Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[PBcatfish]

I found the suggestion of flagging the bridge to be amusing, but the reason for the flag requirement is to ID the locations of divers. That area gets a lot of tourist diver traffic & also a lot of boat traffic in the channel. The two, in close proximity to each other, are a dangerous combination, but the flags help to mitigate the risk.

Within 10 miles of the bridge, we have had a boat run over a diver on occasion. Fortunately, the specified dive area at BHB is well behind some significant permanent markers that have been effective at keeping the boats out. As long as you don't wander out of the prescribed area, BHB tends to be a very safe place to dive. The flags are a layer of protection for the guys who get lost and accidentally wander into risky waters, like the boat channel.

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0750 for a 10:59 high tide. Park was not crowded. Waited until 0825 for blue water to start pushing through before entering to snorkel the trail. Did a REEF Survey of 51 species in 55 minutes. Donned scuba to enter the west side at 0925. Sea temp at 72f, and visibility at 25ft, with mostly blue water. Did another REEF survey of 51 species in 65 minutes. Today was the first day in a long time that I didn't continue to shiver after exiting the water and removing my wetsuit. No wind, and lots of sunshine, warmed me up almost immediately after exiting the water.

Seems like the seahorses showed up late this year. They were scarce in December and January, but now I am not having any trouble finding from 3 to 5 per dive. Last year many of the seahorses seemed to be occupying areas with a lot of gravel, this year they seem to be occupying areas of algae and/or Spaghetti Bryozoans.

Wandered to the northside of fishing pier to escape all the other divers exploring the westside. That poor yellow seahorse must have 10,000 exposures of it taken between today and yesterday. There should be a little counter next to every single critter and fish. Once the counter reaches 500 exposures for a day, nobody should be able to take any more images of said critters or fish. Seems to be a lot more octopus for this time of year then I remember. I seem to remember them being all over the place more in April or May when things start to warm up. Unfortunately I have no way to confirm, as Octopus sightings are not reported to any database that I know of, thusly we only have anecdotal information.

Respectively, Atlantic Pearl Oyster, Long Arm Octopus, Octopus and Pen Shell. Seahorse, and Symplegma rubra (a beautiful colored colony tunicate).

 

[Green Frog]

That long armed octopus surely struck an interesting pose for you!

So tell me bluntly, @Pipehorse, will I still be able to see such wondrous sights as these if I come back in July?

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I found the suggestion of flagging the bridge to be amusing, but the reason for the flag requirement is to ID the locations of divers. That area gets a lot of tourist diver traffic & also a lot of boat traffic in the channel. The two, in close proximity to each other, are a dangerous combination, but the flags help to mitigate the risk.

Within 10 miles of the bridge, we have had a boat run over a diver on occasion. Fortunately, the specified dive area at BHB is well behind some significant permanent markers that have been effective at keeping the boats out. As long as you don't wander out of the prescribed area, BHB tends to be a very safe place to dive. The flags are a layer of protection for the guys who get lost and accidentally wander into risky waters, like the boat channel.

The Flag requirement is per FWC rules when scuba diving. IF I'm in the water near a dive flag, the boat needs to stay away. Unfortunately that is often not the case. I've toted a dive flag many a times off the beach and seen prop wash!!! Most boaters don't know/don't care. It doesn't help when the diver down flag is flown like a Rebel flag while the boat is in motion. I've seen dive boats going out or coming in with the flag flying.
No enforcement, no education = much confusion.
Additionally, I know some photogs don't carry the flag. They are tired of being tracked by people trying to find secretive critters. And it's a pain to have divers on the surface swim into the flag, get it tangled with their flag line (that's out wayyyy tooo long.. guilty!), and on a busy day, there are enough flags in the area that one need not carry it.

 

[Pipehorse]

@Green Frog, nothing is ever guaranteed. But for those who move slowly through the water and pay close attention, BHB rarely disappoints. Hiring a guide increases your chances exponentially (but still no guarantee).


Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0830 for an 1130 high tide. Park was not crowded. Snorkeled the trail and did a REEF survey of 56 species in 55 minutes. Donned Scuba and entered the east side at 1025. Did a REEF survey of 55 species in 65 minutes. Sea temp was 72f, and visibility was 30ft.

Its been a very interesting 5 day stretch at the bridge. Octopus helping me find Dwarf Frogfish on two occasions, Double Crested Cormorant images caught underwater on two occasions, lots of seahorses, two Striated Frogfish hanging out together. So today probably couldn't get much better than the rest of the week, but it did, like a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae.

As I was standing in hip in deep water adjusting my mask to snorkel, a large Man o War floats by right in front of me. My first thought is, perhaps a Man O War Fish is waiting to be observed. I flip my mask on and move close to the floaty part of the Man o War. To my utter delight there are two Man O War, a Pilotfish, a juvenile jack, and a few anchovy/sardine like fish. In 35 years and some 5000 odd dives I have never been on a Man O War Fish, or a Pilotfish. According to the stats in REEF, not many other people have either. Man O War fish has been observed 6 out of 192,197 surveys in Tropical Western Atlantic, listed in REEF as 0%. Pilotfish has been observed 58 out of 192, 197 surveys in Tropical Western Atlantic. The calculated odds from a REEF fish surveyor point of view of seeing both at the same time is 1 in 111,000,0000. We can pare down the odds a little if we just consider the sighting for Florida, 5 in 50562 for the Man O War, and 9 in 50562 for the Pilotfish, comes out 1 in 56,000,000. Both are new observations for Blue Heron Bridge in the REEF database, bringing the total species count of BHB to 477.


The tentacles of the Man o War were 20-25ft in length. For those that might not be familiar, a Man O War Physalia physalias , is actually a colony of zooids, not a single organism. I used extreme caution swimming around the animal(s), as the nematocyst of the Man o War can cause excruciating pain. I have not had the misfortune of suffering the sting, but take the word of others who have.

Respectively, Man O War Fish, Pilot Fish, Schoolmasters in formation, Hardhead Catfish (later rescued from its entanglement), and Lantern Bass.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

From 2015 (per your report, I did not report it to the REEF database! LOL)

I got a few shots of it, it was the end of the dive, this time of year as I swam backwards away from it, it kept following me. Whattheheck??? I know they don't have brains and all but the MoW following me was crazy.. till I realized I had a tentacle wrapped in my fin strap! I karate chopped it with my other fin, but it didn't break. Finally I was able to get free, and make my way back to shore. My buddy was nearby and offered to take my fins off for me as he had gloved hands. Sure.
Back at the car, gear off, but still very wet and not changed into dry clothes I feel this burn on my foot. A small piece of tentacle, maybe a quarter inch was on the top of my foot. It was painful! But hey! I got the shot!

 

[PBcatfish]

...
The tentacles of the Man o War were 20-25ft in length. For those that might not be familiar, a Man O War [I]Physalia physalias[/I] , is actually a colony of zooids, not a single organism. I used extreme caution swimming around the animal(s), as the nematocyst of the Man o War can cause excruciating pain. I have not had the misfortune of suffering the sting, but take the word of others who have.
...
[/QUOTE]
.

I've been seeing large Man o war in the ICW for a little over a week now. They are some of the biggest I have ever seen.

It's been nearly 50 years since I've been stung by a small one, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Yes, it was quite painful & left a large raised welt. Adolph's meat tenderizer did not provide nearly the amount of relief that I had hoped it would

 

[PBcatfish]

The Flag requirement is per FWC rules when scuba diving. IF I'm in the water near a dive flag, the boat needs to stay away. Unfortunately that is often not the case. I've toted a dive flag many a times off the beach and seen prop wash!!! Most boaters don't know/don't care. It doesn't help when the diver down flag is flown like a Rebel flag while the boat is in motion. I've seen dive boats going out or coming in with the flag flying.
No enforcement, no education = much confusion.
Additionally, I know some photogs don't carry the flag. They are tired of being tracked by people trying to find secretive critters. And it's a pain to have divers on the surface swim into the flag, get it tangled with their flag line (that's out wayyyy tooo long.. guilty!), and on a busy day, there are enough flags in the area that one need not carry it.

Although generally enforced by FWC, the rules are actually from the Florida Statutes Chapter 327, Section 311 & can be found here -

Chapter 327 Section 331 - 2011 Florida Statutes - The Florida Senate

www.flsenate.gov

There seems to be a gray area if you are actually required to have a flag in the enclosed area at BHB as it is only used for swimming & not for boating. A definition of swimming vs. diving would provide the gray area.

The rules state that boats must make a reasonable effort to stay a specified distance from a dive flag & if they get closer, they must go no faster than necessary to maintain headway & steerage. They actually are allowed right on top of you, which would only seem appropriate for a dive boat picking up divers, but unfortunately, that's not what the law actually states.

Sadly, I have also seen many times that boats ignore the requirement to take down the flag when divers are not in the water. This makes the flag's presence less effective.

I agree that more enforcement & education, regarding the flag's proper use, would be beneficial.

In my personal opinion, a BHB regular who knows where they are going & is not at all likely to wander off into a dangerous area, really doesn't benefit from having a flag there, but a tourist who is finding their way around, would be quite foolish to not bring one. ...but that's just my personal opinion & I'm not FWC. I believe that there is a sign posted at BHB that states flags are required. I bring one when I go. I live locally.

The law also states that the diver must try to stay within 100 feet of the flag, which I think is waaaay to far, but again, that's just me.

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0850 for a 1219 high tide. The park was not crowded at the time. Went and snorkeled from from 0945 to 1040, returned from snorkeling and the park was overflowing. The parking spaces in the middle reserved for car and trailer were all filled with cars. Normally on a weekend the sheriffs office keeps a sheriff stationed there to prevent what happened today. After snorkeling I went for a dive on the east side. After returning from the dive, the sheriffs had written up every single vehicle parked in those spaces. There were three sheriffs. People with the citations were having long conservations with said sheriffs. I thought it was ridiculous, those spaces are clearly marked "trailer parking only". Not sure how long you can debate a parking ticket? Thing is, I am not sure if they were warnings or actual citations. Anyway, I hope going forward the sheriffs prevent the parking there, because it means less divers in the water.

Another day another Man of War Fish at BHB. Again while snorkeling, but just before exiting I spotted a Man O War Fish, and the Man O War that it was using for cover. Really came close to almost running into the thing accidently. Donned scuba after the snorkel and did the east side. Sea temp was 73 visibility was 25ft. I have found when it is really crowded I have some luck avoiding other divers by staying north of the east span. However, the strategy failed miserably today. Groups of 8 to 10 divers at a time were everywhere. I saw at least 40 people underwater during the duration of the dive. Think I am going to LBTS tomorrow, instead of the bridge. The dive was somewhat unremarkable, as BHB dives go, still better than NOT being in the water.

Respectively, Leopard Searobin, Unidentified Jack, Lionfish, Man of War Fish, and Female Saifin Blenny

 

[PBcatfish]

..., Unidentified Jack, ...

View attachment 829864

Normally, I assume that your ID is correct & when I don't see it, I'm just not informed well enough. ...and that usually ends up being true. In this case, I'm wondering if you may have posted an incorrect picture by mistake. That does not look like a Jack to me. Maybe a juvenile Goliath or Warsaw, but not a jack. Please help me to see the error in my ways if you do not agree. Please let me know what flavors of Jack you think that might be related to.