Humboldt Squid diving with Costeaus Ocean Futures!!

[gonetobaja]

http://scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=177245

Yep, its me again. Gonetobaja the squid diving loco. We are getting a great start on the year!!

www.squiddiving.com

 

[Steve O'Shea]

You're getting these squid quite shallow in what looks like daylight? That's pertty remarkable, isn't it? (Excuse my ignorance.) I've just had a conversation today with someone to the effect that they're normally deeper, like ~ 300 feet, and found at this relatively shallow depth during the night (otherwise, during the day, they are considerably deeper).

I'm a tad confused. Can you shed any light on this? Much appreciated if so.

VERY NICE pics by the way!
Me

 

[gonetobaja]

You're getting these squid quite shallow in what looks like daylight? That's pertty remarkable, isn't it? (Excuse my ignorance.) I've just had a conversation today with someone to the effect that they're normally deeper, like ~ 300 feet, and found at this relatively shallow depth during the night (otherwise, during the day, they are considerably deeper).

I'm a tad confused. Can you shed any light on this? Much appreciated if so.

VERY NICE pics by the way!
Me

Steve,

We dive and see squid in the day time feeding and in shallow water. I have found Humboldt squid in shallow water hunting (under 3m) and I have seen them numerous times in under 40 feet of water. If there is a feeding stimulation or other type of interest that can attract them they will come over and invesigate. In some areas they can be pretty agressive, in any event if you are diving looking for them armor is a must.

To be totaly honest the more I dive with them the more stuff I thought I knew....

From my experiences the Humoldt squid is a totaly oportunistic feeder. In the day, or night. Most of the areas we see them have a bottom of 600 feet or more, but they can be found anywhere between the surface and the bottom. Anywhere there is food, of any type.

I was told once by a person that the reason that the panga fishing fleet goes after them at night is because thats when they feed at the surface. Thats not entirely true. The main reason they are fished at night is because its too freekin hot to fish all day in the sun, and a cooler that can keep 1000 lbs of squid fresh in the baja sun is far too expensive and big to be a consideration. So, the fishermen work at night. The wifes of the fishermen work in the plant during the day processing the catch from the night before. Thus breeds the idea that they hunt only at night and then thats when they are shallow. They come up shallow because of stimulation that they can sense from the fisermen, and from following up other squid or following up a food source. just like a tuna following up a bait ball.

We always dive in the day with our guided tours. We have never had a dive where we couldnt find some squids. (I just jinxed myself....)

GTB
www.sea-wolves.com

 

[monty]

This is a pdf with lots of data on the study from Gilly's lab using depth-tracking tags:

http://www.int-res.com/articles/feature/m324p001.pdf

it seems consistent with both views: the animals tend to go deep during the day and come up more at night, but they are also opportunistic enough that they vary this behavior.

I seem to remember from the Demono Rojo movie that you guys started doing day dives by dropping lures to depth during the day and getting the squids to follow the lure up to dive depth, but then you found some way of getting the squids to show up consistently without the lure-- am I remembering that right?

 

[gonetobaja]

This is a pdf with lots of data on the study from Gilly's lab using depth-tracking tags:

http://www.int-res.com/articles/feature/m324p001.pdf

it seems consistent with both views: the animals tend to go deep during the day and come up more at night, but they are also opportunistic enough that they vary this behavior.

I seem to remember from the Demono Rojo movie that you guys started doing day dives by dropping lures to depth during the day and getting the squids to follow the lure up to dive depth, but then you found some way of getting the squids to show up consistently without the lure-- am I remembering that right?

Yes we were able to get the animals to follow up the lure to the surface. But we have also ran across roaming shoals in only 40 feet deep (bottom was 600) in the middle of the day, with no stimulation whatsoever.

Remember that all of Gillys work was done in an area where they are fished. If you put tags on them in those areas they will follow the fishing fleet stimulation.

The more I dive with them the more I find out that they have many different behaviors.

Im still confused in the above report why it says they are fished at night because of their behavior. Its the behavior of the fisermen that causes night fishing, not the squid. All you have to do is ask one of them.

GTB

 

[Phuntoon]

Now this is really fascinating! It's a good insight as to the possible misconception that they primarily feed near the surface only at night. You're extremely fortunate to be able to swim with these amazing creatures. Beautiful clear pictures as well! It's nice to see them swimming in the blue instead of the normal blackness from the night footage I'm used to seeing.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

How very, very interesting! GTB, thanks a million for the insight here.

.... and that you've not just jinxed yourself!

 

[Steve O'Shea]

Ummmmmmmm. Now I am thoroughly confused re this diving behaviour of your Humboldts (and how shallow they are); see this latest press release. Have you water temperature records for where you are finding them?

 

[gonetobaja]

Ummmmmmmm. Now I am thoroughly confused re this diving behaviour of your Humboldts (and how shallow they are); see this latest press release. Have you water temperature records for where you are finding them?

Steve,

I just read the report. What I find to be interesting is that the Whale behavior did not change at night. This to me tells me that the food source is still down at the bottom. The squid are rising to the stimulation of the fishing fleet. I think the whales are smarter than the squid and know that the squid will be slow down deep when they are conserving energy. When they come up to feed they get their O2 supply up and warmer water to hunt they are faster and more aggressive. The stimulation of the night fishing by the pangas is what makes the squid come up in huge numbers at night. If you look at the squid diving video I posted on this thread you can see that we are in daylight on SCUBA in under 50 feet of water.

My friend observed Humboldt Squid in 100 feet of water off of the coast of La Jolla CA feeding in the surface at mid tide in the middle of the day yesterday. I would say that the Humboldt uses the entire water column from 1' down. They are much too powerfull, intellegent, and predatory to be locked into any one feeding or living pattern (IMO)

GTB