Goliath grouper aggregation

[diveprof]

Is it getting close to the time for the Goliath Grouper spawning?

 

[Johnoly]

Yes and then a 'Maybe'

So I dove Jupiter Tuesday Aug 24th which was the full moon expecting hundreds. Saw about 40-50 on the Jupiter Zion and absolutely zero on the Hole in the wall. This is still really cool since only 9 Goliath's regularly call the Zion a permanent home.

Good friend Mike Phelan, well known Goliath Specialist, said it's really the NEW MOON, that has them frisky. The new Moon phase is scheduled for this coming Wednesday night, Sept 8th. Mike said they spawn at night, but I'm not diving Jupiter as night as it scares me with stuff that goes bump.

About 4 years ago I saw over 150 of them all lined up side by side on the deep ledge by the hole and it was one of my top 10 lifetime fish sightings. It was the most unforgettable sight I've ever seen.

So I'm scheduled on the Emerald Charters boat with a 29% mix and going deep on Wednesday to search for them on the deep ledge, camera in hand. We'll also hit the Zion and others too.

But call any of the Jupiter boats like Jupiter Dive Center, or Scuba Work's Blue Tang since they will be making trips too. If you miss Wednesday 9/8 and just before the New Moon Event, well you know what they say when the party is over and the ____ lady sings !!!

 

[Glock Diver]

Goliaths get aggressive?

 

[deek8525]

How long do the groupers hang about the reefs and wrecks. We are coming over from Scotland again, late december before we will get in some diving
Only seen the odd one while diving, would love to see a whole bunch of them at the one time

 

[Johnoly]

.......late december before we will get in some diving
Only seen the odd one while diving, would love to see a whole bunch of them at the one time

If you want to see a 'whole bunch' you'll need to come to Jupiter in around the beginning of September. In the December timeframe that will always be a hand full of 5-10 around the Tunnels and Hole-in-the-Wall dive sites.

So do you want to see what I mean by a 'whole bunch' ??????. I shot this Yesterday, Watch this:

YouTube - gg0910

 

[DebbyDiver]

What wreck was that?

 

[ScubaBrett22]

We are diving the M/V Castor this weekend last weekend we dove it and say 40-50 of them and we expect to see the same amount or more like last weekend. I will post a thread and some pictures!!

 

[Shcubasteve]

GG are boring to me- seen one, ya seen them all kind of thing... Here is a video from a night dive last year on the Corridor wrecks of Palm Beach

YouTube - shcubasteve1's Channel

 

[sportxlh]

If you want to see a 'whole bunch' you'll need to come to Jupiter in around the beginning of September. In the December timeframe that will always be a hand full of 5-10 around the Tunnels and Hole-in-the-Wall dive sites.

So do you want to see what I mean by a 'whole bunch' ??????. I shot this Yesterday, Watch this:

YouTube - gg0910

That almost looks like the MG 111 where I shot this video last year

YouTube - sportxlh1's Channel

 

[sportxlh]

How long do the groupers hang about the reefs and wrecks. We are coming over from Scotland again, late december before we will get in some diving
Only seen the odd one while diving, would love to see a whole bunch of them at the one time

You can still see GGs in December, but they probably won't be in big groups like they are now during spawning season. In Jupiter, I see a couple on most dives: aside from spawning season, I rarely see more than 2 together on a reef and rarely see more than 4 or so on a wreck. That is just my experience.

On the way back from Dry Tortugas this last June: I did see large schools of GG on the Baja California wreck (south west of Naples) and on a radio relay tower west of Naples. It was not spawning season, but there were a lot of them together.