Pike, the Great Freshwater Predator

Pike (Esox Lucius)

The pike is a relatively large carnivorous fish found in fresh waters all over the World in the northern hemisphere. It lives in fresh water, but can also be found in brackish water of the Baltic Sea.

Photo:Wikipedia

Pike are olive green or brownish in colour, with a white belly. The flank is marked with yellow spots contrasted by dark spots on the fins. The pike can grow to well over twenty kilograms in weight and 150 centimetres in length. They can live for more then twenty years. The largest and oldest pikes are always female.

Leech (Hirudo medicinalis)

Last summer, on a family trip to the lakeside, I spotted a leech near the waterline where we were snorkeling. I was startled and disgusted. The last thing I'd want was a leech hanging on my skin, sucking blood. That was the end of

Panic underwater!

This post is a bit more personal, I'm writing about a panic situation that I myself experienced. As all divers propably know, panic underwater is one of the most dangerous problems a diver is likely to come across.