In our hunt for big doggies we were certainly well rewarded…

I first heard of St. Lazarus Bank some 12 years ago from Sibylle Riedmiller, my neighbour in Tanga, Tanzania. The bank is situated 50 nautical miles off the Quirimbas Archipelago on the northern Mozambican coast. Sibylle, a world renowned ecologist and marine conservationist who in the early 1990’s created Chumbe Island Marine Park (the world’s first privately owned marine park), spoke to me of diving among countless baitfish, sharks, and large tuna in the offshore bank’s crystal clear waters. I was enthralled and St. Lazarus quickly became my ‘Mecca’ for my pilgrimage around the world in search of top spearfishing destinations.

It all started back in November 2009, when my wife and I visited Madagascar for a belated honeymoon. We fell in love with the place, and because of the nature and flexibility of our work (I am an offshore commercial diver and Catherine is a wildlife artist) we decided that returning to spend some extended time in the country would definitely be an option.

So here we are now, and enjoying every moment of life in Madagascar. It does have its challenges, but when you think about it, no matter where in the world you’re living, there are always obstacles, and solutions that need to be found. Traveling here was a life’s journey in itself. After many months of preparation, major help from numerous friends and family and two very dubious boat trips, we are finally settled in a tropical paradise. Fortunately we have rented and are looking after the house of a friend on Nosy Komba Island (a friend who helped us out tremendously with local knowledge and adjusting to the ins and outs of Madagascan life).

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!