For days I been going around abandoned reef spamming my target macro while looking at the minimap. Not once have I seen it or caught a glimpse of anything.
Is he still out there??
He is. You have to take your time while searching though, he is known to burrow underground and his dot and icon will disappear from the map and UI. What I suggest is getting NPC scan add-on if you don't already have it. It will just simply detect his presence and go off when he is near. Makes him a lot easier to find, along with the other rares. Just make sure you clear your cache after it has him logged if someone else happens to beat you to taming him.
But that add-on is more than worth getting, especially for huntersBut if you choose not to get it, simply give it time when swimming around that area. You only have a few seconds (maybe 30?) when he is above the ground...simply enough time to find him and tame him as quickly as possible before he vanishes back into the ground and pops up elsewhere.