Dive Report: 9/20/03 4:40 PM Blue Heron Bridge with Lad from REEF

Teams: Matt and Charlie
Laddie and Candy

Photos:
http://www.geocities.com/tiswango/0920bh/

Seas: calm
High Tide: 4:41PM
Visibility: 7 ft
Water Temp: 83
Depth: 12ft
Gas: 32%
Bottom Time: 1 Hour 20 minutes

After several Advanced Assessment Team dives, REEF Director Laddie Akins has always wanted to dive the Blue Heron Bridge. We tried to make a double header with Commercial Pier, but that didn't fit into his schedule. But he did drive up from Key Largo, just to dive the bridge. He was waiting for us in the parking lot when we pulled in a 4:15 PM. After a site check and plan we geared up. Visibility was green and ugly. The rough water this week outside and fresh water runoff inside made for tough diving conditions at the bridge.

We started exploring the first set of bridge pillars at the entry point. The murky water ate up our light and it was hard to see what was back in there. Then we swam over to the first set of bridge footers in 6 ft of water. Lad was diving with Candy and she was new to fish watching. It took me a while to learn Lad's pace, slow. When we reached the footers we found two small flooders dancing in the sand. It looked like it might be mating ritual? Lad didn't get over in time to see it, we lost them in the sand. Then we found a cute fish hanging out and Lad asked me what is was? I wrote "Hairy Blenny" as it had a spot by the gill plate. He wrote me back, "Bank Sea Bass". Duh, I got schooled! It was a different coloration then in the book and they are rare to find this far North. Diving, as in life, if you want to get better at something, find someone who is better than you and learn as much as you can from them!

After spending 25 minutes on the first bridge footers I signaled to swim over to the fishing pier. We swam slow, got there, and Lad was not to be found. I waited, and looked at tiny, 1 inch mahogany snapper juveniles with patience. After a couple minutes Charlie and I swam back, no lad. We surfaced and found his flag at the next bridge footers in 10 ft of water. It was a quick swim to connect again. Looking inside the 9 pilings that hold up the footer, I saw a large tail, then a huge head of a 6 ft Barracuda. We looked at the Parrotfish, Surgeonfish, and baby grunts schooling around.

Then we swam over to the fishing pier and headed towards the rubble pile. There were several spotted moray, flamefish, and Lad pointed out a huge Porcupine Pufferfish. I nabbed a good shot of a Seaweed Blenny. I also found several of the large Hairy Blennies that live there. At 45 minutes past high tide the vis was getting worse. We headed back under the fishing pier and then swam along the wall to the exit point. Charlie was ready to go, so we left Lad with the flag. Candy spotted a Pipefish right at the exit point and I missed it. There are still several species of fish spotted there that I have yet to record. The bridge still holds secrets that I must explore!

--Matt