The continuing sagas of the Blue Heron Bridge

[BHB ScubaTroll]

We have an ID!

This is a leptocephalus = Larval eel

Eel, Anguilla sp., The larval stage of an eel called a Leptocephalus. These are the newly hatched eels which drift along ocean currents...

ID courtesy of Leslie H. Harris, Collection Manager,
LACM-Allan Hancock Foundation Polychaete Collection
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Now, it's time to play "What the hell is THAT?"

6" long, translucent, I thought it was a piece of plastic until it changed direction against current, then dipped down and moved side-long to the current, etc. It appeared to be feeding near the bottom and then moving up above the ground about 5' from the bottom and then back down, etc.

The camera had a terrible time attempting to focus on the darned thing... I've never seen anything like it and I sure would like to know what it is...

 

[RhatsaRuck]

I snorkeled the west side of the BHB this afternoon. I got in the water around 2pm and got out around 3:45pm. The visibility was terrible - at most 15 feet. It was overcast until 4:15 so the lack of sunlight didn't help.

I spent about 10 minutes by the pilings right next to the boat channel under the main span. I could barely make out the bottom. What's the depth there around high tide: 30ft at most?

It felt great to be in the water. The current was not strong today.

I don't have a dive computer so I didn't know the water temps. Another diver said his computer reported 72F.

 

[Sully3]

great shots CT! great find with the larval eel too!!!

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

I spent about 10 minutes by the pilings right next to the boat channel under the main span. I could barely make out the bottom. What's the depth there around high tide: 30ft at most?

18ft max depth

 

[djtimmy77]

cooltech beat me to it.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I agree that the photograph shows a leptocephalus larva. However, there are other estuarine species that also go through the same larval stage. As I recall they include the ladyfish (Elops saurus) and also the Tarpon (megalops atlanticus) and maybe others, I'm not sure also I'm not sure on the spelling, I'm going from distant memory. I suspect that ladyfish larva are probably much more common than eel larvae.

 

[mksmith713]

My computer as well as a fellow divers computer showed water temps at the surfaceto be 75 degrees this past Sunday.

I snorkeled the west side of the BHB this afternoon. I got in the water around 2pm and got out around 3:45pm. The visibility was terrible - at most 15 feet. It was overcast until 4:15 so the lack of sunlight didn't help.

I spent about 10 minutes by the pilings right next to the boat channel under the main span. I could barely make out the bottom. What's the depth there around high tide: 30ft at most?

It felt great to be in the water. The current was not strong today.

I don't have a dive computer so I didn't know the water temps. Another diver said his computer reported 72F.

 

[sportxlh]

I spent about 10 minutes by the pilings right next to the boat channel under the main span. I could barely make out the bottom. What's the depth there around high tide: 30ft at most?

the deepest I have recorded in that area is about 18 feet on a really high tide

 

[sportxlh]

cooltech does it again: great shots!! especially like the sea horse

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Seahorse(s)... two