Fish Feeding?????????????????????

[jons dad]

we r cruising this may and r going to snorkel in costa maya ,and grand camen .

what should we bring from home or sneek of the ship to feed the fish????

[scubaran]

we r cruising this may and r going to snorkel in costa maya ,and grand camen .

what should we bring from home or sneek of the ship to feed the fish????

 

To be honest, nothing. The fish are wild fish in the ocean, they get plenty to eat on the reef. As a scuba diver it's really not considered good form to "train" fish to eat from humans. To start off, not all small fish, and some medium fish are harmless. Something like a small puffer fish has been known to take off a diver's finger tip with their "fangs". So feeding fish may not necessarily know the difference between a tasty morcel and your hand. Secondly, you are probably going to be feeding them something that's foriegn to their digestive track. This could result in sick or dead fish after you're gone. Thirdly, they are wild. Many people, me included, like to see fish behavior they were born with. Plus, if you've ever been swarmed by fish that have been fed by previous divers and snorkelers you'd know that it's not that much fun being in the middle. Anyway, sorry if this isn't the answer you expected. Just the ecologically best answer I can provide.

 

Thanks,

Randall

[bruce-r]

I agree with Randall. Please don't feed the fish. Also, don't poke at puffer fish to get them to inflate. Sure they look funny all round and ball shaped, but it is quite stressful on the puffer, and like Randall said, they have been know to remove the end of a finger up to the first knuckle. They don't have small sharp teeth, they have a hard beak for crunching up coral, so they have no trouble biting thru a finger bone.

[scubaran]

Hi,

 

If you feel that you MUST feed the fish, at least purchase this item:

http://www.scuba.com/shop/product.asp?category=49&fromsearch=1&hashvalue=030097. This product is called TRIDENT FISHIN´ CHIPS FISH FOOD. It's formulated for fresh and salt water fish and comes in a plastic fish-shaped dispenser (don't leave it in the ocean) with a wrist strap for snorkeling. It has 28 fish food treats that are dispensed by pushing through a blister-pack, like cold medicines, to keep them dry until use. Again, I don't recommend feeding fish but if you're going to do it, feed them something that won't upset their stomachs.

 

Thanks,

Randall

 

P.S. scuba.com isn't the only place that sells these, I've just used the link to show you what the product looks like. :)

[simonv]

Don't feed fish!!!!!!!! Not even fish feed!

 

Hawaii used to be full of beatiful butterfly and angelfish. Then snorkeling became popular, and people fed fish with bread, peas and other foreign articles. It encouraged black tang and other uninteresting fish to dominate, driving away what we think of tropical fish such as butterflies. But those that ate human food developed cancer. Reef fish, an important source of native Hawaiians, became toxic, unfit for human consumption. Now if you go to popular snorkeling spots in Hawaii and Caribbean, all you see is maily black tang, a boring to look at. You have to travel to Indonesia or Papau New Genea to see what Hawaii used be like. How sad!

[diverearl]

we r cruising this may and r going to snorkel in costa maya ,and grand camen .

what should we bring from home or sneek of the ship to feed the fish????

 

Try a box of cereal from the ship or a bag of chips.

 

There is good advice from these divers but you have to remember they know that it is freaky when you get swarmed by hundreds of small fish or that you can get bitten because they to probably fed the fish at one time, and now even though I like and appreciate their comments usually, it appears their horses are so high they can't even give a kid advice. Typically as you get more into snorkeling or diving you will more appreciate the natural order or things but for now I seriously doubt you are going to upset the natural order of things if these others before you haven't already - believe me they been there done that...............

 

P.S. If you graduate to shark feeding be careful.

[bruce-r]

..... it appears their horses are so high they can't even give a kid advice.

especially if it is bad advice like yours.

[sea-jay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by diverearl

..... it appears their horses are so high they can't even give a kid advice.

 

I agree Bruce - First - what 'kid was getting the advice. The OP was Jons dad, not jon himself. even if it were Jon, all the advice against feeding the fish was good advice, not bad. Second - if experienced scuba divers can 'get freaky' when being swarmed by lots of fish, imagine what an inexperienced snorkler might face. Panic in the ocean is nothing to laugh at whether you are 4 or 40 feet deep or on the surface 50 feet from safety.

 

As for not upsetting the natural order of things, I would agree if this were the only instance that feeding fish would ever be done. However, when you multiply this one instance by all the snorklers that go into the water, if everyone were out there feeding fish, it could very well 'upset the natural order'.

 

I wish diverearl had read simonv's post about the Hawaiian issue a little closer. It doesn't take much to see that also happening in the Caribbean. I hope diverearl never has an opportunity to swim or snorkel in the John Pennecamp National Underwater Preserve in Key Largo Florida. His attitude doesn't lend itself to preserving the natureal beauty for generations to follow us.

[Maryandi]

Last year at Chankanab Park in Cozumel, they had employees of the park at the snorkeling area stopping people from feeding the fish !!

 

Wish they were everywhere to stop people.

[iamkidc]

 

...Please don't feed the fish. This is a picture of my dad's friend taken in the keys after someone from the boat tossed some bread in the water around him. When he got out of the water he had a bunch of little red marks on him from where all the fish were bitting him.

 

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but bubbles.

[captNcrunch]

we r cruising this may and r going to snorkel in costa maya ,and grand camen .

what should we bring from home or sneek of the ship to feed the fish????

 

I have been snorkeling in the Caribbean for the past 20 years and never have I found a need bring fish food to attract fish. We just returned from Grand Cayman where we snorkeled at Eden Rock, which is less than 5 min. walk from tender pier. Excellent snorkeling saw a multitude of Green Parrot Fish, Sergeant Majors and Yellowtail Snapper, along with schools of large tarpon. All within 3-10 feet from the shore. In Belize we were fortunate to see multiple Eagle Rays, and in St. John the Giant Sea Turtles. Take pleasure in observing these creatures in thier natual habitat and please do not disturb.

[mom2b41]

I just wanted to say that I agree with the OP about not feeding the fish, also, not to poke or disturb them...not only because it could be harmful to them, but also keep in mind that differant countries have differant laws as to what you may or may not do when it comes to the reefs and the protection of them....My brother lived in the Caymans for several years and when we visited, we went on a dive with him, I was putting on my gloves when he told me it is ILLEGAL and you will be fined! So before you "sneak" of the ship with any food, for whatever well meaning reason...Find out what the local laws are....;)

[bruce-r]

....My brother lived in the Caymans for several years and when we visited, we went on a dive with him, I was putting on my gloves when he told me it is ILLEGAL and you will be fined!

In addition to gloves not permitted for diving in the CI, they are also not permitted in Cozumel and dive knives are not permitted either. Unless you are diving the wreck in Cozumel, you don't really need gloves either, IMO.

[kgpackrat]

I'm not a diver, but you have me curious. Why are gloves not allowed?

[bruce-r]

I'm not a diver, but you have me curious. Why are gloves not allowed?

The thought is that if you are wearing gloves on a warm water diver you are much more likely to touch the coral. Touching coral will kill it. If you don't touch stuff underwater, you don't need the physical protection you get from gloves, and in warm water, you don't need gloves for thermal protection. The exception is wreck diving, where touching the metal of the ship is OK.

[kgpackrat]

Well that makes sense. I just could not figure it out. Thanks

[simonv]

Therefore if you don't wear gloves, you wouldn't dare touch anything rest it's toxic. Dive masters all over the world are now quite careful and most don't allow gloves. It cannot be said of snorkel boat operators. Many of them still feed, touch, etc.

[Nliedel]

Nope, one person will not upset the balance of nature by feeding the fish. Now, a story.

 

I grew up in Grand Haven, MI. It's a pretty area, lots of dunes. There was one across the street that people used to climb. I was against it. A lone and lonely voice. If you climb a dune you move the dune. Just a little, but you do. Everyone thought they were Okay. They were just one person. Well 'just one person' did it so often the thing is flat now. No big deal? Well it turns out it was. Ruined views but also moved the sand so much they need a big barrier to keep the sand off the road.

 

No, one person is not a big deal. It's not just one though is it? It's all the people that think they are not going to make any changes because they are just one person. Just respect the surroundings. Look at the fish, appreciate them. These are wild animals. Leave them be and enjoy the beauty all around you. It's a remarkable world down there.

[divadiverfl]

If you have ever been to Stringray City, you will know somewhat it is like when you feed fish--with the squid you have not just stingrays but yellowtail(which I call carribbean peranias)I learned that the first time I ever went to stringray city diving.

 

Do you feed bears when you:confused: go camping?:eek:

[jons dad]

ok ok ok ok RELAXmy only experiance snorkeling was in cozumel ,and we were given food by the guides .im am a avid saltwater sport fisherman and understand the importance of protecting fish and habitat.now with that said im not going to a remote untouched spot. ill be snorkeling eden rock ,and from what i gather (talking to the dive center there is that fish feeding there has gone on everyday for many years),therefore it would be dificult for the now domesticated fish to survive without tourists feeding them.now heres what im going to do.my only goal as far as snorkeling is to get good pictures and have a great time now if i can get that without feeding the fish then great no fish food.if i cant then i will follow suit with the 500k people that have come before me.ty all for the advice.

[Nan-L]

They don't call yellow tail- "Snappers" for nothing!! They hit hard when feeding.

I'm with everyone else. I have sen locsls give dog biscuits to tourtists...it drives me nuts!! Why do people have to FEED the fish? THey are killling them!!

So when they bring their kids to see what they saw 20 yrs from now ...guess what!!! NO FISH and no reefs from people who don't know how to snorkle standing on the coral to adjust their masks etc!! I dobn't know how many times I've told people please don't stand or touch the coral..they think I'm an idiot!!!!

[scubaran]

NO FISH and no reefs from people who don't know how to snorkle standing on the coral to adjust their masks etc!! I dobn't know how many times I've told people please don't stand or touch the coral..they think I'm an idiot!!!!

 

Hi,

 

Know what you mean. I just came back from a cruise to Antigua where I did a snorkel cruise, my wife doesn't dive and wanted to get in the water. People were swimming across the shallow part of the reef (much to the dismay of the snorkel master (if that's what they call the guy in charge)). As I was swimming by I saw a guy standing on the reef with his fins. I said, "you know you're standing on the reef?" after the snorkel master said not too about a million times. And he just looked at me with a dumb look on his face and said, "Yeah". :confused: I just shook my head and swam on (he was bigger than me and the snorkel master was 10 ft. away and heard the whole thing). Some people just don't get it. For them, swimming pools are available for their snorkeling pleasure. :rolleyes:

 

Ramda;;

[Nliedel]

Standing? On a reef? On the live coral? Oh my heck. Some people should be fed to the sharks.

[scubaran]

Standing? On a reef? On the live coral? Oh my heck. Some people should be fed to the sharks.

 

There's some things a shark won't eat! :)

 

I also saw some of the kids using the top most sides of the reef near the surface as hand holds to pull themselves along while they swam.

 

Randall

 

BTW, you know they're always the first ones to complain about the lack of "pretty scenery" under the water.

[Nliedel]

There's some things a shark won't eat! :)

 

I also saw some of the kids using the top most sides of the reef near the surface as hand holds to pull themselves along while they swam.

 

Randall

 

BTW, you know they're always the first ones to complain about the lack of "pretty scenery" under the water.

 

The underwater world is precious and feeds so many people. It's not okay to destroy the reefs. If people can't keep their mitts off then maybe they should not be allowed in the water. I would not be opposed to fines for people who damage coral. I know that some countries take it very seriously.