lagooon in the Yucatan in 1986. We were snorkeling and my hubby dove down to a tunnel of sorts saw a big fish, recognized it as a grouper. It was as big as the second photo in the thread with the scuba guy. The fish just rolled his eye back at him and swam out. He was huge and my hubby is 6’2” himself.
I look at those fish and I think of Jonah.
Once grouper get over about 40-60 lbs the number of parasites in the flesh is at an insane level.
On the gulf side, int he 70’s their were a few 400lb + ones at Port Charlotte. Haven’t seen any in a while though.
This is a big, big, big mistake. I don’t care what anyone says, anything that big can eat you.
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