Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[BrackaFish]

Those shots are awesome! I'm taking my newly certified teenage kids to Blue heron this weekend. I know it will be super crowded, but I think it will be a super cool first saltwater dive for my kids. thanks for posting the pics.

If you get the chance, give us a report on what your kids thought of the dive. I am always interested in how new divers see things with fresh eyes. Be safe

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

The "pier" is the fishing pier, on the westside. For whatever reason very few people dive the area immediately north of the pier.

Intetested in hearing more. I've ventured north a little over the years, but really just seems to be a lot of sand, not much of anything else.

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 1015 for a 1234 high tide. Plenty of good parking when arrived. Snorkeled the trail for 45 minutes. Did a REEF fish count 50 species in 45 minutes. Visibility on the snorkel trail at that time was 50ft and sea temp 86f. When I returned to my truck at 1115 there was still plenty of good parking. Unlike Tuesday and Wednesday I was not left asking myself, does anybody in Florida have to work? Entered the water on the westside at 1125, I didn't exit the water until 1415. Did a REEF fish count 69 species in 85 minutes, and again like yesterday I was distracted with a lot wide angle shooting,. In this case it was the Yellowfin Mojarra grouped together over the sand the way that they do. After doing wide angle of Mojarra I started heading back towards the exit point, but again like yesterday I was dazzled by the large school of Scaled Sardine surrounding the first set of bridge stanchions. I was unhappy with the all the videos I did yesterday, so I stuck with taking stills today. It was funny to see 2 macro photographers is the midst of the baitball. Its tough to get good wide angles to portray what the baitball looks like, macro rigs are just not up to the task. The Short Bigeye is still in the same place. Respectively, Barbfish, Pair of Highhats, Juvenile Spotted Trunk, Purplemouth Moray, Scaled Sardine -Scaled Sardine8, Yellowfin Mojarra with a Bluerunner Buddy, Yellowfin Mojarra1, and Yellowfin Mojarra.

 

[Pipehorse]

I did not go to BHB today because I knew it would be a zoo, besides I went on Tues - Fri of this week, I though it would be fair to leave a parking space for somebody that doesn't get a chance to dive as much as I am fortunate to do. Went to the bridge for diving yesterday (Friday 09-01-22). After collecting my tanks from Pura Vida, arrived at 1050 for a 1325 high tide, the park was not crowded. About the time I was ready to go snorkeling at 1115 the parking lot was filling rapidly. Considering it was the Friday before a three day weekend I figured this might be the case, thus arriving as early as I did. It was an absolutely brilliant sunny day, granted it was a little warm, but it was definitely one of those days for confirmation bias of those who reside in the sunshine state. Did a REEF fish count on snorkel 50 species in 50 minutes. By the time I was done snorkeling at 1205 and returning to my truck the park was very crowded. Suited up for scuba diving, entered the westside at 1225. Visibility on the snorkel trail was 50ft, with sea temp of 86f. Visibility was slightly reduced on the westside more like 40ft. Did a REEF fish count 70 species in 80 minutes, the Short Bigeye is still in residence. Did a circuit under the pier, went north of pier for a little bit, returned to between the pier and the channel barrier (a location I call the fish bowl). Continued between the solid bridge stanchion and the channel barrier, turned east meandered around the bridge pilings and exited on the west side at 1500 (the parking lot was mostly empty). Another 2.5 hour dive, I could not help myself, wide angle subjects abounded. I always get excited to see a species of fish I have not seen before, it pretty much makes the whole dive worth it every time. In this instance it was not a new species of fish, it was a new species of squid. In the same area I did video of squid early this week was a group of nine. I tied off the flag and go busy, the squid were not cooperating for video saw I switched to stills. Then I noticed one them was just a little different than the others. It was thinner, and its fins did not extend the length of its mantle (body before tentacles). Tentatively it is a Northern Shortfin Squid, Palm Beach County is a little south of its normal range, according to NOAA. I am including a bunch of shore pictures as well (because it was so damn nice that day!) Respectively, Blue Runners, Blue Stripe Grunt, Blue Stirpe Grunt1, Bunched Up Scaled Sardines, Shooting Up Scaled Sardines, Shooting Up Scaled Sardines1, Caribeean Reef Squid, Caribbean Reef Squid, Northern Shortfin Squid, Northern Shortfin Squid, Spotfin Butterfly, entry on the west facing east, female Bluethroat Pikeblenny, snorkel entry east facing west.

 

[Johnoly]

Bunched Up Scaled Sardines,

View attachment 741606

I have this time of year marked on my calendar for BHB specifically for Your Picture Above. When the BaZillions of silversides move in I can almost just stay in one spot and watch them for an hour. It's so cool how fast an acre of fish can move without crashing into each other. In my book,, this is one nugget of the BHB treasure chest & why it needs protection !! Great shot!!

 

[Pipehorse]

I have this time of year marked on my calendar for BHB specifically for Your Picture Above. When the BaZillions of silversides move in I can almost just stay in one spot and watch them for an hour. It's so cool how fast an acre of fish can move without crashing into each other. In my book,, this is one nugget of the BHB treasure chest & why it needs protection !! Great shot!!

What's even more fun is when a big school of Crevalle Jacks move in on the sardines! Last year I was exiting the westside when that happened. I had 8lb Crevalle Jacks darting between my legs to get at sardines.

 

[PBcatfish]

I've been seeing A LOT of moon Jellyfish (probably not the correct official name) in that area lately. How has everyone been dealing with them?

 

[johndiver999]

Moon is the correct term, Aurelia aurita

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I've been seeing A LOT of moon Jellyfish (probably not the correct official name) in that area lately. How has everyone been dealing with them?

Cover up and keep them out of my face. I never dive without being fully covered ... wetsuit and hood. All that is exposed are parts of my face not covered by my mask and hood. All I have to worry about is to not take a jellyfish to the face!

 

[PBcatfish]

For the last several months, I've been diving this area in just shorts, and sometimes maybe a sun shirt. I had one of those big round pink jellyfish brush across my bare belly about a week ago when I was working on the bottom of a boat in about 2 knots of current. It felt like about 50 or 60 pins & needles pricking me as he dragged across my bare skin, but the stings weren't nearly as strong as I have gotten from other types of jellyfish. The difference was probably about 50:1. I'm wondering if a dive skin is enough to keep those things off me. A real full suit is a little warm for this time of year down here. Even a 1mm suit is warmer than I really want right now.