Big Bend Brian
Registered
On Monday, July 7th we packed up the kiddies (2 & 4 years old) and hit the road to Venice (3.5 hour road trip from Gainesville FL). Once there we got the kids settled on the beach with shade and toys and with a sister-in-law watching the kiddies we entered the water to wreck havoc on the shark teeth population.
After diving three tanks (total) we found a total of 225 sharks teeth (not to mention the usual stingray mouth plates and barbs). The shark teeth ranged from tiny to numerous 2-inch sand shark teeth. Average size was an inch high. Our teeth consisted of bull, dusky, lemon, tiger, an extinct snaggletooth shark tooth, a few great white teeth (not megalodon), and sand tiger shark teeth. Actually, a large majority of the teeth were sand tiger teeth as there was a thin veneer of brown silt on the bottom that obscured the black color that I look for when tooth hunting. The sand tiger teeth are curved and stand out from the usual flat bottom and they are not difficult to see. We missed the ability to key in on the black color but we managed to work around it. It was harder to differentiate the flatter teeth with the sediment obscuring their outline on the bottom. No big Meg teeth but I keep telling myself one of these days
Where we dove is about 200 yards offshore from the beach in 16 to 18 feet on the offshore side of the first rocky reef. Two hundred yards is even with the offshore end of the pier. Inside that 1st reef the vis was < 1 foot. On the offshore side of the reef the visibility ranged from 4 to 6 feet. Not great but very doable. Bottom temperature was ~85 degrees F. and there was no surge. When we first arrived the close in water was green and a bit discouraging but about even with the pier (200 yards out) it looked decent. We were quite comfortable just dive skins.
Low tide was 2:02 p.m. and thats when were diving. There was a little surf and seas were ~ 1 foot. For about 15 minutes some dark clouds obscured the sun and it made finding teeth a little difficult. That full mid day sun really helps out. It was a fun day for everyone. One of these days Im gonna find a megalodon .
Brian
After diving three tanks (total) we found a total of 225 sharks teeth (not to mention the usual stingray mouth plates and barbs). The shark teeth ranged from tiny to numerous 2-inch sand shark teeth. Average size was an inch high. Our teeth consisted of bull, dusky, lemon, tiger, an extinct snaggletooth shark tooth, a few great white teeth (not megalodon), and sand tiger shark teeth. Actually, a large majority of the teeth were sand tiger teeth as there was a thin veneer of brown silt on the bottom that obscured the black color that I look for when tooth hunting. The sand tiger teeth are curved and stand out from the usual flat bottom and they are not difficult to see. We missed the ability to key in on the black color but we managed to work around it. It was harder to differentiate the flatter teeth with the sediment obscuring their outline on the bottom. No big Meg teeth but I keep telling myself one of these days
Where we dove is about 200 yards offshore from the beach in 16 to 18 feet on the offshore side of the first rocky reef. Two hundred yards is even with the offshore end of the pier. Inside that 1st reef the vis was < 1 foot. On the offshore side of the reef the visibility ranged from 4 to 6 feet. Not great but very doable. Bottom temperature was ~85 degrees F. and there was no surge. When we first arrived the close in water was green and a bit discouraging but about even with the pier (200 yards out) it looked decent. We were quite comfortable just dive skins.
Low tide was 2:02 p.m. and thats when were diving. There was a little surf and seas were ~ 1 foot. For about 15 minutes some dark clouds obscured the sun and it made finding teeth a little difficult. That full mid day sun really helps out. It was a fun day for everyone. One of these days Im gonna find a megalodon .
Brian
