Hi,
I'd like to ask everyone's verdict when one comes across Dolphins in the general fishing area. I know they spell disaster for Lampuki as they tend to raid the FADs, but what about Albacore and Bluefin max 15kgs. I don't suppose they're able to eat them but I imagine they will drive the fish out of the area, is that a fair assumption.
Today this was very apparent when dolphins turned up, fish buggered off and so did most of the local fisherman from Freeport, Mscala etc.
Would be interested to hear your thoughts.
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If they are feeding hang around them, as other fish species will be there feeding as well...But if they are just cruising they will be looking for a feed. I have heard that tuna sometimes hang towards the back of a school of dolphines knowing that eventualy dolphines will find a school of fish for them too.
Last summer I was catching Lampuki from a FAD while watching 3 massive dolphins playing and jumping around a few hundred meters away. So don't throw the towel when dolphins are there.
Good to know, no idea why yesterday was so poor for everyone.
last tuesday and yesterday i saw what i taught was a dolphin but was very big about 20ft or more about 2 miles from land at gnejna area. than a man told me that his friend spent about 30 min taken photos of two whales near filfla. and this morning there was an article that there are fin whales in maltese water. it must have been one of those that i saw
Reading this gives me shivers. I was going out for Albacore last Friday, and when I was around 2 kms away from Ghajn Tuffieha I saw a massive fin coming out of the water. I didn't stop to look, but I knew it was not a dolphin, and nor a shark as it looked very different than anything I ever saw. Now I think I know what I saw!
Whales aren't going to bother you. In fact enjoy the sight and throw them some fish, just make sure it doesn't land too close to the boat!!
Big blue fin Tuna do hang around with dolphins. In fact that's why some Tuna cans are labeled as Dolphin Friendly. That's because dolphins tend to be caught when Tuna are purse-seined. So blue fins are definately a probability if there are dolphins. However I doubt wether anything else (including Albacore) would hang around with dolphins.
filfla area - around 3 miles out
A friend of mine saw the whale last Saturday
In theory yes, they won't do anything. However nature has it that since I only have a 13ft boat, instinct tells me to run for my life when I see one! Howver, i didn't expect it to be a whale. I thought it could be a fish I never saw, definitely not a whale.
In one of my books I have a guide as to which dolphins and whales make it in as far as Malta. I was surprised to see the Sperm Whale included!
you think that is strange i caught a trumpet fish endemic of south america
Chris has caught red snapper (African) and a Salmon yes the ones you eat and you think seeing a whale is strange
Wow, what a weird looking fish Simon.... looks like something out of Jurassic Park! Was it caught on a rod and line?
no it was caught spearfishing off gozo.
as far as i know 7 where caught till now all speared on the west coast
ps it was delicious white flesh no bones
i spotted 2 dolphins today at comino
At the moment dolphins are closer to shore, probably because they are undisturbed. Last Sunday I saw around 6 dolphins not more than 200 metres from the shore in Mellieha. Quite a sight. And it was not the first time.
2 weeks ago a large group of dolphins came around us while bottom fishing around 10miles from west coast.It was a very large group never seen such quantity in one group - I think there were hundreds if not thousands. I got some video - will try to edit it then upload it.
Friday we were surrounded by Manta rays they were venturing close to the boat, one of them passed jut underneath the boat, I had to move the deep drop line out of its way as it came straight to it. they were in groups of 2 and 3. they were even breaching the water coming down with a BIG splashing sound that could be hear from far out.
Manta rays???
Sure they were manta........
Jesus how I wish to photograph either Turtles, Dolphins or Manta Rays
go during the lampuki season at gozo from dahlet qorrot to ramla it would be full of them- we used to see 2-4 each time
Actually what you saw are Baqar - Devil Rays ;)
Those bastards surprise you when hauling in a tuna longline because you think that a monster is coming up from the deep
Yesterday I was cliff fishing and I saw a very large one, the size of a car. Its splash could be heard from far away. As Bigboy said they are called 'baqar' and are quite common at this time of the year.
ok......... that'a much better
Wait but they are the same >????????????? ??? ???
Are manta found here in the mediterranean?????????????
they are very nice to see
There are a lot this year last week while lonlining we saw 5
last week I had the opportunity to see 2 sea rays (Ghasfur) on differnt occasions while diving. One had a wing span nearly as large as me, and it gave me the fright of my life when I saw it come towards me. On another separate dive I came across another one which was smaller and I was able to stay calm and admire its beauty. Apparently they come to give birth in the shallows at this time of year.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77891&id=614721295 (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77891&id=614721295)
I managed to get some pictures last year.
Two years ago while fishing for albacor about 5 miles off Filfla we came about a group of about 40 to 50 dolphins. We often see them in that area, but never in such large quantities. I remember we pulled up the lures and enjoyed the moment while all the juvenile ones came around the boat. They stayed for about 20 min playing aroud us, then all at once they returned to the adults group and left.
Regarding if fish still bite when dolphines are about, I remember once late september about 5 years ago, there was a fishing frenzy with some dolphines attacking a school of small tuna (tunnagg). We still hooked some when we drove through the midle of them.
Yes they were baqar as they had the white streaks near the head. My fault i thought that in english they are manta rays but they are devil rays as the young big master (bigboy) said.
I took photos but i still have to transfer to computer to see what came out as on mobile its hazy.......
Quote from: ciappinu on May 24, 2009, 12:37:20 CET
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77891&id=614721295 (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77891&id=614721295)
I managed to get some pictures last year.
Wow ...... what a lucky guy. I've been wanting to experience something like this for ages. Well done for capturing hte moment.
Hafna drabi jekk ikun hemm il-prezenza tad-dolphins tinkwieta lil min ikun jistad bir-rixa ghax il-hut ikun imbezza u mgerrex. Veru sbieh tarahom imma jien ma niehux gost bihom! Jonqos anke ammont ta' hut bhal ma hu s-sawrell u l-kavalli...Meta ma jersqux daqshekk qrib ikun ahjar l-ahwa!
u dejjem taqbdu l hut tridu jien meta nara xi haga hekk naqbez il bahar nipprova nilab maghhom bhal fidili lol. anke f nofs ta bahar(bejn sema u ilma) qbizt biex nara fekruna u nipprova imissa
jekk nara d dolphins addijo sajd maskla u boxers jekk ma jkollix wet suit u nintefa niehu 4 ritratti u nipprova nilab maghhom
jien ghalijja wahda min l isbah xeni hija meta nkunu hergin il barra u mat triq jitilaw id dniefel jaqbzu magemb u quddiem il lanca. Gili inzertajna qatat kbar ta dniefel u tkun tixtieq titfi l magna u toqod thares lejhom. Kelli c cans darbtejn li ntijom jiklu min idi u mandekx alfej tibza minnom. Darba minnhom konna stallati mal konzijiet tal pixxispad u telaw jirghu hdejna, l ewwel tfajtilom erba kavalli u marru ghalijom umbad dendilt kaval min idi u tela wihed alih.
fekruna tmissa..........mela going nuts jew granitu?????? Mela ma tafx li jekk tigdmek dik :-X
U veru jew bigboy tad dolphins jew kont xrobt xi xarba lager???
ija hekk qaluli imma skond kif taqbadha.. jekk taqbadha b zewg idejn ma taghmillek xejn ta u mux taqbada b xi sahha lol just tilab maghha. ghax pruvajt nista nghidlek u ma kinitx fekruna adulta forsi 35 cm kien fiha. jghumu jghagglu ja mgharrqin imma ta ;) ;) imbad qabdet it triq tal qiegh u bye bye pero esperjenza sabiha. siehbi ghawdxi ghandu xi ritratti taghha jekk narah nghidlu inewwilhomli
rajtu munqara ma nithajjarx ntija subaja anke jekk kienet zghira.... imma meta erajt wahda ta metru tul munqara tal biza zgur ma nippruvax
xi mftit taz zmien ilu waqa id diskors fuq il fkieren.
kellimt sajjied xih u qalli li meta tara fekrun li jkun fil wicc tinzel u wara ftit terga titla ikun ghax ikolla granc parassita li jghix maghha.
Tghid veru din jew xi soltu qlajja?
Li naf bic cert li gieli il fkieren ikollhom ghasafar fuq darhom jinzlu fil gieh u ma jergawx jililaw u gieli jinzlu u taraha ftigg ftit il boghod. boqboq
jista jkun boqq imma fis sajf tara hafna hekk.. igifieri kollha bil granc parassita. li qatt ma fhimt hu jekk titlax tiehu l ossignu meta titla f wicc l ilma
Iva mellieha smajta kemm il darba min ghand ix xjuh. Jejdu li il granc joqrosa biex terga titla fil wicc.
guys nista nikkonferma din tal grac ax settembru li adda kont ma full timer xi 60miles south east minn malta u inzertajna hafna fkieren.
Kenna maghna employees ta san lucjan u kull fekruna imwegga tellajnija maghna bix nihduwa lura san lucjan halli jatuwa il kura u jergaw jitilquwa. imbad qalilna din l-istorja tal granc u ma emminnihx lol...qalilna al daqsekk...qabad fekruna li tellajna u ghollila denba, u aqtaw x'kin em...granc!
qbajna iccassati lol :o qalilna ukoll li hu parassita ima ir raguni ezatt ma nafx xini..naf zgur li joqod ezatt taht denba...forsi jistenna il bajtra taqa' f'halqu loool :-* :-* :o ;D :o
Grazzi tal informazzjoni kris. taghlimna xi haga gdida.
np shanook...my pleasure ;D
you were with the joan of arc by any chance for lampuki chris(tax xlukkajr)? i will go with him this summer
yes granitu with glawdu ix xlukkajr! great chap to spend time with! if you see him send him my regards!! tell him i am kris tal lampuki (friend of mark of san lucjan).
he knows you last time we spoke i mentioned you. you harvest bees by any chance? cause he told me to pay him a visit sometime cause you ''abandoned' him
will go with him for sure a very nice guy and very open minded unlike many others. he believes in a give and take attitude to sea and that is very encouraging
will forward your message sure max
yes thats me!! :) i left him my mobile number but has never phoned me! :(:(:(
tell him to tell me whenever he is available as i just love his company and boat!
when we went for lampuki with him it was a dream come true for me! learnt a lot from him!
i will tell him. he doesn't seem a lot of mobile literate it is very easy that he doesn't remember your phone. i will tell him i think if you want to join with him it won't be a problem cause he always grumbles that he does not find people
Every time i see him he tells me to come out with him lol. will go this summer i promised him it will be a pleasant experience
tnx granitu, will do me a big favour as i really got attached to that guy. his way of janni u jaqbad man-nies is one of a kind!! send him all my regards and tell him that i have not abandoned him...i am just a phone call away:)
sure my pleasure max yes he's one hell of sarcastic guy. last time i saw him he was scraping the boat- he did it in 1 day on 1 side by himself. obviously he wanted that i join him.. while i was working "ax m ghadux jiflah al strapazz" lol
lool yes he is unique in all his ways
the last time we went for lampuki we were supposed to meet at 3.30 a.m i arrived at 3.20.am and the first thing that you notice is the absolute silence of the place at that time...5min later you here him singing (janni) with all his might before you actually see him looool
after, i asked him why was he shouting, he replied in this manner..." la qomt jien qam kulhadd haha" looooooooooooool
Sa fej naf jien ma kontx fis sakra baghira :P
Today I meet that guy at 'torri' kris.He was amazed when I told him that he was mentioned on internet.
loool spitec...there at it torri i have a good friend of mine. it's because of him that i got to know glawdu of joan of arc