⌛ Face to Face with Huge Trigger Fish

The other day while snorkeling with my Explorer 22 spear gun, in 20 feet water in Cebu side Tanon Strait, I observed a large Trigger in approx 40 feet water. I floated as I was watching it, soon it swam directly to me, and hovered 3 feet from me, my speargun was pointed directly at his front.

We stared one another, I could see two large front teeth, after a few moment the fish, turned right, which gave me a side view. Not sure his intentions I fired. To my surprise the spear bounced off its side, 3 feet away. It must have armor plating.

The day before I saw 10 foot whale shark swimming South, in shallow water, moving with the current. I cant imagine all the sea life in the local waters.

Any divers or snorkelers ever attacked by Trigger fish?

 

Yes, and I know more divers with similar experiences as me.
Don't trust a trigger fish. He can attack instantly and swivels from left to right, up to down.....very difficult to keep your body faced to his mouth with those damned sharp teeth.
I once had filmed a big trigger fish on very short distance when he was blowing fresh water towards his eggs. That was loooong time ago. Now I'm much more carefull.
Yes I have been bitten (in Sabang-the Philippines) after a scary pursuit by the trigger fish (no, not by me !:D , I only 'hunt' with my camera).
From all different sides he wanted to attack me and I succeeded quite some time to 'scare him away' from me by using my fins and camera housing.
All the divers in my neighbourhood were laughing (constant flow of ascending airbubbles from there mouthpieces ) looking to my long fight with this attacker.
I was nearly exhausted, so long it took.
Bite 'scars' in both of my fins and a wound in my arm (luckily not too deep, but the fin-'scars' did shiver me.