10 000 Grouper Gathering in The Bahamas

Every year in the Bahamas, for just a few nights under the full moon, thousands of Nassau grouper gather in one place to reproduce. It's one of the largest fish spawning events in the Caribbean and one of the rarest natural spectacles in the ocean. That was insane! Finding it isn't easy. The timing has to be exact, the weather has to cooperate and if you miss it, the opportunity disappears before you even know it was there. On this expedition, I'm working alongside local marine scientists in some of the most remote parts of the Bahamas to locate and document one of the rarest wildlife events in the Caribbean. We will be diving deep reefs in strong currents, miles offshore with no land in sight, hoping everything comes together at exactly the right moment. Spawning events have always attracted natural predators but today they face a much greater threat. Overfishing, combined with illegal harvests during the spawning season, removes fish before they have the chance to reproduce, pushing Nassau grouper into critical decline and negatively impacting reef ecosystems throughout the Caribbean. The goal of this expedition is to document this natural spectacle in a way that supports scientific research and uses visual storytelling to raise awareness around the need for healthy fisheries and sustainable fishing practices. The real question wasn't whether the grouper would spawn, it was whether we'd be ready when they did. I'm Andre Musgrove, an underwater filmmaker and photographer. I've traveled all across the world diving in some of the most remote and unpredictable parts of the ocean to create and capture moments most people would never get to see. From being face-to-face with 12-foot tiger sharks in the Bahamas to freediving with humpback whales in the Pacific, I live for the moments you only get once. All in an effort to create underwater art that connects people to the ocean in a way that words alone never could. These are my adventures. Our expedition begins in Eleuthera, Bahamas. We originally planned for a five-day expedition but we only have a two-day weather window before bad weather is forecast to move in, so time is limited from the start. The plan is to resurvey a spawning aggregation site focusing on areas where Nassau grouper have been reported in the past. We learned about this location after speaking with local fishermen who report seeing signs of fish aggregating there over several years. We're out here with Dr. Crystal Sherman and Lindy Knowles representing the Prairie Marine Institute for Science and we're going to be doing some science, some science to find the black grouper spawning aggregation location. We're going to be doing some deep dives like 80 to 100 feet. This is the one time a year that they're going to be spawning, the one time a year that they have to be able to reproduce and the fishing pressures from people coming here and trying to fish these spots is enormous and really detrimental that hurts the population of these animals. Think about it. You spawn or you have one chance one year to have a child and then you come here and then you get caught and you are killed. That grouper might never have had a chance to be able to spawn ever. That's why we're doing this science to show what areas we might need to protect, what kind of implementations we need to put in place. So just because we see a ton of grouper down there, you might see a hundred, a few hundred, a few thousand, that is nothing in comparison of what it used to be like before. So hopefully the science that's discovered on this trip will help those initiatives to be able to preserve these animals so they can be there for a long, long time. To search large areas efficiently, we begin with manta toes, which essentially involve holding onto a rope behind the boat while scanning the reef below for signs of aggregating fish. It's very simple, but it's one of the fastest ways to cover ground and spot early activity. After spending hours in the water across two days and covering multiple locations, we aren't seeing what we hoped for. The weather forecast shows a storm forming in the area, so we have to return to shore before conditions become too dangerous. Before calling it a day, we have time for one final scuba dive at another site. The locations fish choose for spawning are often deep and exposed to strong ocean currents. When they release their eggs and sperm, those currents carry them far away, spreading larvae across large reef systems while also retaining larvae in certain areas. We scout the location for as long as we can until we have to return to the boat before running out of air. That's when we see them, a small group of around 10 Nassau grouper swimming together. It's the first real sign that we're close, but it still isn't enough. True spawning events involve hundreds, sometimes thousands of fish. Although we don't find the black grouper aggregation, we see evidence of migrating Nassau grouper, suggesting that an active aggregation still exists around Eleuthera. We need another opportunity, one that gives us more time and more flexibility. That opportunity comes months later. Our second expedition takes us to a much more remote part of the Bahamas. We're living aboard a 100-foot yacht, the Glen Ellen, which has been generously donated for this scientific expedition. Out here it's so beautiful and so calm, there's nothing out here. Finally made it back to Ragged Island and this place out here, this is the far south Bahamas, so this is where you pretty much need boat to access where we are. A pretty solid boat where you could be self-sustained. So we're going to be doing some night dives, daytime dives, a lot of scuba dives. The most Nassau grouper that I've ever seen in one place in my life is maybe seven, but we're going to be seeing thousands on this trip. Living at sea gives us the freedom to anchor wherever we need to, remain fully self-sufficient and operate scuba dives directly from the boat, allowing us to dive multiple times a day. Being out here also means that the safety risks are high because in the event of an emergency, we're miles away from any external support. We have to make sure all of our equipment is working perfectly. The scuba dives we're doing are deep, sometimes over 100 feet, which limits our bottom time and the number of dives we can safely complete each day while avoiding decompression sickness. Our first dive is a scout dive at dusk to check the area for early signs of aggregation. The goal is to survey the area during daylight so that we can navigate it more easily at night with limited visibility and have a better idea of when the fish might arrive. The dive begins very quietly. We look for places where Nassau grouper could seek refuge, such as overhangs and crevices in the rocks. We swim for about 15 minutes, slowly moving deeper along the long sloping ledge. That's when we begin to notice changes. Nassau grouper start appearing in different areas of the site. We can tell these are migratory grouper because they are moving sluggishly and resting on the seafloor, tired from their long distances they have traveled across the archipelago. We also notice other species beginning to gather. White margates and horseeye jacks start finding their place on the reef. Different fish species often use the same areas to spawn because the geographical conditions are ideal for multiple species. It's only a matter of time before even more fish arrive and completely change how this site looks. By the end of the day, the signs are promising. With the full moon approaching, we expect the numbers to continue building from dozens to hundreds and potentially into the thousands. Over the next few days, we conduct dives to begin formal counts, documenting how many fish are present and how far the aggregation extends across the dive site. The full moon is tonight, which is when we expect the Nassau grouper to spawn. That also means that the current will be much stronger than it has been during the previous days, so we have to mentally prepare ourselves for a lot of swimming to avoid being carried out to sea. The more dives we complete during the daylight, the better we can predict where the grouper will congregate at night. We're looking forward to seeing how many fish arrive overnight. And we aren't the only ones. We begin seeing more sharks patrolling the edge of the wall. The scientists begin formal counts while I document everything on camera for future reference. The current is so strong in some areas that it becomes difficult to film steadily and hold position, so we have to kick constantly to avoid being pulled away from the group and into deeper water. We slowly begin to realize that the bottom looks different from the day before. I wonder if the boat anchor has dried, but as my eyes begin to focus, I realize that the apparent structure on the bottom aren't rocks or coral. They're actually fish. Compared to yesterday, there are now hundreds more Nassau grouper tired from their long journeys to reach this location. The grouper begin displaying color changes, including one known as the bicolor phase, which signals that they are ready to mate. We're counting Nassau grouper in the thousands. Everywhere you look, in every direction, there are fish stacked on top of fish. And it isn't just Nassau grouper. Bermuda chubs, horseeye jacks, and white margates are all aggregating in the same area. But the Nassau grouper are definitely the stars of the show. During one of these dives, I hear a deep grunting noise coming from one of the divers and see them trying to get my attention. I wonder what could possibly be so alarming down there that I haven't already seen. And then I turn around. A massive great hammerhead shark is gliding directly over the school of grouper with the entire aggregation parting beneath it. Great hammerheads are among the largest top predators in bohemian waters, reaching recorded lengths of up to 20 feet and weighing up to 1,200 pounds. These kind of events are like an all-you-can-eat buffet for these sharks. After the grouper release their eggs and sperm, many fish are exhausted, leaving them vulnerable to predators patrolling the edge of the aggregation. This cycle is important for every level of the food web, allowing the marine ecosystem to thrive through natural selection. By the end of our dives, there's no doubt that we're in the right place. With the full moon only a few hours away, the main event is coming. That was insane! Thousands and thousands of Nassau grouper. That's the most fish I ever dove with in my whole life. Jump off the back of the yacht, we go down fighting current, had to go all the way down to my max depth was 115 feet. All of a sudden the whole ocean bottom starts to move. Everything on the bottom starts to move and these bright colored Nassau grouper just start swimming around. And then every level of the water column, every single level of the water column is where we saw the Nassau grouper. This hammerhead comes swimming through between all the divers. That was one of a kind dive. Definitely top three dives I've ever done in my whole life. This dive I've been wanting to do for the last nine years. Just never had the right opportunity, never been in the right place, but now having the opportunity to do this, I feel so blessed to be out here, to be able to do this dive. I can't stop smiling. That was so epic. This is the most grouper I've seen since I started doing Nassau grouper work in 2010. So this is the beginning of the 15th year. We just came up from a dive and there were thousands of Nassau grouper. Saw some bull sharks, saw a hammerhead. It's just really incredible. We just kept swimming. And yeah, still grouper out there. I swam and swam and swam and kept swimming and kept swimming. And I was like, I better turn around because I don't know how far it goes, but it's a long way. It was a long swim out there, long swim back, and then even coming back this way, beyond the boat to the end. Incredible stuff. And we got one more dive. We have one more dive today, sunset. After reviewing the footage and data, we prepare for the night dive. The dive we've been waiting for. Spawning typically happens around sunset and continues into the night. Whether it's the cover of darkness, stronger tides, or the influence of the full moon. This is when everything comes together. I know that even though this highly anticipated dive will be special, it still will be challenging to film. With limited bottom time, and this being our final opportunity to witness the spawning during this expedition, we have to be prepared for it to happen at any moment. At the start of dives like these, my focus is on executing everything correctly to get the shot. Looking in the right direction can mean the difference between witnessing the main event and missing it entirely, because it only lasts for a few seconds. As soon as we enter the water, a large school of Bermuda chubs moves in around us. Almost as if they're guiding us towards where we need to go. As we descend, the entire ocean floor erupts with life. There are far more fish than there were the night before. Everywhere we look, Nassau grouper filled the water column. We begin seeing even clearer signs of spawning behavior, with more fish displaying the bicolor phase, signaling that many of them are ready to mate. Females with swollen bellies full of eggs are being chased through the aggregation. We follow patiently. The loud grunts of the grouper communicating with one another grow louder, and the sound doesn't only catch our attention. A large bow shark around eight feet long appear out of the darkness behind me, surveying the area and waiting for an opportunity to catch a vulnerable grouper. Then I hear Krista signaling as she points towards the drop-off. A small group of males chase a female grouper whose belly looks ready to burst with eggs. Suddenly, they all rush towards the surface at once. And then it happens. In a brief moment, the Nassau grouper released their eggs and sperm. This is what we came for. The accumulation of months of planning, waiting, and searching finally unfolds in front of us in only a few seconds. The footage captured during this expedition supports research on these aggregations, helping scientists determine which conservation measures make the most sense. Protecting spawning events like these allow fish populations to replenish and support healthy fisheries for generations. You want to give it a little debrief? Debrief? We saw Nassau grouper. That's so awesome. After all this time, yeah. Crazy how fast that happened. It was so quickly. They shifted into that bicolor fate. Saw a ton of Nassau grouper. That's the most Nassau grouper I've ever seen in my entire life. Since before then, it was only about 10 at one spot. That was like, in my camera, it looked like 10,000 everywhere as far as the eye can see. And it was really dark. It was starting to get really dark down there, pushing the limits of my camera. And I can't wait to look through the footage. And then we still have like two more days, three more days of diving. So it's going to be epic, epic, epic. Stuff like that. The hopping less and less around the world. The pressures from overfishing and climate change. But not right there is what we need to protect. If everybody in the world could experience a dive like that, I think that would get people to really change their minds on all the things that we're doing online that's negatively affecting these animals. Speechless, bro. Speechless.