Miami Sports Magazine May/June 2011

ONE BREATH
BY CARLOS ALONSO
A PERFECT DAY
Sometimes, you just know! You
plan a spearfishing trip and all the
intangibles fall into place. The
weather behaves, the sea is cement
flat, and the visibility is 50
to 60 feet.
The plan was simple. Four
members of the Broward
Longfins Spearfishing
Club were meeting at the
Coconut Grove boat ramp
at 0700 hrs on a beautiful
Saturday in March. Our
destination: the reefs South
of Fowey Lighthouse and
East of Elliot Key.
I left my house and drove
to the Hollywood Blvd.
Tri-Rail parking lot, where
Roberto Ramos awaited
my arrival. Roberto is a
Long fins club member that
has qualified for the 2011
U.S. National spearfishing
competition. We quickly
loaded his gear in the back
of my Chevy truck. The
drive to the marina is filled with
anticipation and promise. The
familiar routine is played out
among all spearfishermen. What
gun are you using? Float or
reel? You think it’s too warm
for the wetsuit? I don’t care if I
shoot anything I’m just glad to be
diving! We arrived at the boat
ramp to find Richi Davalos and
Deivy Fernandez launching the
21ft Chris Craft.
Mishka’s c.d. “ Above the Bones”
played in the background as we
navigated the maze of moored
yachts and sailboats in the
channel. The cool air was still
and the ocean a vibrant royal blue.
We arrived at the first reef which
was 30 ft. deep with extensive
structures: deep caves and large
outcropping supported a plethora
of marine life. I prefer diving
these shallower reefs first to allow
for the mammalian dive reflex.
Once I am warmed up I proceed to
the deeper reefs.
It didn’t take long for Richi
SUBSURFACE
to surface with two nice male
Hogfish. Before he could get
back in the water Roberto surfaced
with a large Mutton snapper and
Triggerfish. Deivy surfaced with
a Hogfish and a lobster. On my
dive I grabbed a large lobster from
underneath a ledge. I spotted a
large male green turtle gliding
effortlessly as he scanned the
reef. I swam alongside and
watched its grace and power.
Whenever I spot one of theses
majestic creatures, I always have a
spectacular day like a premonition
or a sign.
The reefs looked healthy and alive
with marine life. The large rock
structures were covered with large
sea fans and vegetation. The sand
gaps between the rocks create
channels that hold hogfish and
other snappers. In one of these
channels I spotted a large Goliath
grouper lying listlessly against a
16 • MAY/JUNE 2011
ledge. I swam towards him and
within a body length distance it
released several strong guttural
soundings that vibrated the
water. This defense mechanism
was repeated several times and
with increasing intensity. The
shock waves were powerful
and effective. It calmly swam
away confident I had received its
warnings.
With several fish
harvested, we decided
to move South, in an
effort to avoid excessive
pressure and to find
deeper water. We agreed
to dive in a 60 to 70 foot
range, with the hope of
finding bigger fish. Due
to the strong current, a
drift dive was our only
option. Richi agreed to
stay with the boat while
Deivy, Roberto and I
dove. I spent several
minutes on the surface
breathing up and slowing
my heart rate. On my
first approach I spotted
3 large Mutton snappers
at 40 feet. I followed
the largest one along the
bottom of the reef in 65
feet of water. It came to a
stop at the edge of the reef where
the sand started. I braced myself
against a rock with my left hand
while I eased my gun forward
with my right. I could feel the
current trying to push me forward.
I flattened my fins against the
bottom and allowed the currents
pressure to wedge me into the reef.
The Mutton was 10 feet ahead. I
had to be patient and wait for a
perfect lateral shot.
CONTINUED