I have been obsessed with spearfishing Dog Tooth Tuna ever since I first saw that silver dot coming in on me just over a year ago in Madagascar (see USM vol 4 – A Mad Madagascan Reality). On that spearfishing trip I was given a small taste of the power and grandeur of these fish and also a very large slice of humble pie at the same time. When I arrived home from Mads (with no spears, bungis or working guns left), I made a promise to myself that I would find a way to land a decent sized Doggie one day.

I’m drifting along in the warm blue Mozambican water with thousands of Rainbow Runner coming through and suddenly this massive dark shape glides in on the flasher. I can’t believe my eyes, it’s a Marlin!

It was at that exact moment that I understood why Mohammed and Khalid had joined me off the island of Inhaca - Mohammed wanted to shoot his movie somewhere different, somewhere where there would be more than just the run of the mill Couta. They wanted something special, and special is exactly what we found.

Have you ever dreamed of a dive spot teeming with life and monster sized fish? Does the thought ever cross your mind, that one day you might find that totally untouched spot, and experience some epic spearing, the likes of which you’ve only heard of in tales from the days of old? Well, when I first heard of an expedition going out to the Walters Shoal Sea Mount all these thoughts came tumbling through my mind once again; and I felt that maybe, my dream was going to come true.

While up in Zululand one recent weekend, I went for a morning launch on the Sunday, the aim being a quick dive to get a fish for a planned fish braai later. I also took the family along for the ride. There were 8 of us in the boat – myself, my wife, our 2 little girls aged 4 and 6, my sister, brother in-law, a dive buddy and his girlfriend. Needless to say it was pretty crowded – but as can be seen from the events that followed, nothing was going to stand in the way of my luck that day!

If you are anything like me, you have had vivid dreams revolving around spearfishing and planting a spear into some great fish. Fish that I will realistically never ever get to see, never mind actually shoot at. It’s amazing how awesome the images in my dreams are, and how the spear always lands precisely where I want it to. Of course it’s always in full technicolour, and seems so real as to actually get the adrenaline pumping and every part of my being excited. And when I land these fish it usually involves some kind of triumphant finale that makes me feel like I could conquer the world.

I am not a religious soul. But, there are moments in life where certain tragedy is avoided thanks to what can only be referred to as the Hand of God.