Greater Amberjack

Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC

Greater amberjacks are the dominant large pelagic at Bajo del Caballo year-round, schooling in groups of 20 to 80 individuals around the ridge peak with an aggressive curiosity that sees them frequently approach divers head-on before peeling away at the last moment. They are apex predators of the mid-water column and their presence indicates a functioning pelagic food web — their hunting rushes through smaller fish schools at the ridge create the explosive baitball events that attract larger predators and occasionally whale-watching birds above the surface. Amberjacks can exceed 50 kilograms and their predatory intelligence means experienced individuals at regularly dived sites often learn to follow divemaster signals for fish scraps.