Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[Craine]

Went to the Bridge yesterday and today. Both days the parking lot was pretty full an hour and a half before high tide, though today was worse, I suspect due to the later tide and it not raining in the morning. Water temp both days was 86F, and viz was probably 20ish feet yesterday, and between 5 and 15 feet today, depending on where you were (much worse out at the snorkeling trail).

I went to the east side yesterday and got a little disoriented ending up 6 docks to the north of the bridge. After a bit of a surface swim back I made my way over to the snorkel trail. Among the things I was able to get decent photos of yesterday were a 9-armed sea star, a peacock flounder, a yellowhead jawfish, a yellow garden eel, and a seaweed blenny.

 

[Craine]

For today's dive I went west and then the snorkel trail, though the visibility was so much worse it was difficult to pull out many decent photos. The best subjects were a great barracuda, banded coral shrimp, flying gurnard, orangespotted goby, and a mantis shrimp.

The mantis shrimp never came out of its burrow, so I wasn't able to positively ID it, but I believe it is a scaly-tailed mantis shrimp based on the eye shape.

ETA: There was a shrimp of some sort in the burrow with the goby, but it didn't venture out once I was in position with. my camera. The Reef Fish ID book mentions that they "live communally with snapping shrimp", so it was neat to see that behavior.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

nice set of photos.
Weekends are particularly bad for parking, especially if the tides are mid day.

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge on Saturday and Sunday for diving. Visibility was a little weird, terrible near shore vis less than 10 feet but opening up to about 35 feet once getting a little ways from the beach. There is some kind of dredging operation going on between bridge and Peanut Island, perhaps that has something to do with it. Sea temp was 85f. Below video is a report including Trunkfish, Banded Blenny and Lobsters Galore. Relax about the lobsters everybody, I don't think many are keeps they were just thick as thieves in this one old broken pipe near the edge of the boat channel. Was at the bridge today Tuesday as well visibility 35ft, sea temp 85 without the poor visibility near the beach. It was not particularly crowded when I got there from the shop at about 945 for a 1115 ht. Guided so not to much video, guiding tomorrow as well maybe I will put something together from both days.





@Craine the shrimp that normally hangs out with the Orangespotted Goby is indeed the Floridian Sand Snapping Shrimp image below. Most often they stay hidden but every once in a while you can catch one out and about.

 

[Six Feet Under]

Wednesday, August 13th, 2025

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Second longest dive ever today. Got a happy fill on my steel 80, conditions were good, and I had ann open schedule... 253 min. Avg depth 12 ft. Saw nudis, headshield slugs, squid, lots of fish, 2 yellowhead jawfish, flatworm. So super relaxing.

 

[Six Feet Under]

Second longest dive ever today. Got a happy fill on my steel 80, conditions were good, and I had ann open schedule... 253 min. Avg depth 12 ft. Saw nudis, headshield slugs, squid, lots of fish, 2 yellowhead jawfish, flatworm. So super relaxing.

Dang!

I'll be back out there tomorrow after I stop at Force-E for some fills, then time to head north for the 3.5 hour drive home...

 

[mattfish]

@Pipehorse i just wanted to complement you on your "why I do it" video. I enjoyed it a lot

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge to guide a dive last night. Including me it was 8 divers. Looking at the visibility from the seawall, it just met the criteria for doing a dive. When I did a little test swim away from the beach visibility opened up just a little bit more 10>vis>5. Sea temp at 86f.

So we started the dive @1930 for a 2000 high tide and 1952 sunset. I take a similar route of the west side for guiding as when I am diving by my lonesome. Out to the west side of the snorkel trail, because I never get tired of the hammerhead shark statues (the powers that be should have made more statues for the snorkel trail), on to the sunken boat just outside the can buoy, and then northwest to the bridge pilings, down to the space between the "wall" and channel, barrier with a return back through the bridge pilings. I did not bother with a camera because of the visibility, plus I was keeping track of seven other divers. Despite the marginal visibility all divers enjoyed themselves. Crustaceans were out in force, box crabs, lobsters, and several species of shrimp I could not identify. Parrotfish sleeping all over the place like they just finished celebrating new years in 1999. They really show off some awesome coloration not seen during daylight.

My guess is visibility is going to be horrible today, and hopefully start flushing back out over the weekend.


Many who read my posts here know that I prefer to post pictures from the actual dive I am reporting. Since I did not take a camera with me last night I am posting from another recent night dive. Also adding links to some videos from the youtube channel I started just for BHB (not from last night).
Images respectively Kings Helmet, Scrawled Cowfish With Lobster, Queen Triggerfish, Sand Diver, and Stoplight Parrotfish. Videos respectively, Ornate Sapsucker, Polka-dot Batfish, Why I Make BHB Videos, and Snorkel Trail Map Explanation.

 

[BoltSnap]

Went to the bridge to guide a dive last night. Including me it was 8 divers. Looking at the visibility from the seawall, it just met the criteria for doing a dive. When I did a little test swim away from the beach visibility opened up just a little bit more 10>vis>5. Sea temp at 86f.

So we started the dive @1930 for a 2000 high tide and 1952 sunset. I take a similar route of the west side for guiding as when I am diving by my lonesome. Out to the west side of the snorkel trail, because I never get tired of the hammerhead shark statues (the powers that be should have made more statues for the snorkel trail), on to the sunken boat just outside the can buoy, and then northwest to the bridge pilings, down to the space between the "wall" and channel, barrier with a return back through the bridge pilings. I did not bother with a camera because of the visibility, plus I was keeping track of seven other divers. Despite the marginal visibility all divers enjoyed themselves. Crustaceans were out in force, box crabs, lobsters, and several species of shrimp I could not identify. Parrotfish sleeping all over the place like they just finished celebrating new years in 1999. They really show off some awesome coloration not seen during daylight.

My guess is visibility is going to be horrible today, and hopefully start flushing back out over the weekend.


Many how read my posts here know that I prefer to post pictures from the actual dive I am reporting. Since I did not take a camera with me last night I am posting from another recent night dive. Also adding links to some videos from the youtube channel I started just for BHB (not from last night).
Images respectively Kings Helmet, Scrawled Cowfish With Lobster, Queen Triggerfish, Sand Diver, and Stoplight Parrotfish. Videos respectively, Ornate Sapsucker, Polka-dot Batfish, Why I Make BHB Videos, and Snorkel Trail Map Explanation.

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Thank you very much for putting in the time to explain when to dive there.