Blue Heron Bridge 9-2-11

[jdandvalerie]

A great way to start out a Holiday Weekend is a 2 hour 30 minute dive (longest I've done) at the best dive site for consistent macro shots in South Florida: the Blue Heron Bridge. For those that don't know, the Blue Heron Bridge is located in Riviera Beach, on Blue Heron Blvd. The best way to access the dive site without a boat is to park at Phil Foster Park and enter directly from there. Timing is everything. The best profile is to enter the water about one hour before high tide. You then have approximately 2 hours of potential photo opportunities. The reason for this is that as the tide comes in, it brings with it the cleaner ocean waters from the nearby inlet. Be mindful that tidal surge is strong, it's a good idea to stay away from the two bridges that are accessible early on as it can be difficult to set up shots while trying to remain stationary. I recommend a few extra pounds of lead to help. You can't beat a local with good knowledge to point you in the right direction. Shoot me an email if you want specific details, or if I can manage, I'd be happy to join you and show you around.

On this particular day, I was looking for seahorses and frogfish. Unfortunately, the only frogfish I found was in an area I couldn't hit with light, and I didn't spot any seahorses. I was trying out a new 100mm macro. I really like the lens, but it will take a little getting used to compared to our 60mm we usually use and definitely changes composition options.

He was in a can of diet coke...health conscious...
[url=http://jdandvalerie.smugmug.com/DiveLog/9-2-11-BHB/18842222_WkFrVt#1460133560_3pXZrZJ-A-LB][/URL]

This guy wasn't moving for anything...really let me play with settings lighting.


Competing for a home...


Scorpionfish eye


Tube feet of a sea urchin


Star eyed hermit

 

[divengolf]

jd:

Nice photos. You mention the 100mm lens. Is it the Tokina 100mm macro? I have just bought one and am about to get it wet next week. I have a Nikkor 60 mm and borrow my wife's 105 (old style), but wanted one of my own. She always worries about "What if you get it wet?" She doesn't dive.

If it's Tokina, I'd appeciate any tips or insight you might have. I have found very little on the boards about it. Surprised that more folks are not using it, since it's about 50% the cost of a 105VR plus it got a very favorable review from, I believe it was Ken Rockwell.

Were all your posted photos taken with your 100mm?

Also on the BHB, is the diving seasonal or just tide related. I'm going to be in south Florida this winter for a month and plan to come over from Ft. Myers to do some diving. Probably in mid to late January.

Thanks.

Harry

 

[jdandvalerie]

It's the Canon 100mm. I don't have any experience with the Tokina...though I love their fisheye. All of the above photos were with the 100mm.

As far as the BHB, it's completely tide related. Occasionally you will have a few bad days if they happen to be dredging the inlet or if conditions in the ocean are particularly bad, but in general this happens quite rarely. Pick up a tide chart when you come over from one of the local dive shops or just check saltwatertides.com and look for North Palm Beach times. If you do any boat dives, I am mostly on Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures (Deep Obsession) or with Pura Vida Dive shop. Both are excellent boats and you will not go wrong on either. Realistically, all the dive boats out of the marinas in the area are good, I just tend to stick to those two because the crew has become our extended family.

Feel free to shoot me an email when you are headed over. I'll join you at the bridge if I can.

JD

 

[divengolf]

Feel free to shoot me an email when you are headed over. I'll join you at the bridge if I can.
[JD

jd: Thank for the offer. Will do. We'll probably be down in Sanibel around Jan 10, 2012 for 3-4 weeks. I plan to come across the Alley to do some diving for a couple days. I'll email you when I arrive.

Also thanks for the info on diveops. I've heard of Abernathy, but didn't know that he ran a local dive op for the FL coast. I know him from his Bahamas trips.

Dive safe.

Harry

 

[jdandvalerie]

Look forward to hearing from you. Yep, Jim runs 2 boats: shearwater goes to bahamas and deep obsession stays in west palm.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Nice pix