We have returned

[Dee]

I have never seen so many bait fish in my life! The wrecks and artificial structures of Panama City Beach are amazing. We did 6 dives...
#1. Sat. morning - Stage 1
Max depth - 95'
B. time - 53 min

#2. Sat. morning - Bridge Span #14
max depth 67'
B. time - 54 min.

#3. Sat. night - Bridge span #1
Max depth 72'
B. time - 54min

#4. Sat. night - Bridge span #8
Max depth 72'
B. time - 34 min.

#5. Sun morning - Accokeek wreck
Max depth 83'
B. time - 42 min

#6. Sun. morning - Black Bart
Max depth 77'
B. time - 49 min.

286 min - 4.77 hrs total

I mentioned the baitfish...there was millions of them. Literally! I've seen schools of Silversides and Glassy Sweepers but never swarms of fish like this. They totally blocked everything from sight. Beast would be 3 ft. away and suddenly disappear when the school shifted! Also seen for the very first sighting was a Scaly-Tailed Mantis. Walter found it on a night dive. That same night dive, we saw alot of Squid. Some small 1/2" up to a foot or more. While hovering above the deck, you could watch them using your light to catch their dinner. Very cool. There was also a full moon that night...MMMM?

Thanks to Ana and Matt for their hospitality and all my Diverlink friends for a great re-union trip!

 

[sealskin98]

Glad you had a great time.

Looks like you were close to where I went about 4 years ago out of Gulf Breeze. We did Tex Edwards, Liberty Shipwrecks, Timberholes, Lost Tug, and I forget what else.

Vis was not good that time, Hurricane Danny had went through the week before and run-off....you know.

On wreck dive the vis was about 4 ft. at 90ft, and the others were 10-12 ft. until we did Lost Tug, was 30 ft. What a relief after 4!

Hope you had decent vis. It is nice to see the fish before you bump into them.

Umm, what's a Scaly-Tailed Mantis? Dang I need to buy a fish ID book.

(You could watch "them" using "your" light to catch their dinner?) How they hold it?

j/k...you held it for them.

 

[Dee]

sealskin98 once bubbled...
Glad you had a great time.

Umm, what's a Scaly-Tailed Mantis? Dang I need to buy a fish ID book.

(You could watch "them" using "your" light to catch their dinner?) How they hold it?

j/k...you held it for them.

Well, I don't have a picture for ya but it's a shrimp-like crustacean with lobster tendacies! They live in holes dug in the bottom. They have these appendages, like claws, that they use as hammers to stun/kill their food and for protection of their homes. There are reports of divers have their fingers split open by these guys. I have heard of photographers who have had theor camera lenses smashed. Some species are known as Pistol Shrimp because of the loud noise their 'hammer' makes when used.

Yes, the squid held the light in one tentacle and used the others to grab the food! ut:

 

[got4boyz]

Sounds like a great trip Dee. Thanks for telling me about diving in Panama City. I had no idea there was such good diving so close. Will be going there the first weekend in October. Can't wait, I having been diving since Xcalak last February. Usually only get to go diving once a year on our annual anniversary trip to Mexico, but now I'm learning about all the places in Texas and Panama Beach you can be sure I'll be going more often!

Thanks again Dee!

PS: The pictures are great. They made me all the more excited to go!