Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[johndiver999]

I bet the Reef survey people are going to be stoked when you report the 48-ft moray at the bridge.

 

[Green Frog]

Now I’m really blown away! I assumed you were getting these images with at least a fairly high tech camera, but an iPhone in a housing? I’ll have to rethink all of my ideas about UW photography. I’m still hesitant to trust my iPhone (that I use many times daily) in any case, but the pictures you’re getting with yours are completely beyond belief. Your little iPhone rig is “punching far above its weight class!”

Thanks again for your fine pictures! Many of them go far beyond “been there”
or simple documentation class and approach scientific recording and even art. Keep it up.

BTW, what is your video light of choice?

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I am currently using the OrcaTorch D710V. For the price, it's a great little light. I use it as a hand held, thought it comes with a ball joint for mounting.

 

[Green Frog]

Johndiver999, my eyes have gotten so bad I let my mind fill in with what it thinks ought to be there. I missed that it was a 48 foot Spotted Moray altogether. At least with one that big, getting a frame filling shot should be easy!

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

@Green Frog yes I have noticed Queen Angelfish don't particularly like their picture taken, and Rock Beauties, forget about it, they are as flitty as birds. Most of the Spotted Moray Eels at the Bridge are small, less than 18 inches long. But there are a couple bigger ones, in the 36”-48” range that live on the snorkel trail. That was one of the bigger ones on the snorkel trail. Spotted Morays Eels are not shy, often you can get inches from their face, without them moving away. I think I was about six inches or so for that image. Spotted Morays Eels don't have good vision, they rely on sense of smell as much as they do eyesight, so occasionally they will bump their noses noses up against a light or camera housing to investigate what is in front of them. Thank you for the comments on the photos. I use my iphone in a sealife housing, with a video light. It this particular point in my photography journey it is more about documentation, than taking really nice photos.

im assuming you mean this post? I see 48" not 48'....

 

[Pipehorse]

I bet the Reef survey people are going to be stoked when you report the 48-ft moray at the bridge.

For sure a 48ft Moray would be an impressive sight to see. Not so sure how close I might want to get to take a photo though.

@Scuba_Jenny I edited the post after the 48ft mistake was pointed out.

@Green Frog, currently using Backscatter 4300 Macro Wide Light. As for putting your phone inside a case, in Aug 22 I entered the water on the westside at BHB. I found an iphone. Touched the screen and it came on. Picked it up and put it in my BC pocket and did my 150 minute dive. When I exited the water, I rinsed the phone off with fresh water, and it seemed fine, I could not unlock it. Brought it home and placed it on the kitchen counter. Granted it would not take a charge, it had a message water detected in charging port. Anyway, a little while later a message pops up on the phone, "if you found this phone please call xxx-xxxxx. Despite being locked it allowed the call, so I called. The owner, a lady who had dropped it off a paddleboard the day before was thrilled to get it back. I was thrilled to get it back to her. Sealife Sportdiver has a vacuum seal alarm that warns of leaks. The chance of a total catastrophic leak is close to zero. With a small leak the damage would be to the electronics of the housing, the iphone would probably be fine based on the above.

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0740 for an 0944 tide. The park was empty, less divers than the day before. I guess the 53f air temperature was a deterrent for a lot of people. Entered the westside at 0820, did the half of the snorkel trail, and drifted into the bridge pilings. Visibility was 30ft, and sea temp was 77-78f. Did a REEF fish survey of 66 species in 65 minutes. Observed a Long Arm Octopus, a Floridian Sand Snapping Shrimp, the largest Colorful Moon Snail Shell I have seen and an American Crown Conch shell. Very unusual to find Sand Snapping Shrimp walking around outside its burrow. They are tough to get good images of because they rarely leave their borrows. American Crown Conch and Colorful Moon Snail were unusual because I found them side by side. Both were empty, and not occupied by original owner or by Hermit Crabs. Perhaps they were part of a collection that belonged to an Octopus I did not see. Respectively, American Crown Conch With Colorful Moon Snail, Juvenile Gray Angelfish, Long Arm Octopus, Floridian Sand Snapping Shrimp, and Brown Garden Eel together with Yellow Garden Eel.

 

[Green Frog]

Thanks for more great info as well as the iPhone story. I enjoyed the latest round of pix as well. You never fail to impress. I hope one of these days I’ll get a good octopus picture!
I had already made the decision to replace my old Nikonos system system with the SeaLife Micro 3.0 though, for reasons already stated. Every dive I’m more and more appreciative of the fact that it’s sealed and I don’t have to worry about any maintenance!
I bought the smallest Suptig video light for my June trip to Nassau but managed to lose it on arrival at the airport. I shot the whole trip with existing light with pretty good results, but hope to get another small Suptig or one of the medium sized ones for the Pompano Beach/BHB trip.
Best regards,
Froggie

 

[Green Frog]

PS to last... how close did those garden eels let you get? I’ve never been able to get anywhere close to camera range! Love that Juvie Grey as well. BHB must be a nursery for all those species you’ve been showing.

 

[ShallowSeasGallery]

I had a photographer (That I didnt know, I just waved them over) this week full on squash the Plocamopherous lucayaensis I showed them with their macro lens and then proceed to rough up the feather bryozoan it was on when they got frustrated. I didn't find them after the dive but BOLO an old guy in a bare wetsuit and a d850 in an Aquatica housing and inon 240's... I have words for them. Frankly I'm maybe lucky that this is the worst "bad behavior" from the big rig crew I've seen yet, but I'm kinda over "paying it foward" unless I recognize the diver.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

@Scuba_Jenny I edited the post after the 48ft mistake was pointed out.


Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0740 for an 0944 tide. The park was empty, less divers than the day before. I guess the 53f air temperature was a deterrent for a lot of people. <snip>

Awwwhhh makes sense on the 48ft vs 48 inches..

I was gonna go yesterday. Winds looked doable enough that we stayed south and dived in Hollywood. Had a nurse shark, that I guess could best be called "opportunistic" as it made quite a few very close passes throughout the dive. We were getting out just about high tide.. got 75-76 as water temps. Time to break out the 5mm!!