Submerged

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Cousteau

JUPITER, FL – March 8, 2017 –No, he’s not a new-age pirate.

Although his scraggly red beard, burly definition, booming laughter, and the fact that he spends more time in the water than on land might be a direct indication that Captain Brandon Wilson might have been a buccaneer of sorts in a past life. His family history in terms of fishing alone dates back to the early 1900s, when Wilson’s great grandfather relocated from Kentucky to Palm Beach County and subsequently purchased a sport fishing boat that he used for many a fishing venture and was then passed on to future Wilson generations.

A deep sea diver that knows how to spear mostly every fish in these parts of the Atlantic, a scuba boat captain that oversees logged dives on a day-to-day basis, and a fun-loving captain that pilots 60-foot private yachts from South Florida to the Northeast back and forth, Wilson is truly a jack-of-all-trades as far as boating and saltwater are concerned.

THE THRILL-SEEKING FISHERMAN

“I love the ocean, but I am a thrill seeker,” That’s how Wilson sums himself up during our meeting as the afternoon daylight wanes in Jupiter, Florida. There is no degree of exaggeration to this self-classification given his experiences underwater. Wilson is, in effect, a part-time commercial fisherman by way of scuba diving. Equipped with scuba diving and spearfishing gear, and a license to spear, Wilson commandeers his boat, “Lazy Daze,” to where he knows the fish will be, and dives into varying depths of the big blue to catch lobster, lionfish, cobia, and whatever else is in season. He repeats this process four days a week. As you probably might have guessed, doing this for a living entails its fair share of scary stories; some of which involve the climate of the ocean, as well as close encounters with the ocean’s fiercest creatures.

“Like what?” I had to ask. Wilson laughs and discloses this blood-curdling anecdote. He dove nearly 140 feet deep in the hopes of catching cobia, which is a sizable fish (weighing between 40 to 50 lbs.) known to generally follow larger animals such as turtles, manta rays, and more commonly sharks, to scavenge. Well, Wilson found the precise cobia fish he wanted to bring home, except it was riding the coattails of a menacing bull shark.

“The cobia was situated right between the shark’s dorsal fin to right in between its belly,” recounts Wilson with a smile from ear to ear, replaying the scene in his head. “In that case, you have to coax the shark to get close enough so you can shoot the cobia off of him. Once you do that, you have to make sure the shark does not come for you!”

Wilson took the shot, speared the cobia, and the shark bugged out – it seemed like an all too perfect situation, but within seconds, the shark reappeared from behind Wilson, grazing him, and snatched the cobia right off his line and ate it. Close one! Wilson shrugs. “That’s what fishing for cobia entails. But ideally, you don’t want the shark getting that close to you.”

It is the fact that Wilson has years of free-diving experience resting on his shoulders, coupled with a deep-rooted commitment to commercial diving, and a great measure of respect for undersea denizens that enable him to fish in this manner. Wilson admits that because he opts for scuba commercial fishing as opposed to regular commercial fishing, he manages to remain successful in spite of heavy fishing traffic that seems to increase annually.

“Don’t get me wrong; regular fishing is hard,” points out Wilson. “But it’s not such a task on your body and you don’t risk your life every time you go.”

Lobster hunting is a major occupational and recreational activity for Wilson and his clients. In this picture, we see him snaring a lobster 100 feet underwater in the Atlantic Ocean off of Jupiter.

THE TRUSTWORTHY CAP’N

While he may be a saltwater-logged adventurist of his own accord, he is also one of the most respected boat captains in the town of Jupiter – held in high-regard by local captains and those comprising the Jupiter boating scene because of his unwavering professionalism. He is currently a full-time skipper on scuba boats for Scuba Works – he takes folks ranging from beginner to expert in the scuba diving expertise spectrum through the Jupiter Inlet and out to some of the best scuba diving locations in Florida on a daily basis.

Wilson also captains private spearfishing and underwater sightseeing/ photography charter boat trips on “Lazy Daze Charters.”

“I like to provide a quality experience,” says Wilson. “I think everyone is more comfortable when it’s a smaller group that is involved, and I can work with each one of them personally to see if we can get a specific photo they want or anything that I can do to make his or her experience complete. My main goal is to be able to show people the amazing oceanic wildlife that we have in Jupiter and to provide more catered-to hunting experiences.”

Signing up for Wilson’s charter tours means a more personalized experienced based on the customer’s level of expertise.

Wilson and his crew even offer scuba diving certification, which is accredited through Scuba Works, directly off of his boat. As far as the sightseeing tour goes, there are myriad species to see and Wilson is open to customizing the trip to meet the customer’s specifications. Case in point: Wilson provides face-to-face encounters with Atlantic goliath groupers right here in Jupiter. According to Wilson, goliath grouper commonly congregate in southern areas of the Atlantic Ocean such as Brazil and some parts of the Caribbean, yet Jupiter seems to be one of their favorite spots along their migratory path. Ever the savvy discoverer, Wilson knows of specific spots where these gargantuan fish congregate and, more importantly, the specific time when this happens so the “money shot” that a customer photographer has been wanting is easily within range.

Certifications and licensing aside, Wilson is a Palm Beach county native who knows these waters like the back of his hand. With this in mind, it can’t be overstated that Wilson’s maritime knowledge allows him to make educated decisions that instill a sense of confidence in others.

“I don’t know what it is that I do exactly I just go out there and drive the boat,” says Wilson with a tone of modesty. “However, I will say that while I’m in charge of the boat I will never choose the side of risk when weighing my options, not for anyone or any specific purpose. When I’m on the wheel, I have a certain set of rules that I expect everyone to abide by for their own safety.”

Wilson’s captaincy duties also extend a bit further than Jupiter. He is also a certified yacht captain and often takes time out of his schedule to “run” a 60-foot private vessel from Jupiter to the New York area and back.

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AMBASSADOR OF THE ‘GLIMMER’

A propensity for the sea and the aformentioned saltwater-inclined capacities he regularly exercises certainly keep Wilson occupied, but out of all his duties, which one does he enjoy best? Although a tough one to concede, his answer revolves around being a scuba boat captain but it’s more of a moment captured than the actual duty of captaincy that is most rewarding to him.

“I like being the captain of a boat full of first-time scuba divers,” says Wilson. “My favorite thing is taking people out and seeing their faces after their first dive; that glimmer in their eyes; knowing that I was part of an everlasting experience that changes lives forever.”

Wilson cites his own first dive as the main component for his appreciation to the gleeful response of others after they spend some time underwater surrounded by marine life.

“I’ll never forget the first time I went diving out here,” recalls Wilson. “I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into; I was super nervous; I didn’t know what to expect – and it completely blew my mind. I think I felt a little bit of every human emotion imaginable. There’s few times in your life that you get to experience a feeling like that and you get to experience it with somebody else – and I like helping provide that experience for people. Changing people’s perspective on the ocean is so important to me.”

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re located somewhere in or near the Jupiter area. That means you are in range of the coastline that has the closest proximity of the Gulfstream current than anywhere else in the continental United States. Wilson clarifies that the Gulfstream is a constant, steady Northbound current that brings Caribbean clear water and serves as a migratory path for most species constituting the full scale of marine life, making Jupiter a choice destination for scuba diving as well as fishing. There’s literally an ocean of possibilities to discover right in your backyard if you haven’t already – so now that you know who is the man to see about these things, what are you waiting for?

For more information on how to book a trip with Captain Brandon Wilson:

LAZY DAZE CHARTERS: 772-341-9759 Lazydazecharters@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/lazydaze.charters Instagram: @lazydazecharters Trips can also be booked via www.scubaworks.com

LIONFISH: THE INVASIVE SPECIES Among the most common of Captain Brandon Wilson’s catches is lionfish. Lionfish, also known as pterois, are carnivorous fish that are native to the Indo-Pacific, yet certain species of the lionfish genus have recently been established as invasive in the Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, and parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Lionfish are characterized by their venomous fin rays, white or maroon stripes covering their head and body, and unique tentacles. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this invasive species has the potential to harm reef ecosystems because they are an apex predator that competes for food and space with overfished native stocks such as snapper and grouper. Scientists fear that lionfish will also kill off helpful species such as algae-eating parrotfish, allowing seaweed to overtake the reefs. In the U.S., the lionfish population is continuing to grow and increase its range. This is largely because lionfish have no known predators and reproduce all year long; a mature female releases roughly two million eggs a year. In 2010, NOAA began a campaign to encourage the consumption of the fish. The “Lionfish as Food” campaign encourages human hunting of the fish as the only form of control known to date. Encouraging the consumption of lionfish could not only help to maintain a reasonable population density, but also provide an alternative fishing source to overfished populations.

Click HERE to read the full article on InJupiter Magazine