Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[MrChen]

I dove last night, 9/13, night dive sponsored by Force-E. HT was 8:19PM. I arrived a little after 6p and was able to get parking at the sidewalk, in the middle of the beach. There were divers there, but it wasn't really crowded. Force-E was doing a guided dive, and there was a group from Orlando. I saw few other divers in the parking lot, but definitely not crowded. I entered the water at 7:20, 15 ft off the beach I see an Oxynoe antillarum. I stayed in the 5-9 ft depth range and went east, staying with sea grass until the bend where the boat is. I poked around on the rocks on the bend and found some nudis. Then drifted back to the sea grass area before exiting. I dove for about 130 minutes. I had an HP120, I could have done another 90 minutes, but it was getting late. Upon surfacing, I could see that no one else was in the water, so I made my exit.

Hopefully I'll resolve why my pics keep getting taken down automatically.

Oxynoe antillarum

Hermaea cruciata

Lobiger souverbii

A Halloween party of Skeleton Shrimp

Skeleton Shrimp

 

[MrChen]

Flabellina

Lobiger souverbii

Limonandra nodosa - Found about 5 of these in a 2 ft area

Can someone help with an ID on this guy?

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I think its a banded blenny..??

 

[MrChen]

I think its a banded blenny..??

You're the 2nd person saying that. The picture in my 3rd edition Reef Fish Identification book was no help. Thanks!

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

ya mean.. I'm right?

 

[MrChen]

ya mean.. I'm right?

I immediately assumed you were right, I just can't tell you that. Crqp, I just did.

 

[MrChen]

@Scuba_Jenny, I almost sent you a picture that I took randomly at some hydroids to check the lighting of my strobes. As I was clicking to delete it, I noticed a skeleton shrimp in the bottom right. LOL

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0735 for a 0915 high tide. The park was not crowded. Snorkeled the trail before diving to do a REEF survey, 54 species in 55 minutes. Visibility was 35ft, sea temp was 86f. When I snorkel the trail prior to high tide, I usually walk to the east. I enter the water halfway between the bridge abutment and the stairs leading to the the street. I swim directly south to intercept one of the snorkel trail modules, and then drift with the current to the west. Once Hammerhead Statues are reached, I turn north and exit at the western most part of the beach. I sometimes linger in the shallow water between the western most bridge land pylon, and the pylon to the east. This has always been one of the best spots for adding species that I have not seen before, or for species that are not recorded at all in the REEF database, or not recorded for BHB in REEF database. Today I got a new one! A small Bonefish! The Bonefish is most commonly reported in Bonaire, 4,900 times out of 31,500 surveys. However in Florida, it has only been reported 22 times out of 49,800 surveys.

Entered the west side on scuba at 0840. Meandered through the bridge pilings and under the pier. Did a REEF fish count of 64 species in 65 minutes. Observed a Plumed Scorpionfish that was half buried in the sand. Not a usual behavior for Scorpionfish. Bonefish on snorkel gets outstanding of the day, nothing on scuba compared. Respectively,

 

[Jaan]

Went to the bridge

For some reason this one reminds me of @MrChen collections . Turtle grass anemones we were told

We got new seavision masks with optics that actually let us see these tiny macro subjects. Now we hope to see some of those skeleton shrimps too.

Coming home and looking these up we came to find out these little guys contain stinging capsules (nematocysts) with venom that can cause pain and nerve damage to humans.. hmmm

 

[PBcatfish]

...Today I got a new one! A small Bonefish! .View attachment 802642View attachment 802646

There's a population of adult bonefish about 2 miles from the bridge. They are hard to find in Florida but common in the Bahamas.

That's a great shot of the file, hog & cudas. I don't normally see those three in the same place at the same time & certainly not in the shallows.