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A guest on The Joe Rogan Experience shared the terrifying moment he came face-to-face with a massive fish, describing it as being “the size of a cow.”
Garrett Reisman, an engineer and former NASA astronaut, is someone you could call the real-life equivalent of SpongeBob SquarePants—except instead of flipping burgers, he spent weeks living at the bottom of the ocean.
Reisman recently opened up about his unique experience and the chilling encounter he had while staying 60 feet beneath the surface in a submarine-like home off the coast of Key Largo, Florida.
Living on the Seabed
Speaking to Joe Rogan, Reisman described his time underwater, which he said was all in the name of science. He explained that while it sounds adventurous, it came with its own set of challenges—and a few frights.
One of the more unusual aspects of his underwater stay involved using the toilet. Reisman revealed that he had to swim out to a small underwater gazebo to, as he put it, “go number two.” But there was a catch: fish in the area had become a bit too familiar with this routine.
“They go there knowing you’re gonna poop?” Rogan asked.
Reisman laughed and replied, “As soon as you drop in the water at night, it’s like the dinner bell going off because this is feeding time.”
A Terrifying Encounter
While discussing life underwater, Reisman shared his most terrifying moment, which happened during one of his nighttime trips to the underwater restroom.
“You’re in the pitch-black Atlantic Ocean, 60 feet down, with no scuba tank,” he began, painting a vivid picture of the eerie environment. “The sound of the ocean is lapping against the dome, and you’re staring into this endless black void.”
Reisman admitted his imagination got the best of him during these moments, recalling scenes from scary ocean movies like Jaws and The Abyss.
He continued, “After I finished, I put my mask back on, took a big breath, and went down. When I opened my eyes in the darkness, with my flashlight, I saw this huge eyeball right in front of me—about the size of a saucer.”
The sight of the unblinking eye startled him so much that he panicked and bolted back to his underwater home, screaming as he surfaced.
His crew rushed to his aid, thinking he’d been bitten by a shark. Instead, Reisman explained the situation, shouting, “Giant f***ing fish!”
What Was It?
As it turned out, the creature that had spooked him was a goliath grouper, one of the largest fish species in the ocean.
These massive creatures can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh as much as 455 kilograms—about the size of a grand piano. With its immense size and saucer-like eyes, it’s easy to see why the encounter left such a strong impression.
While Reisman’s underwater adventures are undeniably fascinating, his stories serve as a reminder of how mysterious and intimidating the deep sea can be.
As for anyone considering living underwater, well, you might want to think twice. Even for £1 million, it might not be worth coming face-to-face with creatures from the abyss.
