Trip Report Florida Dive Trip June 27 to July 7, 2020

[tarponchik]

We are at Ocean Point

We were at Sand Dunes, a bit closer to BHB. Just got back home on Monday.

 

[Trailboss123]

OK- DAY 6 is now over. It was quite the day!
2 morning and 2 afternoon dives. On the boat for our two morning dives were my group of six (doing our thing) + a mom and her two teenage boys and their instructor. We had Captain Jim drop us off for the first dive on the outside reef fingers of Delray Ledges. We made our way over a number of fingers in mild current and 65 foot visibility before angling NW and landing on the west side ledge and then traveling north before finishing up at Tumble Rocks. It was a very pleasant dive with visibility probably closer to 80 feet and incrementally lessening throughout the dive. The current turned back north today, but it was very mild. Saw much of what we have been seeing the last 6 days. Loggerheads and green turtles still abound.

The 2nd AM dive was at Boynton Ledge. We just cruised along happily north with the mild current snapping photos. Highlights were some juvenile spotted drums and then a little cutout in the reef where two High Hats and two adult spotted drums shared space together flittering about. We have seen lots of green morays on this trip. Nearly every dive.

Afternoon dives took us to Horseshoe up north first. The water was greener and the visibility was down, but to be honest, we thought it was the best dive of the week. (well, with a caveat to come later on dive 4 today). We encountered no less than 12 huge Loggerheads and green turtles on this dive alone. We ran into literally thousands of grunts (4 different species) schooling together in the Horseshoe. We saw green morays, spotted morays, Burrfish, porcupine fish, schooling spadefish. I always fail to mention the various angel fish varieties since they are so prevalent, but they are truly wonderful and extremely hubcap sized large along the gulf stream (especially the french and queen).

The last dive of the day was at one of Captain Alex's favorites and according to him, also a favorite of @scubadada and well known to him.
Another site that is not dived regularly, due to mixed groups, but since we had the boat to ourselves, Alex accommodated.
He calls it Table Tops- The Rock. It is just north of Lynn's Reef and it was just as spectacular as he described it. I won't boor you with the details of what a great dive site this is and all that you will see (including a resident goliath grouper), the thing that made this dive truly exceptional today was a very rare encounter with what was apparently a very hungry and animated 7 foot nurse shark. Some in our group had culled a few lionfish along the dive and about 30 minutes into the dive we happened upon a nurse shark or he/she happened upon us. Not sure yet.
Long story short, this shark circled us, pursued us and bumped us and brushed us and nipped at us for the next 20 minutes trying to get at the lionfish catch. We had to use fins and lion fish sticks to keep her at bay. We decided to cut the dive short, give up the lionfish (sort of) and ascend, it was that odd and weird.

I might be able to post some video later. I haven't had a chance to download photos yet. Getting late right now and need to retire. Back at it tomorrow for 2 morning dives from Riviera Beach before driving south to Key Largo for 4 days of wreck and reef dives.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Trailboss123

My dive at Horseshoe on June 15th was very similar to yours, lot's and lot's of Loggerheads, more grunt in the Horseshoe bowl than I have ever seen. I had a Bull Shark on the backside at the start of my ascent.

Table Tops is indeed one of my favorite dives in Boynton Beach. I've never had a Nurse Shark behave like that, but, when I cull Lionfish, I do not keep them. Did you make it to the finger, the jump, the island?

 

[Trailboss123]

Hi @Trailboss123
My dive at Horseshoe on June 15th was very similar to yours, lot's and lot's of Loggerheads, more grunt in the Horseshoe bowl than I have ever seen. I had a Bull Shark on the backside at the start of my ascent.

Table Tops is indeed one of my favorite dives in Boynton Beach. I've never had a Nurse Shark behave like that, but, when I cull Lionfish, I do not keep them. Did you make it to the finger, the jump, the island?

I am not sure where we made it to exactly. There was no current at all, so we didn't quite make it to the jump, but we were very close.

 

[Catito]

OK- DAY 6 is now over. It was quite the day!
2 morning and 2 afternoon dives. On the boat for our two morning dives were my group of six (doing our thing) + a mom and her two teenage boys and their instructor. We had Captain Jim drop us off for the first dive on the outside reef fingers of Delray Ledges. We made our way over a number of fingers in mild current and 65 foot visibility before angling NW and landing on the west side ledge and then traveling north before finishing up at Tumble Rocks. It was a very pleasant dive with visibility probably closer to 80 feet and incrementally lessening throughout the dive. The current turned back north today, but it was very mild. Saw much of what we have been seeing the last 6 days. Loggerheads and green turtles still abound.

The 2nd AM dive was at Boynton Ledge. We just cruised along happily north with the mild current snapping photos. Highlights were some juvenile spotted drums and then a little cutout in the reef where two High Hats and two adult spotted drums shared space together flittering about. We have seen lots of green morays on this trip. Nearly every dive.

Afternoon dives took us to Horseshoe up north first. The water was greener and the visibility was down, but to be honest, we thought it was the best dive of the week. (well, with a caveat to come later on dive 4 today). We encountered no less than 12 huge Loggerheads and green turtles on this dive alone. We ran into literally thousands of grunts (4 different species) schooling together in the Horseshoe. We saw green morays, spotted morays, Burrfish, porcupine fish, schooling spadefish. I always fail to mention the various angel fish varieties since they are so prevalent, but they are truly wonderful and extremely hubcap sized large along the gulf stream (especially the french and queen).

The last dive of the day was at one of Captain Alex's favorites and according to him, also a favorite of @scubadada and well known to him.
Another site that is not dived regularly, due to mixed groups, but since we had the boat to ourselves, Alex accommodated.
He calls it Table Tops- The Rock. It is just north of Lynn's Reef and it was just as spectacular as he described it. I won't boor you with the details of what a great dive site this is and all that you will see (including a resident goliath grouper), the thing that made this dive truly exceptional today was a very rare encounter with what was apparently a very hungry and animated 7 foot nurse shark. Some in our group had culled a few lionfish along the dive and about 30 minutes into the dive we happened upon a nurse shark or he/she happened upon us. Not sure yet.
Long story short, this shark circled us, pursued us and bumped us and brushed us and nipped at us for the next 20 minutes trying to get at the lionfish catch. We had to use fins and lion fish sticks to keep her at bay. We decided to cut the dive short, give up the lionfish (sort of) and ascend, it was that odd and weird.

I might be able to post some video later. I haven't had a chance to download photos yet. Getting late right now and need to retire. Back at it tomorrow for 2 morning dives from Riviera Beach before driving south to Key Largo for 4 days of wreck and reef dives.

Sounds great. Glad you are seeing some of Florida’s best sites.

 

[Trailboss123]

I am going to circle back later to report on yesterday's last dives in West Palm Beach. I have a lot of things to process before posting on that. So, be patient.

Today we had 4 really great wreck dives in Key Largo. We are diving with Horizon Divers. Based on today's experience, and all of our communication leading up to today, I cannot speak more highly of them. Everything was on point!

We dived the Duane this morning (2 dives); followed by 2 afternoon dives on the Spiegel Grove. Absolutely epic dives. We were blessed! The Duane had 100 foot blue water viz and no current to speak of. The Spiegel Grove had 60 foot viz, - Current at depth was negligible and moderate current at safety stop depth.

What a great day on the ocean. 4 sharks, schooling barracudas, tons of various tropicals, Giant Trevallies...

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I am going to circle back later to report on yesterday's last dives in West Palm Beach. I have a lot of things to process before posting on that. So, be patient.

Today we had 4 really great wreck dives in Key Largo. We are diving with Horizon Divers. Based on today's experience, and all of our communication leading up to today, I cannot speak more highly of them. Everything was on point!

We dived the Duane this morning (2 dives); followed by 2 afternoon dives on the Spiegel Grove. Absolutely epic dives. We were blessed! The Duane had 100 foot blue water viz and no current to speak of. The Spiegel Grove had 60 foot viz, - Current at depth was negligible and moderate current at safety stop depth.

What a great day on the ocean. 4 sharks, schooling barracudas, tons of various tropicals, Giant Trevallies...

Horizon is awesome. I did my Trimix training with Dan Dawson the owner. Great shop & great crew.

 

[scubadada]

I am going to circle back later to report on yesterday's last dives in West Palm Beach. I have a lot of things to process before posting on that. So, be patient.

Today we had 4 really great wreck dives in Key Largo. We are diving with Horizon Divers. Based on today's experience, and all of our communication leading up to today, I cannot speak more highly of them. Everything was on point!

We dived the Duane this morning (2 dives); followed by 2 afternoon dives on the Spiegel Grove. Absolutely epic dives. We were blessed! The Duane had 100 foot blue water viz and no current to speak of. The Spiegel Grove had 60 foot viz, - Current at depth was negligible and moderate current at safety stop depth.

What a great day on the ocean. 4 sharks, schooling barracudas, tons of various tropicals, Giant Trevallies...

Hi @Trailboss123

Wow, I've done many dives on the Duane and have never had the combination of the great visibility and the lack of current that you had yesterday. You were in the right place, at the right time, for one of my favorite wreck dives. Were you on the CheecaView or the Pisces?

 

[Trailboss123]

Day 9- US Independence Day in Key Largo. We went out for two morning dives on the Spiegel Grove followed by two reef dives on Elbow Reef.
Once again, conditions have been incredible! We had pancake flat seas. We arrived at the Spiegel Grove and were blessed to moor up on the #6 ball. Visibility was a crystal clear blue and over a hundred feet and no current at all. Never even a consideration about holding on to the mooring line. Just drop and go- It was insane! We had two amazing dives moving in and out and around the wreck. So much diversity of sea life. Water temp was 82-83. We have been diving Nitrox @ 30% - So, MOD is limited, but most of everything we want to see is in the 80-120 foot range anyway; so all good. We never come close to running low on air. We are always NDL limited due to the extended time at depth and residual nitrogen loading on the wrecks.

We took a break from the wrecks and did a couple of afternoon reef dives. They were fun and a great way to off gas. Never dived deeper than 24 feet, so basically two 1 hour safety stops. Great visibility. 85-86 water temps. Lots of typical Caribbean reef fish. A big green moray, some big crabs, etc..

We are back to the wrecks for the remainder of the trip. 4 dives tomorrow and 2 on Monday morning.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Trailboss123

You've hit the jackpot two days in a row, I've never had conditions that good on the Spiegel Grove. Best of luck on your last two days, perhaps you should but a lottery ticket

Do you and your wife and friends like fish tacos? If yes, consider giving them a try at the Galley Restaurant, above Sharkey's Pub, next to one of the Rainbow Reef shops. They have some outdoor dining, or, could prepare to go. Makes my mouth water thinking about them