Hello everyone.
This past Sunday, I was hired to be the Videographer for a group dive put together by Scuba Network in Deerfield Beach to go watch the Lemon Shark Migration in Jupiter, FL.
Upon our arrival in Jupiter, we drive to the Scubaworks Dive Shop and get signed in, fill out waivers, etc. Then we have to drive over to the marina and unload our gear which will be picked up by Randy (in a pickup truck) of Emerald Charters and driven to the boat. Then he will come back for us and drive us over to the boat.
Getting everyone situated on the boat went fairly smoothly. Captain Laura and Divemaster Stephanie (or was it Captain Stephanie and Divemaster Laura?
) did a nice job of getting everyone aboard and ready for departure. After a quick briefing by Randy, we're underway. This is the first time Terri and I have ever been on this boat, or gone out of Jupiter Inlet, so it was a new experience right away.
So we're on our way to find some Lemon Sharks and we get to the place where they're supposed to be and get geared up. I was supposed to have Terri as a dive buddy, but on the way out of the marina she was asked to help with an open water student who had been added to our group at the last minute. So we arrive at dive site #1 which turns out to be the wreck of "The Zion", which also turns out to be one of three wrecks nearby, and Randy hopes we will see all of them along with the sharks. We drop down practically on top of a Southern Stingray, then drift over to the wreck in order to sneak up on the sharks. Well, no sharks but there were 3 Goliath Groupers hanging around the wreck. I managed to get video of one of them before it ducked inside and never came back out. We also came across a nice-sized barracuda before heading off to the other two wrecks. We never did see any sharks and now it's time to head up for safety stops and surface intervals. We were all required to have surface marker buoys before leaving the dock, and we found out as we were getting in for the dive that this is because there are no dive flags aboard!!
Dive #2 was on Loggerhead Reef and the viz was much better here than dive #1. Immediately we see a Sea Turtle swimming about and we also came across a very cooperative school of Spadefish. A little further along we find a Green Moray, then another Sea Turtle and another and another and another!! Got some good video of one who didn't like us bothering him and got video of him turning towards the camera and swimming off. Then, just as I was going up for my safety stop, I saw another Green Moray. So I'd have to say that Dive #2 was the best dive of the two.
Viz on Dive #1 was about 50ft, Dive #2 was about 70ft
Water temp was 71
Here's a link to one of the turtle clips:
YouTube - Sea Turtle on Loggerhead Reef - Jupiter, FL
Doug the Video Dude!!
This past Sunday, I was hired to be the Videographer for a group dive put together by Scuba Network in Deerfield Beach to go watch the Lemon Shark Migration in Jupiter, FL.
Upon our arrival in Jupiter, we drive to the Scubaworks Dive Shop and get signed in, fill out waivers, etc. Then we have to drive over to the marina and unload our gear which will be picked up by Randy (in a pickup truck) of Emerald Charters and driven to the boat. Then he will come back for us and drive us over to the boat.
Getting everyone situated on the boat went fairly smoothly. Captain Laura and Divemaster Stephanie (or was it Captain Stephanie and Divemaster Laura?
) did a nice job of getting everyone aboard and ready for departure. After a quick briefing by Randy, we're underway. This is the first time Terri and I have ever been on this boat, or gone out of Jupiter Inlet, so it was a new experience right away. So we're on our way to find some Lemon Sharks and we get to the place where they're supposed to be and get geared up. I was supposed to have Terri as a dive buddy, but on the way out of the marina she was asked to help with an open water student who had been added to our group at the last minute. So we arrive at dive site #1 which turns out to be the wreck of "The Zion", which also turns out to be one of three wrecks nearby, and Randy hopes we will see all of them along with the sharks. We drop down practically on top of a Southern Stingray, then drift over to the wreck in order to sneak up on the sharks. Well, no sharks but there were 3 Goliath Groupers hanging around the wreck. I managed to get video of one of them before it ducked inside and never came back out. We also came across a nice-sized barracuda before heading off to the other two wrecks. We never did see any sharks and now it's time to head up for safety stops and surface intervals. We were all required to have surface marker buoys before leaving the dock, and we found out as we were getting in for the dive that this is because there are no dive flags aboard!!
Dive #2 was on Loggerhead Reef and the viz was much better here than dive #1. Immediately we see a Sea Turtle swimming about and we also came across a very cooperative school of Spadefish. A little further along we find a Green Moray, then another Sea Turtle and another and another and another!! Got some good video of one who didn't like us bothering him and got video of him turning towards the camera and swimming off. Then, just as I was going up for my safety stop, I saw another Green Moray. So I'd have to say that Dive #2 was the best dive of the two.
Viz on Dive #1 was about 50ft, Dive #2 was about 70ft
Water temp was 71
Here's a link to one of the turtle clips:
YouTube - Sea Turtle on Loggerhead Reef - Jupiter, FL
Doug the Video Dude!!
