Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[PBcatfish]

I received a prompt reply from Angel Gardner regarding my email. She pointed out to me that there had been a planning meeting for the BHB construction back on July 12, 2022. I do not recall seeing a notice for that meeting, however, I do not live in Florida and could easily have missed it. She wrote that the 2022 meeting was the appropriate meeting for planning and that the recent meeting was designed as informational.

Did anyone here attend the 2022 meeting? I don't find anything about it in this thread but could easily have missed it.

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I frequent the area. I live nearby. I did not know of the first meeting.

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0740 for an 0836 high tide. The park was not crowded, and most cars were parked as far east as people could fit them. I parked on the west side across from the kayak/paddleboard entrance where I usually park. The construction gate opened at 0800. I entered and exited the water on the west side on the beach through the construction gate, nobody gave a seconds notice. As far as I know everybody else entered on the eastside. Sea temp was 78f, and visibility was 35 feet. Did a REEF fish count of 61 species in 65 minutes. Snorkeled the trail after the diving and did another REEF survey. Hit the rare fish trifecta today. Dwarf Wrasse, Dwarf Frogfish, and Coral Scorpionfish. Their observation frequencies from REEF database respectively, are 68/185,000, 54/185,000 and 39/185,000. If we calculated the odds of seeing all three on the basis of those numbers, the odds would be 1 in 46 billion. However there are circumstances that mitigate those odds. Even though the Dwarf Wrasse has been only seen 68 times, 10 of those times were by me, so the odds are more like 1/400 as opposed 1/3500. Even though Dwarf Frogfish has been only seen 39 times, in the last two week at BHB its become a regular sighting, so odds are more like 1/2. And Coral Scorpionfish has been seen at BHB at least twice out 2500 surveys, so more like 1/1000. A new calculation gives 1/800,00 of seeing all three at the same time, significantly greater than 1 in 46 billion, but still pretty cool. Coral Scorpionfish images are terrible so not posting, Respectively, Dwarf Wrasse, Octopus, Octopus Video, Dwarf Wrasse Video, and Dwarf Frogfish Video.

 

[Johnoly]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0740 for an 0836 high tide. The park was not crowded, and most cars were parked as far east as people could fit them. I parked on the west side

During most of the 'major' holiday weekend, the firedept/FWC blocks off a very large increased single car parking section in that northwest corner eliminating ~60 car parking spaces. Did you see that again with the plastic barriers moved? Easter is the 2nd biggest vacation holiday for visitors and alot of international people don't know about the BHB closure. Hoping for calmer seas next week.

Octopus Video,

Great stare down video from the Octo........and he didn't run & hide with you that close..

 

[Divin'Papaw]

During most of the 'major' holiday weekend, the firedept/FWC blocks off a very large increased single car parking section in that northwest corner eliminating ~60 car parking spaces. Did you see that again with the plastic barriers moved? Easter is the 2nd biggest vacation holiday for visitors and alot of international people don't know about the BHB closure. Hoping for calmer seas next week.


Great stare down video from the Octo........and he didn't run & hide with you that close..

I still remain flabbergasted that they choose to do this over major holiday weekends. Has anyone ever heard a logical rationale for this? Increased water access for emergencies and necessary surveillance (drunk boaters) perhaps? I would think there are other ways far less intrusive to us taxpayers who fund all of these services.

 

[Johnoly]

... Has anyone ever heard a logical rationale for this?

Just before last T-Giving I talked to one of the fire dept rescue guys. He said they bring in additional boats/skis/trailers from outter firehouses to support all the increased traffic on the waterways. He said he likes the overtime pay they all get (including load in & load out of equipment). I don't think guest parking is part of his department given they don't care how many spaces they reserve/block but don't use.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Just before last T-Giving I talked to one of the fire dept rescue guys. He said they bring in additional boats/skis/trailers from outter firehouses to support all the increased traffic on the waterways. He said he likes the overtime pay they all get (including load in & load out of equipment). I don't think guest parking is part of his department given they don't care how many spaces they reserve/block but don't use.

That is what I had assumed. Given the increased holiday water traffic including boats, yaks, SUPs,etc, combined with alcohol and sun, the increased manpower is obviously necessary. But ... is there literally nowhere else in the broader Lake Worth area they can stage without taking dozens of public parking spaces at Phil Foster? Perhaps not but it does seem insane.

Personally, I stay away from the water on holiday weekends!! Too much insanity for me. Back when I used to live in Indianapolis the same went for the Indy 500. I stayed well clear of the westside of town over Memorial Day weekend!

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0750 for a 0912 high tide. The park was not crowded, southern facing parking spaces to the west all empty and with everybody trying to park as far east as possible, as if walking an extra 40 to 100 yards would render them exhausted. @Johnoly, no parking spaces are currently blocked off by any LEO agency. I have seen them do that for Memorial Day Weekend, 4th of July, and Labor Day weekend I can't recall it being done the weekend of Easter. Everybody parking as far east as possible, is just because of entering by crossing the street.

The construction workers left the gate open on the westside so I took advantage of that to do an entry through the gate on to the beach at 0815. With the exception of two divers at the Dwarf Frogfish Patch, I had the entire westside to myself for three hours. Did a REEF fish survey of 61 species in 60 minutes. Sea temp at 78f, visibility was 35ft. I found two species of mystery fish, one a flounder and the other might be from the grunt family but I have never seen anything like it in 30 years of looking at grunts in South Florida. I can't find matching images in a variety of books, or on the web of either species. The grunts have a white margin the ventral fin, reddish anal fins, and black margin on the dorsal fin, with white marks between the fin rays of the dorsal fin, very faint stripes, but nothing that matches any juvenile grunts. The flounder has the most "irregular" spots I have ever seen on a flounder, Southern Flounders have somewhat irregular spots but not like this one. I have included images of the "grunts" for lack of a better description and the flounder. Plus a video of the "grunts". After three hours of diving returned to the beach, but the construction workers were finally on to me and had the gate closed. No problem, I just went to the east and walked across the street. I know it sounds selfish, but I would gladly put up with the inconvenience of that walk to have the westside to myself anytime. I can't say that I mind having the whole westside of the parking lot to myself as well. Respectively, mystery flounder, mystery grunt (foreground with Sailors Choice in background), mystery grunt (foreground with French Grunt in background), empty south parking spaces, and mystery grunt video.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Interesting on the grunt. Maybe a juvie snapper?

On Tuesday when I dove, I parked east, but dived west. Was nice having it almost to myself. Saw two other divers for 10 minutes (I showed them a couple fish), otherwise, I was alone. Nice.

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0750 for a 0948 high tide, more people at the park than yesterday but not crowded when I entered the water, when I exited some three hours later the park was crowded. Entered on the westside through the construction gates that were left open. Sea temp was 78-79f, and visibility was 40ft. Stayed on the westside the whole time I was in the water except for swimming east to exit (the construction gates were closed). Ran into a few more divers than yesterday, but still uncrowded underwater. Did a REEF fish survey 61 species in 60 minutes. The "mystery grunt" from yesterday was identified on Inaturalist as a Burro Grunt - Rhonsicus crocro. There is a drawing of the fish in the new book A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes of Bermuda, Bahamas, and The Caribbean Sea. However, it did not match my photo because mine is a juvenile. The book does have drawings of other common juvenile grunts but not this one. My photo does match photos in STRI (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) database of Caribbean Fishes. The fish does not show up in the REEF database, because it has not been observed in any prior REEF surveys. So that is a new species for TWA in REEF, and a new species for BHB. Today the big find was a Moustache Jawfish, another species not previously observed at BHB. Respectively, Lined Seahorse, Moustache Jawfish, Phoronopsis californica, Trunkfish, and Moustache Jawfish Video.

 

[mattfish]

Congrats on observing two new species for the BHB!