Scuba divers become lost in gigantic & beautiful bait ball

Black striped salema are a small fish that are found in many waters around the world, and also in the ocean surrounding the Galapagos Islands. They are bait fish for sea lions, larger fish, aquatic birds, and many other animals. They are vast in number and their main defense against predators is to swarm in tight clusters to confuse attackers and make it harder to isolate and capture the individual fish. When threatened, these fish dart rapidly in all directions and move even closer together. Even when not threatened, they find safety in the school and they stay close to other fish.Show more

These scuba divers entered the water to explore the surroundings and check out the marine life. They saw a sea lion hunting in the shallower area around the rocks and then they saw why she was there. There was a huge school of black striped salemas cruising through. In response to the sea lion's attempts to catch them, they changed direction abruptly and closed ranks. The sea lion regarded the scuba divers with a mix of curiosity and playfulness. It is very common for predators like the sea lion to work together, taking turns ambushing the fish. It's very possible that she was hoping the divers would create opportunities for feeding. Sea lions are naturally curious about humans in the water and they will often buzz past closely, seemingly in an invitation to play.

The salemas also saw an opportunity and they gathered around the divers, hoping to avoid the sea lion. The scuba divers were totally engulfed in the school of fish, occasionally swallowed up by the darkness as the light above was almost completely blocked out.

Salemas are unspeakably beautiful and being completely surrounded by an endless school was an unforgettable experience for these scuba divers.