Spotted Moray Eel from Boynton Beach (Florida)

[Marriard]

These images taken in December of last year. Which will give you an idea on how far behind I am on getting my images ready...

This from perhaps my favourite dive site in east Florida - Boynton Ledges. Always consistantly good, with a fantastic coral ledge relief, I used to dive there at least once or twice a week when I lived in the area. Now when I visit Florida, I always make it a point to request this site.

Water was pretty cold for Florida, and the vis was awful, but this Spotted Moray Eel (Gymnothorax moringa) was still out for a photo op.

Nikon D2X, Subal Housing, Dual Inon 220's, 60mm lens, ASA100, F8-F10, 1/100

Enjoy,
M

 

[Jcsgt]

Nice shot! Wish I could afford a Subal housing for my D2H!

 

[Diver Dennis]

Nice shots!

 

[PapaBob]

Hi Marriard:

I live in and dive S. Florida, so I really enjoyed your post. The vis is an issue down here which means close up or macro generally works better than WA as you discovered. We have a number of good sized spotted morays. I find them to be much more camera shy than their big green brothers and sisters, and it is easy to get shots of nothing other that a snout sticking out of a hole. Your images are all keepers in my book. You also were patient enough to time the eel's "breathing" cycle to get great open mouth shots and good teeth. Bravo.

---Bob

 

[havnmonkey]

Great shots, Morays are always great subjects..

By the way; any good diving near Sarasota around this time of year?

 

[DennisW]

Very nice.

 

[RonFrank]

I really like the last two. I'll have to remember this dive spot. So how deep is this?

 

[PapaBob]

Hi Ron:

I will let Mirriard tell you but it looks like the inside of the third reef. Probably 65' in the sand up to 53' on top. I would imagine the shot was taken on the inside ledge between the sand and the reef crest as it usually has a lot of holes and makes a good home for the spotteds. JMO.

---Bob

 

[Marriard]

Hi Ron:

I will let Marriard tell you but it looks like the inside of the third reef. Probably 65' in the sand up to 53' on top. I would imagine the shot was taken on the inside ledge between the sand and the reef crest as it usually has a lot of holes and makes a good home for the spotteds. JMO.

---Bob

Exactly right. I was out with StarFish & Capt Craig. Probably a little shallower than this (45' on top,60' in the sand), but definetly the inside of the third reef line. That is the best 'line' of all the reefs on the east coast of Florida.

Marriard