Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[Divin'Papaw]

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.

Not for some of us! I'm never in less than a 2.5mm fullsuit and I'm absolutely comfortable. If I'm doing 4 dives in a day, I will even wear a sharkskin hooded vest underneath. I get cold easily and absolutely HATE being cold. But that's just me. I realize others have a different cold/heat tolerance. I would think a skin would be enough to keep them from stinging you.

 

[adurso]

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.

A skin is enough, the cnidocytes fire a small stinger, not really enough to penetrate a skin.

Or, at least that has been my experience.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I am forever cold, and will get cold on the longer dives, but most of mine are under 2hrs lately and I am not getting cold with just a 1mm pullover with leggins. Yes, I am coverd b/c of the jellies..

 

[PBcatfish]

I saw far fewer jellyfish at high tide this morning.

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0800 for 0758 high tide. The park was not crowded and blessedly quiet. Entered the water on the westside at 0820. Visibility was a cloudy 30ft, sea temp 86f. The Scaled Sardine bait ball was not surrounding one of the bridge pillars as it had been last week. The Short Bigeye from last week was also not there. Did a REEF fish survey 65 species in 70 minutes. I observed a pair of Frillfins, exact species unknown to me at this time. Checked my pictures against STRI, and the books I have at home, no such luck identifying them. Northern Shortfin Squid is still hanging out in the same location as last week, with 8 Caribbean Reef Squid. On Wednesday and Thursday the tide at the bridge was just to early for me to even use the snorkel trail. So instead I checked out the Mitigation Reef on Singer Island (snorkeling), I have included some videos from there. Respectively, First Frillfin of the pair, first Frillfin of the pair, second Frillfin of the pair, second Frillfin of the pair, second Frillfin of the pair, Spotted Trunkfish, Spotted Trunkfish, Caribbean Reef Squid Video, Northern Shortfin Squid Video, Jack Crevalle at Singer Island Mitigation Reef, Green Sea Turtle at Singer Island Mitigation Reef.

 

[Six Feet Under]

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.

I didn't have any issues with them just wearing a long-sleeve fishing shirt, but I did catch one in the face last Saturday while scootering out to the Copenhagen off LBTS with my buddy... wasn't the worst experience of my life, but definitely not a great one either. Not sure how I didn't see it floating along right in front of me, but as soon as I turned my head back forward (from looking left), everything got very cloudy and all the sudden my forehead, right side of my face, and the back of my neck was low-key on fire... made for a good laugh later though!

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0800 for 0758 high tide. The park was not crowded and blessedly quiet. Entered the water on the westside at 0820. Visibility was a cloudy 30ft, sea temp 86f. The Scaled Sardine bait ball was not surrounding one of the bridge pillars as it had been last week. The Short Bigeye from last week was also not there. Did a REEF fish survey 65 species in 70 minutes. I observed a pair of Frillfins, exact species unknown to me at this time. Checked my pictures against STRI, and the books I have at home, no such luck identifying them. Northern Shortfin Squid is still hanging out in the same location as last week, with 8 Caribbean Reef Squid. On Wednesday and Thursday the tide at the bridge was just to early for me to even use the snorkel trail. So instead I checked out the Mitigation Reef on Singer Island (snorkeling), I have included some videos from there. Respectively, First Frillfin of the pair, first Frillfin of the pair, second Frillfin of the pair, second Frillfin of the pair, second Frillfin of the pair, Spotted Trunkfish, Spotted Trunkfish, Caribbean Reef Squid Video, Northern Shortfin Squid Video, Jack Crevalle at Singer Island Mitigation Reef, Green Sea Turtle at Singer Island Mitigation Reef. View attachment 742818View attachment 742819

The spotted trunkfish looks odd colored. Very yellow.. and I thought the dots were more round not odd shaped.

 

[Pipehorse]

The spotted trunkfish looks odd colored. Very yellow.. and I thought the dots were more round not odd shaped.

It's a juvenile.

 

[PBcatfish]

I saw a fish by the bridge that I didn't recognize the other day. It had the body shape of a cuda or a king mackerel, with the colors of a gag grouper, but the markings were in larger patches. I didn't get a good look at the head, but it was different from a cuda or a king. It was not as pointy. The fish was about 3' long. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

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