PLT OF SMA AT CRUISE HAS NMAC WITH A FISH SPOTTING ACFT WHICH IS NOT AT THE ALT ISSUED AS TFC.

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THIS WAS TO BE A SIGHT-SEEING FLT FROM NORFOLK; VA; TO CURRITUCK; NC; ALONG THE VIRGINIA BEACH SHORELINE. PRIOR TO DEP; I CONSULTED MY FLT INSTRUCTOR REGARDING ALTS USED FOR BANNER TOWING; ETC; WITHIN THAT AREA. I THEN CHOSE 2500 FT AGL FOR MY CRUISE ALT FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1) PROVIDE 1000 FT OF VERT SEPARATION WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE LCL AIR TFC; 2) EASIER TRANSITION WITH NAS OCEANA'S AIRSPACE; AND 3) PROVIDE CLRNC OVER WILDLIFE REFUGE TO THE S. PRIOR TO DEP; I WAS ASSIGNED A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE BY NORFOLK CLRNC. I TOOK OFF ON RWY 5; TURNED TO THE E AND CONTACTED THE DEP CTLR. JUST PRIOR TO MY PLANNED TURN TO THE S; I WAS CONTACTED BY THE DEP CTLR TO INQUIRE HOW FAR OFFSHORE I WOULD PROCEED BEFORE TURNING TO THE S. I REPLIED APPROX 1/2 MI AND WAS THEN INFORMED BY THE CTLR THAT HE WOULD 'TAKE CARE OF MY HDOF WITH OCEANA.' WHILE MAINTAINING MY VISUAL SCAN; I SAW A SHADOW MOVING OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE. I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT AT THE TIME; UNTIL ANOTHER ACFT CALLED OVER THE RADIO ASKING FOR THE TAIL NUMBER OF THE ACFT THAT HAS JUST PASSED ABOUT 150 FT IN FRONT OF HIM. TO THIS POINT; I HAD NOT OBSERVED ANY OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA. I DID ACQUIRE ANOTHER ACFT AT MY 12:30-1 O'CLOCK POS AT 3000 FT AND ABOUT 6 MI A COUPLE MINS LATER AND ENSURED THAT THERE WAS ADEQUATE SEPARATION. AFTER CLRING THE WILDLIFE REFUGE; I CONTACTED THE CTLR FOR A FREQ CHANGE AND BEGAN MY DSCNT INTO CURRITUCK. THE FOLLOWING DAY; I CONTACTED THE CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR AT THE FBO WHERE MY ACFT WAS RENTED. SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD SPOKEN TO THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT AND DESCRIBED TO ME THAT HE HAD ROLLED OUT OF A TURN TO THE W AT 2500 FT AGL AND FOUND MY ACFT APPROX 150 FT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM (THIS WOULD HAVE PUT HIS ACFT DIRECTLY AT MY 9 O'CLOCK POS) AND THAT HE IMMEDIATELY TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A COLLISION. I WAS ALSO INFORMED BY THE CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS INVOLVED IN FISH SPOTTING OPS AT THE TIME; 1000 FT ABOVE THE ALT THAT I WAS PREVIOUSLY INFORMED OF. I FIGURE HE HAS JUST AS MUCH RIGHT TO BE THERE AS I DID; BUT IT WOULD BE NICE IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF PUBLISHED; LCL SOP FOR AIR TFC OPERATING IN THIS AREA.