Some of The Coolest Stuff You've Seen Shallow

[SueMermaid]

I like the smaller things like pelagic tunicates that hang out in the water column; you would not usually even notice them unless you were thinking about it.

 

[Rookie_J]

saw my first sea turtle in 18' of water. watched it for about 5 minutes.. so graceful..

as i watched it, it showed me a small coral community teaming with life.. eels, rays, sea cucumbers, starfish...

if i hadn't noticed the turtle, i would of swam past all the other things..


i love diving :thumbs_up

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Did two dives today. The boat down there and the Lion's Mane Jelly and the Juvenile Red Snapper down at 124' were all nice. But at the end of the 2nd dive, in four feet of water, just as my buddy gave the final thumb and headed up, I spotted a nice Hooded Nudi undulating in the easy surf.

I tapped my buddy, he came back down and we enjoyed the critter for about 5 minutes, and he took some pictures.

I gave the thumb, he nodded and I surfaced. But he didn't follow, so I stuck my face back in the water and saw him waving me back down.

I descended, and my buddy pointed out the Small Skate resting on the bottom. We looked at it for a bit, then my buddy started genitally brushing off the sand on the Skate, exposing the target-like circles that looked like eyes on it's wings. It didn't seem to mind at all being touched, just flipped it's tale a couple of times.

My buddy took a few pictures, and then we did surface.

It added about ten minutes to the dive and was one of the most enjoyable parts of it - and in just four feet of water!

Others have mentioned it. What have you seen at the end of the dive, when you thought it was over, that you found to be a memorable siting?

Of course, your dive buddy (I'm assuming you're talking about your dive with Bob Lew) is one of the best critter finders around.

The coolest thing I've seen in shallow water ... locally, at least ... was also while diving with him, and I'd have missed it if he hadn't pointed it out. It blended in so well with the bottom that I had to stare at it a while before making out the eyes ... then tracing the subtle outline of its body. It was a giant skate ... perhaps 6 feet tip-to-tip ... laying in the sand in about 15 fsw at Edmonds Underwater Park.

I had no idea they even got that big!

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MtnDiver]

This past weekend at Chankanaab Park in Cozumel we watched 3 reef squid in about 9 feet of water for a good 5 minutes or so. They were so awesome swimming in formation watching us watching them and changing colors to try to blend in with whatever color coral they happened to be in front of. Definately at the top of my list so far in my limited diving experience.

Also saw a Flounder, a 4 ft. long Baraccuda, two 1 foot long Baraccudas, and a green Moray all above 15 feet and within a 15 minute time span.

(Edit: The really sad part is, I got so caught up watching the reef squid that I completely forgot about the camera hanging from my wrist. Oh well, probably would have scared them off anyway.)

 

[Rick Inman]

Of course, your dive buddy (I'm assuming you're talking about your dive with Bob Lew) is one of the best critter finders around.

Isn't that the truth! Sometimes I get frustrated 'cause he points and I just don't see it. I look, I look... and finally, there it is! Sometimes after a dive, I feel like tipping him.

 

[Brand0n]

i seen a toilet in about 10 feet of water :/ hah but besides that i seen a sea Anemone in about 15 feet of water

 

[TSandM]

Well, my first dive with Bob (Grateful Diver), we found a beautiful Red Irish Lord in about ten feet of water at the end of the dive (watching it for a while was our "safety stop"). In the night dive from my AOW class, we were swimming upslope to end the dive and found about an 18" skate.

And one of the dives in Maui (Ulua Beach) was conducted almost entirely in water no deeper than 20', and I can't even begin to remember all the things we saw. The coolest was a frogfish who had made the strategic error of being emerald green on a dark grey rock, and was therefore visible.

The lesson to me is that it's important to remember that a dive isn't over until it's over . . . the sea can offer surprises at any time!

 

[Firebrand]

When I dove at Venice Beach with Reefguy, on our second dive (down near Casperson) I saw a Mantis Shrimp. As I got closer to him, I watched him duck into his hole. Having grown up swimming and skin diving in the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Keys, I knew better than to stick my fingers in after anything. After talking to Reefguy about it, I'm glad I didn't. We were in about 18 feet of water. Also, I never saw a pipefish until I did a night dive with Squalus and Pennypue in Key Largo. Those things are cool, but the Mantis Shrimp is still my favorite critter I've seen.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I've seen 50 or so rays in a single dive off the beach at Alabama Point Jetties, my depth maxed at around 15'. The only turtle I've ever seen diving was at the Destin Jetties(FL) in about 15-20'. I came across the same turtle in a dive a few weeks later, it was still shallow. The only shark I've encountered was shallow, in less than 15' of water at the Whiskey Wreck in Gulf Shores, AL.

Some of the dive sites I dive, simply don't get deep, but I always find something interesting to look at

 

[Louie]

A Dugong at three metres!! Oh boy that was so much fun.