Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[johndiver999]

Not good

 

[PBcatfish]

Not good

Unfortunately, when they are small like that, they sometimes get mistaken for different types of grouper.

 

[tarponchik]

This week I did 1 dive and lots of snorkeling. I am under impression that the sheer volume of biomass under the bridge has shrinked significantly. There are very few short-needled sea urchins, the number of arrow crabs is maybe 1/10-th of what it used to be and I only saw 1 (one) sea star in 7 days. The same is true for bristle worms. They used to be everywhere but this time I found 1. The hermits and stone crabs I've seen were all small to medium size, no giants. Even the yellow stingrays were hard to find. The only guys who seem to be OK are the angelfishes; apparently, there's still plenty of algae for them to scratch off.

Just an observation.

 

[Johnoly]

.... I am under impression that the sheer volume of biomass under the bridge has shrinked significantly.

You are looking at single day(or even week). Both the bridge and the ocean outside the inlet are seasonal with different species and numbers constantly coming and going. Using your statement as an example, I'll bet you didn't see a single large Manatee during your week/day. Therefore you may state that all the manatees have been killed and their population is in utter peril or Shrinkage. But the bridge is seasonal for almost all species. They come, go, stay, leave for 3 years and return unexpectedly.

This is the true beauty of BHB & the WPB ocean. It is constantly changing and moving and you never know what to expect to find !! (PS> we just had a CAT3 hurricane Erin with 10 foot waves and smart fish didn't stick around to get tossed upside down)

 

[tarponchik]

You are looking at single day(or even week). Both the bridge and the ocean outside the inlet are seasonal with different species and numbers constantly coming and going. Using your statement as an example, I'll bet you didn't see a single large Manatee during your week/day. Therefore you may state that all the manatees have been killed and their population is in utter peril or Shrinkage. But the bridge is seasonal for almost all species. They come, go, stay, leave for 3 years and return unexpectedly.

This is the true beauty of BHB & the WPB ocean. It is constantly changing and moving and you never know what to expect to find !! (PS> we just had a CAT3 hurricane Erin with 10 foot waves and smart fish didn't stick around to get tossed upside down)

Did I mention manatees? No I did not. All the species I've mentioned are not seasonal, I've seen loads of them every time I dived or snorkeled under the bridge (except wintertime, cause I've never dived there later than early November).

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

This week I did 1 dive and lots of snorkeling. I am under impression that the sheer volume of biomass under the bridge has shrinked significantly. There are very few short-needled sea urchins, the number of arrow crabs is maybe 1/10-th of what it used to be and I only saw 1 (one) sea star in 7 days. The same is true for bristle worms. They used to be everywhere but this time I found 1. The hermits and stone crabs I've seen were all small to medium size, no giants. Even the yellow stingrays were hard to find. The only guys who seem to be OK are the angelfishes; apparently, there's still plenty of algae for them to scratch off.

Just an observation.

Ive done a few dives up there recently. Yes, the critters are seasonal. I did find enough critters of each you mentioned to not be concerned. I've seen plenty of cushion sea stars, and many many west indian sea eggs. FWIW, I've done 4 dives there this month, (thought I did more, sure seems like it, but my log book doesn't lie) and another planned for Sunday (god help me..holiday weekend...). Gone both east and west. What I find on one day is often not the case the next trip.
And what I see in abundance this year won't be next. Couple summers ago, there were at least 10 seahorses out in the grassy area. There hasn't been one there since. But, they've been other places. Dwarf froggies are typically seen only January - May, yet somebody found two a week ago.. Go figure.. And where the heck are the striated froggies? summertime they should be everywhere. I haven't seen one in over 6 weeks.

 

[tarponchik]

Not good

Did a dive on Castor and saw up to 8 GGs. During my last dive there in 2021, they were not concerned with the divers at all and allowed for point-blank shooting. This time, however, they were on alert and won't let the divers come anywhere close. I managed to take a single shot and I really had to work my fins to get it.

So, though the math zealots will argue that one dive back then vs one dive now does not make for good stats, I concluded that GGs behavior has changed, and likely because of poaching. They consider divers to be a threat now. The pics below are 2025 vs 2021.

 

[tarponchik]

And what I see in abundance [there] this year won't be [there] next [year].

My point exactly, Jenny

 

[mpar]

My dad and I went back to the bridge over Labor Day weekend. We did one dive guided by @Scuba_Jenny (who found lots of cool stuff as always!) and a few on our own. We saw a seahorse, a few sea goddesses, hydroid lomanotus, a few other nudis, sponge decorator crabs, an elbow crab, a few tongue fish, and lots of other cool stuff.