Blue Heron Bridge Trolls

[mntlblok]

Wait, I thought someone replied to my recent post about the jelly intensity with "not too bad"....
Went last night and got some great stuff (stealing from Guy, will post later)
par for the course by the outward tidal flow point it got so bad I swam head and shoulders out of the water back to the beach.
My spotter and I look like we have taken a couple rounds of jellyfish buckshot...
Great night dive though! Vis 20 isn to start and temp 84, jellies and sargassum thick.
Someone waiting in the parking lot thought we had a problem because our flag only moved about 20 feet in 2.5 hours, lol!
Gotta love a target rich environment!
John

Well, at least you didn't clog up the interwebs with a bunch of pretty pictures (and videos).

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:27 PM ----------

When the tide changed, the moon jellies got REAL thick under the east bridge. I felt like Nemo and Dori jumping from jelly to jelly in a race. They were everywhere. I was on the north side and decided to just get away from the bridge, so I headed back under to the south. I felt pretty uncomfortable trying to avoid the jellies at EVERY turn. Next thing you know, I find myself getting out from the under the bridge. Phew, I made it right? No, I was on the north side again! ARGH. Attempt 2, I kept checking my compass after swimming around the jellies to make sure I kept heading south. I was a tad stressed and downing my air faster than I wanted. So I planned to just end my dive.

Dang, where is my flag tied off at? It's a bit harder at night to find it in the dark. So I find this flag tied off which has a light on the handle, the same handle as mine. My first thought was, did Jim put that light there to make it easier to find? That's a pretty good idea! But before untying it, I look up and see that it isn't my flag. I eventually find my flag and I'm going to give it to Jim, but I have to find him first so I pick a light and head to it. Oh, I find Jim and he's got a flag in his hand already. He also has that oh crap look on his face as he realizes he isn't holding my flag, but the one with the light on it. He quickly tied it off nearby. I signaled that I was going to exit and I handed him my flag.

Back to dodging jellies as they were everywhere near the exit and in shallower water. I finally get through them and get on the beach. Man, that was the most difficult exit I ever had at BHB. Not that I was ever in danger, but my SAC rate went to crap and my air supply was dropping quick. So I'm walking down the beach when I hear a fisherman yelling that someone's tied up in his line. Yea, that was my flag lol...

I feel yer pain, but love the story. I can see me doing *exactly* the same thing.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:38 PM ----------

Finally slogged through all the pics from the weekend of August 15-17. Loaded em up on Flickr.

This one, Matt tells me, is likely a female spot fin jawfish. She was right next to where the vicious stargazer lay in hiding. IMG_3925a | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:44 PM ----------

IMG_3634a | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Caught this guy out doing some daytime hunting, but he then decided to shoot back to his bottle.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:46 PM ----------

IMG_3658a | Flickr - Photo Sharing! I've gotten lots of shots of various stages of this buffalo trunkfish, but this is the first time I'm gotten anything but a tail shot of one at this stage of development.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:48 PM ----------

IMG_3700a | Flickr - Photo Sharing! This younger version was all about posing, though.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:49 PM ----------

IMG_3718a | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Just thought these guys were cute together.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:51 PM ----------

IMG_3786a fins | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Can't remember if I've posted any of these blue dartfish pics. Saw some on each of the three dives that weekend.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:52 PM ----------

IMG_3891a | Flickr - Photo Sharing! First one of these I'd seen at the bridge.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:53 PM ----------

IMG_3902a wives | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Got a kick out of getting two of these in one shot.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:54 PM ----------

IMG_3920a | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Only occasionally run across these guys at the bridge.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:56 PM ----------

IMG_3949a | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Found my own young dotterel this trip.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:57 PM ----------

IMG_3987a | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Found a couple of anemones this trip with whatever it is that they "sit" in where I could see it.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 09:58 PM ----------

IMG_3995a | Flickr - Photo Sharing! This guy kept pestering for a free dental exam.

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 10:00 PM ----------

IMG_4381da | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Couldn't manage any good shots, but ran across a group of four intermediate blue parrotfish.

 

[Biminitwist]

Well, at least you didn't clog up the interwebs with a bunch of pretty pictures (and videos)...........

Which is more than we can say for the vast, unculled links to your apparently bottomless flicker account.
Can't you post pretty pictures (and video) thusly?????
Wow

 

[mntlblok]

IMG_4453a seahorse | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Only seahorse I found all weekend - and I looked *carefully* for those rascals!!

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 10:04 PM ----------

IMG_4406dca passing nurse | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Can't remember if I posted any pics of the nurse that passed by late in a dive.

 

[Biminitwist]

Here is a shot (not link) to a picture of one of three really camouflaged spotted cleaner shrimp on a green coralmorph from Wed. night.....
John

 

[mntlblok]

Well, at least you didn't clog up the interwebs with a bunch of pretty pictures (and videos)...........

Which is more than we can say for the vast, unculled links to your apparently bottomless flicker account.
Can't you post pretty pictures (and video) thusly?????
Wow

I figured this way would be less clogful. And, my video sucks.

 

[Biminitwist]

Another.....

 

[Biminitwist]

Pictures from last couple night dives

Wow. worth the stings........

 

[mntlblok]

I figured this way would be less clogful. And, my video sucks.

Hmmm. Then I'll stop here and see if I can get some feedback over what might be preferred by thread followers. I was operating on the assumption that I posted too many pics in the past. Figgered this way nobody had to look at them unless they *chose* to. What say ye?

---------- Post added September 5th, 2013 at 10:11 PM ----------

Wow. worth the stings........View attachment 165151

Absolutely. I know how hard it is to focus on those guys and how rare it is to catch one with its fins out. Cool!

 

[Biminitwist]

Mating season for everything????
TWO squat urchin shrimp waving arms and licking ass.....
High 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John

 

[mntlblok]

Mating season for everything????
TWO squat urchin shrimp waving arms and licking ass.....
High 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John

I note that the "K" and "L" are next to each other on the keyboard. . .