WHAT was supposed to be another ordinary diving and spear fishing expedition became one of the most memorable days in the life of Dr. Francois Claassens who caught a 6-ft. long grouper at a depth of 90 ft. from sea level.
“This is one of the most wonderful fishing meccas in the world,” he said. “It’s very reassuring to know that this type of fish is still found here.”
The grouper, a fish locally known as gadao, weighed about 250 lbs. and was caught somewhere in the northern part of Saipan at around 11 a.m. on May 28.
“It was at about 90 ft. deep when I saw it. I speared it in the spine, and my two friends assisted me in retrieving the fish,” said Claassens, an emergency room doctor at the Commonwealth Health Center.
The 48-year-old Claassens of South Africa has been an active free diver for 20 years now.
Claassens was with a visiting friend from South Africa, Adrian Kriel, and Felix Sasamoto of Saipan when he caught the extraordinary large fish whose scientific name is Ephinephelus octofasciatus.
“Adrian would be telling his friends in South Africa about this experience, and this may bring more foreign visitors here,” Claassens said.
