Trip Report 9/25 - Papoose/Indra

[rlskill1]

Trip Report 9/25.
Diving on the Papoose and Indra with SeaQuest II through Discovery Diving in Beafort. Visiblity was 20' thanks to Hurricane Igor that passed 1000 miles offshore to the east last week. The normally cobalt blue waters surrounding the Papoose were GREEN! Lots of suspended particles, jellyfish and lost sargasso weed. A couple of sand tigers were seen, along with groupers, triggerfish, and lionfish. Water temps near 80. The Indra closer to shore had about 15' of vis. 2 sandbar sharks cruised the bow section. The seas started out choppy but smoothed out as we got farther offshore. A nice day with marginal visibility that should improve.
On the way back to the inlet from the Indra, the green water was divided by bands of brown water. A really interesting striped water pattern that lasted for at least a mile.

The boat was full, and still lots of diving left before the season ends.

 

[ScubaSam]

Thanks for posting your report.

I dove the Papoose two weeks earlier and enjoyed Carribean blue water, 80 degree water temps with 60 + ft of viability. NC diving can be such a crap shoot but well worth it.

Do you know why there was a band of green and brown water? Did the captain or DM know the cause?

 

[Tortuga James]

The brown water near the inlet is usually brackish water from the estuaries that flows out during the falling tide. Because the salinity is different, the density of the 2 different waters is inconsistent and they tend to resist mixing.

On Saturday out by the Big 10 reef there was a very large area of brownish substance floating on the surface that I originally believed to be oil. Later we determined it must be some sort of algae.

 

[rlskill1]

The poor vis and the banded water were thanks to Igor. Really strange!
Lots of small jellyfish type invertebrates floating along the water column on the Papoose. One was almost snakelike in appearance and movement. It's body consisting of square-ish segments and 6"-7" in length.