Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[Green Frog]

I’d say that would qualify as a good dive! Hope the night dive is just as enjoyable!
Froggie

 

[NitroxSam]

A few from today (6/22).

 

[NitroxSam]

Little lionfish

 

[mattfish]

Last night’s dive was alright. It was still about 10 feet of vis. We saw 3 eagle rays. Most of the dive was under the east bridge.

We returned this morning and did the same dive. Essentially heading east from the snorkel trail, to the pilings, then letting the last of the tide current bring us under the bridge.

I didn’t know star fish and urchins got so big!
We saw several spotted moray eels, a sharp tail eel, one large snook, several yellow sting rays, the big school of spade fish, and all the tropical regulars. Vis today was better at about 15 feet

Oh! And we found one octopus and a little white nose pipefish on the way back to the beach

 

[Green Frog]

Sounds to me like you had some pretty good diving. I’d congratulate you if I weren’t so *@#$@ jealous!
Froggie

 

[Green Frog]

You know, if we could put Lionfish on the menu at one or two froufrou restaurants, then show a couple of Kardashians or Taylor Swift eating them with enjoyment, the pressure would be so great they’d become endangered. Just sayin’!

 

[NitroxSam]

Butterfly Ray...I think.

 

[Johnoly]

... eating them with enjoyment, the pressure would be so great they’d become endangered. Just sayin’!

I'm a former lionfish commercial hunter on SE Fla, but I still talk to the fish wholesalers & harvesters. There is still WAY MORE demand then there is supply. The supply is not steady & reliable so it makes it difficult for restaurant chefs to plan their menus days in advance so they don't always purchase it when it's available. In 2016-18 when the harvest was regular, you could even find LF filets in Publix at $24/lb. As divers we are having to go deeper to find them in quantity, and at those depths there are other harvests that pay more consistently. We have public number big reefs that don't have a single LF on them. That's good for the reef health,,,, bad for the harvesters. Just my opinion, but the rules are regulations for just LF's in SE Florida are very good and balanced and the results are proven . We will never eliminate 100% of lionfish because each one just lays too many eggs. But we have a very good balance of effort and consumption that keeps their populations under control. Gulf side still has large populations, but again, it's deep or far and boat gas is not cheap..

 

[BoltSnap]

I'm a former lionfish commercial hunter on SE Fla, but I still talk to the fish wholesalers & harvesters. There is still WAY MORE demand then there is supply. The supply is not steady & reliable so it makes it difficult for restaurant chefs to plan their menus days in advance so they don't always purchase it when it's available. In 2016-18 when the harvest was regular, you could even find LF filets in Publix at $24/lb. As divers we are having to go deeper to find them in quantity, and at those depths there are other harvests that pay more consistently. We have public number big reefs that don't have a single LF on them. That's good for the reef health,,,, bad for the harvesters. Just my opinion, but the rules are regulations for just LF's in SE Florida are very good and balanced and the results are proven . We will never eliminate 100% of lionfish because each one just lays too many eggs. But we have a very good balance of effort and consumption that keeps their populations under control. Gulf side still has large populations, but again, it's deep or far and boat gas is not cheap..

LF are now appearing in the Mediterranean in bigger numbers. They are passing through the Suez canal in larger numbers since the canal was dredged and made deeper and easier for fish to pass through in 2015.

 

[Johnoly]

LF are now appearing in the Mediterranean in bigger numbers.

Except that spearfishing / harvesting on scuba is illegal in most places there. And if governments tried to make an hunting on scuba exception to the rules, the backlash, complaints and even riots would be tops on TV news. You folks are VERY passionate about the way spearfishing is practiced. {PS>I didn't start the thread hijack}