20201027_Fish Camp Rocks

Martha and I slept in this morning. I took Mia for her walk and Martha got up at 7:00.  We left the apartment at 7:25 am. Today  is Boat Show in FLL and it took a bit longer to drive past Tower 4 and up to Tower 17, but we ended up in my favorite spot and headed to the water around 8:10 am 

 We swam out in the cold top layer of fresh water and it felt good to descend through the 50 degree water to the 82 degree water underneath.  Visibility was terrible. 3-4 feet on the sand opening up to 8 feet on the reef. We headed East towards the Gray Mid-Way Rock but missed it completely as we swam along the South edge of the Fish Camp Rocks. 

20201011_Fish Camp Rocks

The view from the water

 Martha and I left the apartment at 7:00 am and got to Tower 17 at 7:15 am. We spent some time trading up to a better parking space while we waited for Luis and Leo. Luis arrived first at 8:00. 

Leo arrived with his two students at 8:15. They took longer to gear up and then headed to the Ledge to do their OW ascents.

Spotted Moray Eel (Gymnothorax moringa)

 

 

Luis, Martha and I geared up and got in the water at 8:30. We waded through 2-3 feet of water to get past the sand bar and to swim to the blocks where we descended at 8:44 am. We headed East to the Gray Mid-Way Rock.

 Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio)

 About 20 minutes into the dive we watched a Red Grouper hunting with or at least watching a Spotted Moray Eel.

 

 French Grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum)

 The wind was out of the South between 5 and 9 mph. There was a moderate South current throughout the dive. Visibility was 12 to 15 ft and hazy. We turned North at the Gray Mid-Way Rock and swam to the Perpendicular Rocks, the Swept Rock and the Big Coral Knoll.

 

 Stoplight Parrotfish (Sparisoma vinde)

  There were lots of young French Grunts, a Spotlight Parrotfish, some Ballyhoo, several Gray Snappers 

Ballyhoo (Hemiramphus brasiliensis) 

Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) 

   

and a Yellowtail Damselfish but no turtles, eels or other exceptional sea life.

Yellowtail Damselfish (Micropathodon chrysurus)

 We came off the Knoll after one lap and headed South to the Fish Camp Rocks

 

 Spanish Grunt (Haemulon macrostomum)

I got some photographs of Spanish, White and Bluestriped  Grunts.

White Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) 

 Bluestriped Grunt (Haemulon sciurus) 

Dusky Damselfish (Stegastes adjustus) 

   

      I also spotted and photographed a Juvenile                    Dusky Damselfish. 

Martha and I headed South to what is left of the Columnar Coral. I took some pictures, but was using a 100 mm macro lens so the shots were not very good. Need to use a 50 mm lens to capture the larger scale. 

Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber)

On the way back to the Fish Camp Rocks, I spotted a couple of smaller Atlantic Spadefish and got some really nice shots. 

We met up with Luis, who had remained on the Fish Camp Rocks and we swam through the bubble rocks for a last look at the Big Coral Knoll before we  turned the dive. 

 Mahogany Snapper (Lutfanus mahogoni) 

 Got some shots of what I think was a Mahogany  Snapper, a Spotted Scorpionfish and a Juvenile         Cocoa Damselfish. 

Spotted Scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri) 

Juvenile Cocoa Damselfish (Stegastes variabilis)

 Fingerprint Cyphoma (Cyphoma signatum) 

We swam South to the Gray Mid-Way Rock then turned West to the beach. I found a Fingerprint Cyphoma as we left the reef and got over the sand. 

Getting out was much easier with Luis helping me 

get over a rather steep step. Martha got out under 

her own power.

Our dive time was 2 hours exactly at a maximum depth of 19.4 feet.  My AC was 23.64 psi/minute; 

my SAC was 16.25 psi/minute and the RMV was 

.42 cubic feet per minute.  

. 

20200926_Yankee Clipper Jacks

Leo and I decided to swim out to the Yankee Clipper Jacks this morning. We met in the parking lot at 8:00 am, got in the ocean at 8:30 am and descended on the third tier of the reef at 8:50 am. We were on the Jacks five minutes later.  

Chubs (Bermuda/Yellow)

Leo went to the NE on the North side of the Jacks while I went NE on the South side of the Jacks. We could see each others bubbles.

 a small school of .

Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus)

  

  

Black Margate (Anisotremus surinamensis)

Found this Spotted Trunkfish (Lactophrys bicaudalis) about 3 feet off the bottom and behind some Jacks.

Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus)

  

Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber)

Yellowfin Mojarra (Gerres cinereus) 

        

Sand Diver (Synodus intermedius)

As I came to the NE end of the Jacks I headed to the North and spent some time looking for the damage I had noted on my September 9th dive with Martha. I expected to see a deep gouge in the bottom which I had described as "large area of excavation." I saw no evidence of any excavation large or small. 

  

a Bandtail Puffer (Sphoeroides spengleri)

Leo and I switched sides on the Jacks as we headed West back to where we started. 

Initial Phase Queen Parrotfish (Scarus vetula) 

 

Midnight Parrotfish (Scarus coelestinus) 

 

Blue Runner (Caranx crysos) 

    

White Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) 

  

Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris)

 

Blue Parrotfish (Scarus coeruleus) 

 

We got to the SW end of the Jacks and I was at 1,000 psi, so we turned the dive and headed West for the beach. We swam inside the buoy line and surfaced at 10:45 am. 

Our dive time was 115 minutes at a maximum depth of 23.6 feet. My A/C was 26.18 psi/minute; my SAC was 17.63 psi/minute and the RMV was .45 cubic feet per minute. 

I also got this shot of a Scrawled Cowfish (Acanthostracion quadricornis)

                                                                                  

                                                                                      

  

 

20200919_Blue Heron Bridge

 Martha, Leo and Luis wanted to go to the Blue Heron Bridge, primarily to see and photograph more exotic animals like octopus and sea horses. We could not work out scheduling conflicts for last weekend, but we did schedule a last minute trip for today. We met at in the Blue Heron's parking lot at 8:00 am. High tide was 10:23 am. We ignored the various warnings and recommendations that we not dive until 30 minutes before high tide. We geared up and got in the water at about 8:30 am.  

I waded into the water and got swept up in the current as I was explaining how we should stay under the bridge structure. I grabbed one of the pilings and hung on, hoping to see the others but visibility was poor so I went to the surface. I spotted Leo hanging onto a piling at the surface and understood that he could see Luis beneath him on the same piling but that Martha was not with them. 

I decided to drift with the current and hope I would run into her or that she would come to the surface so we could spot each other. Unfortunately, I drifted about 100 yards past the fishing bridge without seeing any sign of her. I went to the bottom where the current was weaker and worked my way to the East wall where the depth was only about 4 ft and the current seriously fell off. I walked/swam back to where we had entered the water and this time I went to the piling on which I had last seen Leo.

He was still there and indicated that Martha was below him with Luis. I descended and found her. She indicated that she was fine but that she would  stay wedged into the space between two sections of the piling until the current slackened. I swam to the next piling to the South and back hoping to entice her, but she was having none of it.

Luis presented me with our dive flag which was missing the upper 1.5 ft of rod. We did eventually leave the piling to swim back towards the shore, but I lost Luis and Martha, again. 

when they reappeared, Martha was pushing a heavy rock ahead of her and then pulling herself forward using weight of the rock to fight the current. Smart. We all got out safely if somewhat sobered by the strength of the current.  Leo and Luis wanted to dive the East Bridge, but Martha and I packed up and headed home. 

I logged the dive as 47 minutes at a maximum depth of 9.7 feet and with a "very strong" current. 

20200916_Swiss Cheese Reef

Early morning with Mia and Martha. We packed up the Jeep and headed for the beach at 6:30. Got there about 7:10 am but took some time setting up a new BCD. We entered the water at 7:43 am and swam out to the buoy line where we descended at 7:54 am. 

Got this shot of an Ocean Surgeonfish (Acanthurus bahianus) as we went East to the Wrap Around Ledge,  continued East to the Rock Line, turned North for a short swim to the tire, then got back on an Eastern bearing across the sand flat to the rubble then NE to the staghorn coral. 

 Got this shot of a Mahogany Snapper (Lutfanus mahogoni) on the Staghorn Coral.

Got this shot of a Juvenile Puddingwife (Halichoeres radiatus)

Visibility was poor early in the morning, but improved as the sun got higher in the sky. 

We swam East to the Sectioned Rock and then North to the beginnings of the reef.

Got this shot of a Spanish Hogfish (Bodianus rufus) as we went by the Sectioned Rock.

 

Martha found a small Southern Atlantic Stingray (Dasyatis americana)  about an hour into the dive. I got some interesting pictures from behind and above that stingray. Notice how the ray covers itself with sand to hide its presence.

We continued North along the reef for about 15 minutes and I saw a small and probably young Spotted Trunkfish in the reef. I tagged along with the fish and got some nice pictures of this small Spotted Trunkfish (Lactophrys bicaudalis). The fish worked hard to keep a large rock between me and him.

When I left the trunkfish, I found two French Grunts (Haemulon flavolineatum)  engaged in a dispute and got a nice series of pictures of their dispute resolution.

 

They press their mouths together and push against each other until one of them surrenders or pushes the other off of the reef.  

These disputes can last for several minutes and sometimes one of the fighters will swim away only to attack from a different angle.

Martha came and got me to photograph this Lesser Electric Ray (Narcine brasiliensis). Often, we will find an electric ray well hidden by covering itself with sand.

We headed to the beach after that and surfaced well inside the buoy line at 9:59 am and swam to the beach.  The step onto the beach was steep and deep. Martha usually waits for me to get out, drop my gear then come back in to help her out, but this time she went first and got out like a pro. I stumbled along behind her but neither of us fell so I call it a win.

Our dive time was 125 minutes at a maximum depth of 21.8 feet. My A/C was 23.29 psi/minute; my SAC was 15.37 psi/minute and the RMV was .4 cubic feet per minute.