Massive Sponge Spawning Event - 4/16/2023

[RickI]

I went diving with Capt. Popeye and DM Skip with Aqua Life Divers out of Pompano on Sunday morning, April 16, 2023. The first dive was on the Third Reef, the Berry Patch. Visibility was poor. I thought it might have been better from what I had seen kitesurfing in recent days but no joy. A packet of turbid water from the recent major wind and rain event must have moved in. Anyway, I get down to the bottom scooter free diving and notice a bunch of white turbid stuff all over. I thought some large sharks had kicked up the bottom. Looking closer lots of barrel sponges were smoking, pushing out spermatazoa and possibly ova, spawning in short. Visibility on the bottom had be reduced by all the white matter drifting around significantly. I don't recall seeing quite so much activity like this before and decided to collect some imagery. Sorry about the poor image quality but both the visibility and light were low.


#barrelsponge #Porifera #spongespawning #freediving #freedivingphotography #scooterfreediving #aqualifediving

 

[JohnN]

It's a good thing you didn't get pregnant. I can't imagine explaining that your baby daddy was a sponge.

 

[Boarderguy]

Don't want to think how sticky that may have been...

 

[RickI]

Ask me again in nine months. We're lucky to have such a major event here with local impacts. I can recall some serious sponge damage in recent years. Yet these sponges looked and were acting healthy. I was talking to a friend with historical ties to the sponge industry in the Aegean. He indicated that he didn't recall seeing a spawning event like this there for sometime.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I had a similar experience a few years back off Palm Beach County. It’s such a cool thing to witness!

 

[RickI]

It was interesting particularly on a poor viz day. I think I have seen minor versions in past years but nothing like this.

 

[JohnN]

I was diving in Browning Pass (Northern Vancouver Island) during the spawn. Clams were spewing eggs & spunk, starfish were raised up on their arms

This was early spring, the visibility was like late August from all the critters making woopie

 

[gmountai]

Similar experience. My wife and I, and a couple of friends were diving in Roatan at AKR. The DM was very antsy that morning and suggested we get going as soon as everyone was ready, as he wanted to be first to a “special site”. Water was very clear, but as soon as we descended to the reef we could see the barrel sponge spawn. I got fantastic video that morning of the spawn, a once a year happening (true diver porn). We were the only dive boat to see it that day.

 

[plaamook]

Cool