This is not a "Trip Report", it is a "Dive Report", dive report header does not exist, so I use trip report.
Decided to skip the crowds at both Blue Heron Bridge and Lauderdale By The Sea today. Instead I opted to drive a little further south to Dania Beach to do the Erojack Artifical Reef. Erojacks Artificial Reef is located in the waters of the Mizell-Johnson State Park (formerly John U. Lloyd State Park). It is often overlooked, I believe because it is a little more difficult to access. It is an artificial reef of cement erojacks piled 9-10 feet high that runs perpendicular to the shoreline for a distance of 1700 feet. It ends at a western facing ledge. If taking off in a plane to the east from Fort Lauderdale it can clearly be seen from the sky. I used to access the reef from the Dania Beach parking lot, but now I use the state park instead. Drive into the park, first parking lot on the right, pull into the dirt parking lot side to get to the access The reef is 1700 feet north of Dania Beach Pier or 1100 feet south of beach entrance at the state park. . The walk to the beach entrance is another 600 feet. So there is no difference in the amount of ground covered by foot. However, it cost $4.00 for entrance to the state park, and I believe $3.00/hr for parking at Dania Beach. I was there a total of 4 hours. There is a shower and bathroom at the state park. The 30 gallon water tank and pump in the back of my truck makes all the difference though.
I believe there might be a marker on the beach directly in front of the erojacks. However, I don't bother trying to find the marker. Instead I walk south down the beach approximately 250 yards, make an entry and swim south east to intersect the erojacks., seem procedure if using Dania Beach parking lot, just walk north about 350 yards and swim north east. There is sand patch to cross, and then a low profile patch reef is present. Once the erojacks are reached I swim along the erojacks, generally to where they end. Depth is shallow at first less than 10 feet, and gives way to a depth of maximum 23 feet midway on the jacks. The western facing ledge at the end of jacks is a step up, and the depth there is 16 feet. There was one group of four divers there today, and me solo diving. That is typical for this reef. Of course you need to bring your flag, boats will sometimes drift or anchor in the vicinity to fish the reef. The most crowded I have ever seen it there was during a lobster mini season with four boats on station and about twelve divers.
Today I used the park entrance. Did the 200 yard walk from beach access, did an entry and swam south east to intersect the erojacks. I swam to the end of the erojacks and turned north at reef ledge and continued that way for 1000 feet. Then turned west and landed right in front of the entrance to the beach. About 140 minute dive. Sea temp was 80f, and visibility ranged from 40ft in deeper water to 20ft closer to the beach. Did a REEF fish survey 53 species in 65 minutes. A lot of the fish tend to hide under the erojacks, so it seems as if there are less fish than you might expect. However the fish like to hide in recesses below the erojacks so there are plenty of fish to be seen there. Usually Tarpon like to cruise between the Dania Beach Pier and the erojacks. Today I did not observe any. Usually a few Nurse Sharks are present, today I did not observe any. What was interesting is the amount of Ballonfish. Ballonfish are common on the reefs in south Florida, but in small numbers, say less than 5 on a dive. Today I counted 26 in one small area, and a total 42 for the dive. I can't recall seeing them in those numbers before. Lots of grunts, Cesars, French, Spanish, White, and more than any other species, Blue Stripe Grunts. Observed one small Green Sea Turtle. Many Doctorfish and Surgeonfish. Heading back across the reef observed many Flamingo Tongues and a Fingerprint Cyphoma on some of the many soft corals that populate that reef. Respectively, Erojacks, Fingerprint Cyphoma, Healthy Grooved Brain Coral, Clathria virgultosa (sponge), Spotted Trunkfish, Ballonfish Video, Swimming Along Erojacks Video, and East End Erojacks Video
Decided to skip the crowds at both Blue Heron Bridge and Lauderdale By The Sea today. Instead I opted to drive a little further south to Dania Beach to do the Erojack Artifical Reef. Erojacks Artificial Reef is located in the waters of the Mizell-Johnson State Park (formerly John U. Lloyd State Park). It is often overlooked, I believe because it is a little more difficult to access. It is an artificial reef of cement erojacks piled 9-10 feet high that runs perpendicular to the shoreline for a distance of 1700 feet. It ends at a western facing ledge. If taking off in a plane to the east from Fort Lauderdale it can clearly be seen from the sky. I used to access the reef from the Dania Beach parking lot, but now I use the state park instead. Drive into the park, first parking lot on the right, pull into the dirt parking lot side to get to the access The reef is 1700 feet north of Dania Beach Pier or 1100 feet south of beach entrance at the state park. . The walk to the beach entrance is another 600 feet. So there is no difference in the amount of ground covered by foot. However, it cost $4.00 for entrance to the state park, and I believe $3.00/hr for parking at Dania Beach. I was there a total of 4 hours. There is a shower and bathroom at the state park. The 30 gallon water tank and pump in the back of my truck makes all the difference though.
I believe there might be a marker on the beach directly in front of the erojacks. However, I don't bother trying to find the marker. Instead I walk south down the beach approximately 250 yards, make an entry and swim south east to intersect the erojacks., seem procedure if using Dania Beach parking lot, just walk north about 350 yards and swim north east. There is sand patch to cross, and then a low profile patch reef is present. Once the erojacks are reached I swim along the erojacks, generally to where they end. Depth is shallow at first less than 10 feet, and gives way to a depth of maximum 23 feet midway on the jacks. The western facing ledge at the end of jacks is a step up, and the depth there is 16 feet. There was one group of four divers there today, and me solo diving. That is typical for this reef. Of course you need to bring your flag, boats will sometimes drift or anchor in the vicinity to fish the reef. The most crowded I have ever seen it there was during a lobster mini season with four boats on station and about twelve divers.
Today I used the park entrance. Did the 200 yard walk from beach access, did an entry and swam south east to intersect the erojacks. I swam to the end of the erojacks and turned north at reef ledge and continued that way for 1000 feet. Then turned west and landed right in front of the entrance to the beach. About 140 minute dive. Sea temp was 80f, and visibility ranged from 40ft in deeper water to 20ft closer to the beach. Did a REEF fish survey 53 species in 65 minutes. A lot of the fish tend to hide under the erojacks, so it seems as if there are less fish than you might expect. However the fish like to hide in recesses below the erojacks so there are plenty of fish to be seen there. Usually Tarpon like to cruise between the Dania Beach Pier and the erojacks. Today I did not observe any. Usually a few Nurse Sharks are present, today I did not observe any. What was interesting is the amount of Ballonfish. Ballonfish are common on the reefs in south Florida, but in small numbers, say less than 5 on a dive. Today I counted 26 in one small area, and a total 42 for the dive. I can't recall seeing them in those numbers before. Lots of grunts, Cesars, French, Spanish, White, and more than any other species, Blue Stripe Grunts. Observed one small Green Sea Turtle. Many Doctorfish and Surgeonfish. Heading back across the reef observed many Flamingo Tongues and a Fingerprint Cyphoma on some of the many soft corals that populate that reef. Respectively, Erojacks, Fingerprint Cyphoma, Healthy Grooved Brain Coral, Clathria virgultosa (sponge), Spotted Trunkfish, Ballonfish Video, Swimming Along Erojacks Video, and East End Erojacks Video