Trip Report Lauderdale by the Sea

[Pipehorse]

Since the original post on Aug 7th when I endured the windy conditions of Aug 5 & 6, wind has seemed to have died down so I have been to LBTS six more times since then. The last time was yesterday Aug 28, 2022. Yesterday was more typical of summertime than the original post, i.e. less than 10mph wind. Visibility was a cloudy 30ft with greenish tinge out to the back of the first reef. With bluer water and 45ft visibility out on the second reef. Sea temp has been warm, 87f. Yesterday was also typical of how I have been diving there lately, about 1/3 of the time spent on the first reef, and 2/3 of the time on the second reef. In general the first reef is more fishy than the second reef, although the second reef is far more aesthetically pleasing than the first reef.

For those not familiar, true "coral reefs" do not start in Florida until a point somewhere south of Key Biscayne. In Miami-Dade/Broward/Palm Beach counties we don't have "coral reefs" we have reefs (usually limestone ledges) that happen to have coral growing on top of them. However, I have to say that the second reef at LBTS is very "corally", especially directly east of the pier, that is it seems more like coral reef than limestone ledge with coral growing on it. There are very large brain corals (several species), large Boulder Star Corals (Montastrea Annularis), large Great Star Corals (Montastrea cavernosa), Staghorn Coral, and the remains Elkhorn Coral (as an aside I believe the northern most live Elkhorn Coral is in Pompano Beach not far from the Copenhagen Wreck).

The State of Florida has an interesting project going on in this area. They leave little yellow tags on various corals that say, "You Can Help", each coral has its own number designation. The idea is for recreational scuba divers to take images of the coral with the tag in frame, and send said images to the website on the tag www.seafan.net (South East Florida Action Network), so that an image record over time becomes available for each coral, to monitor the progression or lack thereof SCTLD (Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease).

There is another science project at LBTS but it has been abandoned. Two semicircular tunnel like structures made of steel Rebar. The idea was to provide substrate that coral might attach to. I believe at one point there one buoys attached, but they are long gone. I am not sure, but believe I read somewhere that a small current was supposed to be sent through the rebar. Not sure if that is true or how it would even work as the ocean would be an electrical ground. I call it the Spadefish jail since I often see Spadefish that have taken up residence swimming through and around the structures.

Since this post has been about coral, I am only going to post coral images and coral videos. I will continue the thread with another post that includes animals other than coral for the same time period. Respectively, Coral Reef Tag, Gorgonian Among Hard Corals, Lost Mask, Sun Anemone, Undercut Coral Formation, Undercut Coral Formation 1, Undercut Coral Formation 2, Great Star Coral, Seafans East VIew, Seafans West View, Abandoned Science Project Video, Giant Star Coral Swim Around Video, Brain Coral Swim Around Video, Boulder Coral Swim Around Video, and another Giant Star Coral Formation Video

 

[Pipehorse]

This is a continuation of the last post, animals other than coral this time. On Sunday August 28, I entered the water at 0825 about a 1/4 mile north of the pier, this is a rarity for me, I almost always enter south of the pier. Proceeded to the east side of the 1st reef and headed south towards the pier. I ran into a group of 10 Tarpon, and they quickly moved away. I could hear other divers coming in my direction. I was hovering in one spot for a while something made me look up and there it is swimming east a Great Hammerhead Shark, a distance of about 200 yards from shore. It was moving really fast so unfortunately no time for an image or video. Perhaps it was the reason the Tarpon moved out the area in such a hurry and not me. I continued south and ran into a group of four divers less than a minute later. I gave them the shark sign and they nodded back. They were all hunkered down in the sand in a small group the one diver with a big spear gun pointed east, I think they were somewhat unsettled as opposed to excited about seeing the shark. I have done well over 1000 dives a LBTS, I have never seen any shark there other than Nurse Sharks very cool to see a Hammerhead there for sure. I continued south and turned left at the pier heading out to the second reef. Did a REEF fish count of 68 species in an hour, the Hammerhead sighting is a new species for that area. Way more Tarpon near the pier than I am used to seeing. Usually less than 5 Tarpon there. On Sunday there were at least 25 Tarpons present, lots of Barracuda, and a couple Snooks. The baitball made up of Red Ear Herring is huge right now. When you do a REEF survey anymore than 100 count of the same species it is considered A for abundant. On Sunday the following species were present in abundance, Lookdowns, Atlantic Moonfish, Redear Herring, Bigeye Scad, Atlantic Bumper, Tomtates, French Grunts and Irish Pompano. Headed east to the second reef. Observed two Green Turtles, which was cool because I hadn't seen any for a while. Respectively, Littlehead Porgy, Redlip Blenny, Gray Triggerfish, Tiger Goby, Juvenile Four Eye Butterflyfish, Abandoned Science Project, Sea Plume, Twin Queen Conch, Atlantic Spadefish, Flamingos Tongue, Glassy Sweeper, White Clouds Over LBTS Pier, Littlehead Porgy Video, Tomtate Grunt Video, Tarpon Video, Glassy Sweeper Video, Lookdowns and Atlantic Moonfish, Baitball, and Green Sea Turtle

Baitball

Green Sea Turtle

 

[Johnoly]

...... Perhaps it was the reason the Tarpon moved out the area in such a hurry.......... very cool to see a Hammerhead there for sure.

Extremely rare for a diver(not shore fishermen) to encounter a hammerhead that close in,,Congrats!! You comment about the tarpon spook is similar to our deep remora's. If a couple show up next to me out of no where, then there's a bull shark nearby>> even if I can't see it.

From your excellent pictures, Viz looked darn good considering how much rain has dumped in that area and usually trashes it. We're struggling in Jup/WPB but it changes day by day because of the gulf stream.

 

[tekkydiver]

Extremely rare for a diver(not shore fishermen) to encounter a hammerhead that close in,,Congrats!! You comment about the tarpon spook is similar to our deep remora's. If a couple show up next to me out of no where, then there's a bull shark nearby>> even if I can't see it.

From your excellent pictures, Viz looked darn good considering how much rain has dumped in that area and usually trashes it. We're struggling in Jup/WPB but it changes day by day because of the gulf stream.

Not really rare.... HH's ofter cruise the beach. Looking for rays I suspect. Recently there has been a fairly good size HH reported in lake boca... following tarpon I suspect. Not surprised as the beach and nearby inland waters are packed with bait.

 

[Pipehorse]

Not really rare.... HH's ofter cruise the beach. Looking for rays I suspect. Recently there has been a fairly good size HH reported in lake boca... following tarpon I suspect. Not surprised as the beach and nearby inland waters are packed with bait.

Some one filmed one near the east span of BHB about a month and a half ago. I agree that in absolute terms they might not be rare, however from diving LBTS for the last 25 years or so (about 1300 dives), from a diver perspective of actually seeing them while diving, they are rare. Until last Sunday the only sharks I have ever seen at LBTS are Nurse Sharks. That includes going all the way out to the mooring balls and back many times.

 

[Six Feet Under]

I'm hoping the weather holds and viz is good this coming weekend (Labor Day). My cave diving buddy is in Orlando for work (currently living in Las Vegas) and we're heading down Friday afternoon and staying until Monday afternoon. Hoping to dive Blue Heron Bridge, the Copenhagen, and maybe a few of these smaller man-made reefs - whatever is within reasonable drive time from our hotel near FAU.

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

I’ve done the Copenhagen from shore. It’s a long swim. But, if you’re diving by boat, there are a lot better options. It’s really just remnants of a wreck.

 

[Six Feet Under]

I’ve done the Copenhagen from shore. It’s a long swim. But, if you’re diving by boat, there are a lot better options. It’s really just remnants of a wreck.

That was the second dive on our Blacktip Tech scooters (first was Rainbow River, just to get everything sorted out and see how they handled fairly swift current, as far as battery life). Both had GoPros and Big Blue video lights (his was a 2600 lumen, mine was 8300 lumen) mounted on the DiveXtras mounts.

Took us roughly 21 minutes to scooter out at cruising speed (Speed 3, 150fpm or so), total run time was 112 minutes and I had to tow him the remainder of the way back after his died heading back to the beach.

He had the 9aH packs and I had 10aH's, so that may have been what saved us from having to swim at all. I was basically never off the trigger throughout the entire dive unless we were videoing/photographing something, I'm kinda surprised (still) that Dewalt packs will last that long towing my rotund self LOL. My first ever surf exit (with LP80's in sidemount configuration and a scooter) was something to behold, too. Super glad there were no cameras around

Free parking at Sea Watch restaurant, direct/free access to the beach, and no boat fees... it was an enjoyable dive and my first time diving any shipwreck (only other saltwater dive was Molasses Reef in Key Largo last September, otherwise it's been all freshwater springs and caves since I got certified in 2013).

 

[Pipehorse]

Free parking at Sea Watch restaurant, direct/free access to the beach, and no boat fees... it was an enjoyable dive and my first time diving any shipwreck (only other saltwater dive was Molasses Reef in Key Largo last September, otherwise it's been all freshwater springs and caves since I got certified in 2013).

Are you sure about that free parking at Sea Watch? Pretty sure they have signs posted, i.e. parking for patrons only or your vehicle we be towed? When I lived in Broward County I would be frequently take the A1A scenic route home from LBTS. The parking lot was always empty during the days, of course that was 8 years ago. Just thinking a lot of divers would be using that lot the way you did to do the reef in front and the Copehhagen.

 

[Six Feet Under]

Are you sure about that free parking at Sea Watch? Pretty sure they have signs posted, i.e. parking for patrons only or your vehicle we be towed? When I lived in Broward County I would be frequently take the A1A scenic route home from LBTS. The parking lot was always empty during the days, of course that was 8 years ago. Just thinking a lot of divers would be using that lot the way you did to do the reef in front and the Copehhagen.

My buddy had called the restaurant ahead of time (allegedly - not sure who he spoke with) and asked. We did have some old guy in the parking lot tell us there was no beach parking there, but we were already geared up. Buddy walked inside and asked the restaurant staff and they said it wasn't a problem. We'd planned to eat there afterwards, so I'm not sure if he mentioned that fact to them or something, but we had no issues.

That said, they weren't exactly completely busy when we were gearing up to dive. Maybe situationally dependent on what time of day the high tide occurs?