20200819_Eastern Ledge off Tower 19

 Martha and I got up at 6:00 am and drove down to Tower 19 on the Fort Lauderdale beach. No on else was coming, so we geared up and swam out to the buoy line. We began our dive by descending at 7:31 am, swimming under the Vessel Exclusion Buoy and swimming East towards the ledge. 

We then swam East over some rubble and small rocks. About 24 minutes into the dive I found two Caribbean Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis sepiodea). They swam with us for several minutes. I followed and photographed them.

Shortly after the squids left, a large Gray Angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus) began to follow me. 

She was curious and I got the shot below of her about to bite one of my bubbles. 

We came to small patches of staghorn coral, but nothing like I remember from years ago when Nova University managed a project to grow staghorn corals to replant at other places on the beach. We came to the end of the reef about 45 minutes into the dive.

We swam down a 10 foot drop off to 32 feet and Martha quickly spotted a large Eyed Flounder (Bothus ocellatus). I took some pictures and we moved North along the bottom of the ledge. The Flounder remained still even when I got quite close. 

 At 55 minutes, we came back up on the top of the reef and headed West to the beach. We separated as we swam: Martha going North looking for shells and me holding a 270 degree bearing. 

We swam this way calmly for 34 minutes  when Martha suddenly grabbed me and pointed to a Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari) who was to the North of us but traveling East. I swam and took several pictures, though only three of them are useful. 

It took a while to settle down after chasing the ray, then I photographed the Smooth Trunkfish (Lactophrys triqueter) below. 

We surfaced inside the buoy line six minutes later and in 6 feet of water  Our Dive Time was 112 minutes at a maximum depth of 32.2 feet. My Actual Consumption was 25.05 psi/minute; my Surface Air Consumption was 15.90 psi/minute and the Residual Minute Volume was .41 cubic feet per minute.