While vacationing in Albania one summer during middle school, senior Glendon Markollari saw people spearfishing and decided to take it up as a hobby.
The type of spearfishing Markollari participates in involves getting in the water, equipped with a speargun and a wetsuit, ready to shoot a target. Once the fish has been shot, the fisher goes underwater to retrieve their catch.
“I like that [this type of fishing] is more active than regular fishing. Instead of just sitting in a boat, waiting for something to happen, you’re actually in the water doing something at all times,” Markollari said. “It actually requires a degree of strength because there is swimming involved, and if you shoot something big enough, it can actually be really heavy and difficult to retrieve.”
Markollari travels around the world to spearfish.
“I’ve gone in Albania with my cousins who live over there. I’ve also gone in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Turks and Caicos. Pretty much everytime I go somewhere tropical, I try to make time to go fishing,” Markollari said.
Although Markollari does not remember how many fish he has caught, he has been able to catch creatures that are not typically caught by most fishermen.
“My biggest accomplishment so far has been catching an octopus. It’s definitely the most unique thing I have caught and was also the biggest,” Markollari said.
Markollari has seen success, but he does not always make the catch.
“It’s disappointing when you don’t catch something, but it’s not as bad as normal fishing because you get a whole experience with it instead of literally nothing happening that day,” Markollari said.
Despite the difficulties, Markollari keeps going back to the sport.
“I love how different it is, no one else really does it. The uniqueness of it really makes it worth it,” Markollari said.