BHB is very good for beginners, (as much as I hate to admit it) for it is very shallow and easily silted up. Great for working on buoyancy and your skills, learning how to tuck your gear tight and learning how to go slow.
Blue Heron Bridge Trolls
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sportxlh
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When I dive the bridge, I tend to stay on the west side and I move incredibly slowly. At times, I might simply hover over a stretch of sand or broken shells for several minutes watching for movement and its surprising the rewards this will bring. That's how I've spotted caribean reef spiders, jaw fish, mantis shrimp. sea horses, bat fish out of the corner of my eye, etc. I've had moray eels and sharp tailed eels wander up to me while I've been in such a unmoving state as well. The other benefit to going slow is that you can get a very long dive out of an 80 cf cylinder: my longest is about 3 hours.
sportxlh
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As you've probably already read, this is a slack high tide dive only. Also, bring a dive flag/float and stay clear of any boat channels. Given you've not dove the bridge before, I'd stay away from the fishing pier on the west side so you don't get hooked by a fisherman accidentally. If you follow those general guidelines plus swim very slowly, observing the macro life that inhabits the sea floor, you should have a fantastic dive. On the weekends, arrive a bit early to find a parking spot (though this time of year, parking is not normally much of an issue).
This is where I took my sister a couple of years ago after she did a refresher course and she found it to be a good site for someone who had not dove in many many years. Not exactly a beginner, but close enough.
tibenmiami
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Scuba- Jenny I was looking for you. Jet told me you will be there
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Monday afternoon was a perfect time to hit the bridge....viz was 20-30 and low water temp was 75. Defo dry suit diving for this ol troll. I did have a slight crease in my wrist seal so had a tiny bit of leakage but it sure is nice to have an 88 minute dive and leave the water warm and toasty.
There was lots of wildlife to examine including our "Baby Daddy" who is getting poochier daily and his GF who tends to frequent places where he is not.(typical). I saw my first Resh Pikeblenny, a few gurnards and 4 octopus.
I also saw the extremely elusive JimW and Diva but this was a shore sighting not water so it doesn't count as a "find".
Lookin forward to a night dive Friday with the Bouyancy Babes! What a holiday gift.
For those of you who can't be here the next few days we will take care of the bridge for you and promise not to look at everything so you'll have plenty to see when you return.
There was lots of wildlife to examine including our "Baby Daddy" who is getting poochier daily and his GF who tends to frequent places where he is not.(typical). I saw my first Resh Pikeblenny, a few gurnards and 4 octopus.
I also saw the extremely elusive JimW and Diva but this was a shore sighting not water so it doesn't count as a "find".
Lookin forward to a night dive Friday with the Bouyancy Babes! What a holiday gift.
Pregnant Male Longsnout Seahorse
Female Longsnout Seahorse
Resh Pikeblenny
Belted Sandfish or Juvenile Black Sea Bass
For those of you who can't be here the next few days we will take care of the bridge for you and promise not to look at everything so you'll have plenty to see when you return.
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Great pics Jim. I wish I could have taken a day and dove with you. Was busy in PSL Monday now that the IE is over. I am now in the Charlotte airport waiting to go back to the cold north.
Thanks!...Glad IE was good. Scott is very relaxed isn't he? But he doesn't miss a trick.
I'm sorry you didn't have time to dive the bridge but know you'll be back sometime soon and we will schedule a couple of dives there so you can become an official "troll".
Stay warm and enjoy the holiday.
So sorry. I woke up on Monday morning and realized trying to cram a bridge dive in was not in my best interests. So sorry. Next time? (Friday night)
I don't know what that fish is, but I don't think it's a hairy blenny, though there are hairy blennies at the bridge. The shape is wrong, and the shape of the eye indicates it's a hunter of some sort.. maybe a juv. sea bass of some sort. Also, the blennies generally are on structure, and these guys are in the sand/rubble, laying low, unafraid, allow a close approach, acts more like the sand perch. I've seen a bunch of these guys at the bridge lately.
I was winging that ID...upon reflection I'm thinking more along the lines of something similar to a Belted Sandfish. Size fits as it was about 2inches long and seemed more adult then juvenile.
It may be. Quite a few pages back, I posted a belted Sandfish. This is very similar, but it lacks some of the markings..
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