Some Short PCB/St. Andrew's Jetties Vids - help identifying a couple things.

[moosicman]

So my batteries ran out on me and I missed some baby barracuda and cool hermit crab shots. Here are two quick vids and if you can help me identify the things in them that I ask for in the speech bubbles of the videos that would be way awesome. Thanks in advance!!!
[video=youtube;mo0iMXGOn6U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo0iMXGOn6U[/video]

[video=youtube;90xaKR5IXHc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90xaKR5IXHc[/video]

 

[Hetland]

@ 0:49 Leopard Toadfish
@1:26 Hydroid

Not trying to be an @$$, but get some gloves and try not to touch anything. Especially don't touch !@#$ you don't have identified. You can kill some corals by simply touching them, and you can put yourself in the hospital touching other stuff.

---------- Post Merged on July 24th, 2012 at 12:16 AM ---------- Previous Post was on July 23rd, 2012 at 11:55 PM ----------

Nice find on the daytime octopus.

Looks like a mantis shrimp at 2:40 on your second clip.

Remember what I typed about not touching unidentified things? This is one of the things you don't want to touch. Mantis Shrimp are also known as "thumb splitters". I've not done the math myself, but the general rule of thumb (pun intended) is that they strike with the force of a .22

They make their living spearing fish, or shattering bivalves with their claws (some have "spear" claws, some have "club" claws) In any event, their strike is arguably the fastest movement in the animal kingdom. They've been known to shatter tempered aquarium glass.

In addition to having the fastest draw in the west, they also have the most complex eyes, they can see additional wavelengths we can't, and can even distinguish light polarity, something they use to hunt semi-transparent critters.

They live for up to 20 years, and have monogamous relationships with a single mate.

They're pretty cool. I've been able to get very close to them, but you have to be patient, and let them decide what to do. Don't crowd them or act aggressive. They could literally shatter your camera housing if they wanted to. I've actually witnessed one come full-out of his den, snag something I couldn't register, and then jump back in his hole. I had my finger on the shutter button, and didn't even come close to catching him on film, I barely registered the movement at all. They're swift little buggers.

---------- Post Merged on July 24th, 2012 at 12:26 AM ---------- Previous Post was on July 23rd, 2012 at 11:55 PM ----------

Watch this (starting at 2:12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcWxAfl0okE

 

[moosicman]

***NO CORAL WAS HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THESE VIDEOS***

LOL! You're not being an a%$ (at least I'll say I understand your intentions and cut you some slack about it) you just don't know this "dive" location and you're drawing some incorrect conclusions. Context makes all the difference in the world and ordinarily you'd have some ground to stand on (if I were one to dive with the poor etiquette you've concluded under typical circumstances). I am in what's called the "Kiddie Pool" at St. Andrews St. Park. What you're not seeing due to editing are the scores of people that are snorkeling, and trampling all around me on what you are calling coral but what is actually all man made rock jetty. Believe me, nothing I'm doing is damaging this environment or holds a candle to the thousands of feet and fins of the average swimmers and snorkel tourists and fishermen who visit here day in, day out all year long. Here's a quick photo of where I am on what is not too busy of a day apparently.

As for what I touched and about my gloves - I simply forgot to pack them up from the more legitimate dive day before. In this instance, they weren't too crucial because this is about like going out and diving/snorkeling in your local pool. Even with gloves I don't touch stuff purposefully and I don't recall ever saying that I touched it with my hands or that I touched it while making these videos. That actually happened on another dive going OUTSIDE the Kiddie Pool and diving the actual jetty wall. Some of this had broken free and tagged my leg and ankle. I understand and share your concern so no harm, no foul but do realize there may be a bigger picture and a more apt context than what you're seeing. One of the reasons people say it is unwise to judge because you may not have all the facts and will render poor judgement.

Thanks tons for the ID's!!! I suck at IDing stuff, usually because my mind leaks like a sieve and even what I know, I can't remember! LOL

---------- Post Merged at 06:45 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:42 AM ----------

Oh, and yeah the mantis shrimp is a pretty cool critter. Back when I was in school a marine biology buddy/professor of mine showed us this video. I thought you might like it.
[video=youtube;RHTTIg7HY80]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHTTIg7HY80[/video]

 

[jviehe]

Hetland has actually dove there many times, IIRC.

 

[Hetland]

I think I have between 20 and 30 hours underwater at that location over the last five years, and I can tell you that there absolutely are corals attached to those rocks. There are also more delicate critters like tunicates that can easily be killed off by a diver or snorkeler.

Here's a tutorial I wrote up on that location a while back: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/de...local-dive-spots-directory-2.html#post6072494

Note my super-awesome map at the bottom



Dude, not trying to be a preacher. Please re-read my post:

try not to touch anything. Especially don't touch !@#$ you don't have identified.

I missed the part in there where I accused you of touching anything. But you are correct, I made a judgment that you didn't know what you were doing because you were diving in that area without gloves, and because you got tagged by a hydroid. If you don't want criticism, don't go to the internet.

My point is that if you are going to touch something, that you know what it is, and what the consequences are to you and to whatever it is you're touching. Perhaps I was too blunt, but my criticism was meant to be helpful.

My advice is worth what you paid for it. You can take it or leave it, though I'd prefer that you not pick up a fire worm any time soon. For my bluntness, I humbly apologize, for everything else, I stand by it.

 

[idive2]

Getting a better idea of the area with each new post. Do divers enter the channel side of the jetty from what appears to be
a break in the jetty from the kiddie pool area ? Do they ever go to the beach on the ocean and enter there and come in from the
outside of the jetty.I guess that would be on the northwest side of the point that extends into the gulf. Or do they pretty much
stay on the southeast edge of jetty working down toward the end then back ? If they do just the southeast edge jetty where is
the most common place to start the dive. Enjoyed the video...

 

[jviehe]

I think I have between 20 and 30 hours underwater at that location over the last five years, and I can tell you that there absolutely are corals attached to those rocks. There are also more delicate critters like tunicates that can easily be killed off by a diver or snorkeler.

Here's a tutorial I wrote up on that location a while back: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/de...local-dive-spots-directory-2.html#post6072494

Note my super-awesome map at the bottom



Dude, not trying to be a preacher. Please re-read my post:



I missed the part in there where I accused you of touching anything. But you are correct, I made a judgment that you didn't know what you were doing because you were diving in that area without gloves, and because you got tagged by a hydroid. If you don't want criticism, don't go to the internet.

My point is that if you are going to touch something, that you know what it is, and what the consequences are to you and to whatever it is you're touching. Perhaps I was too blunt, but my criticism was meant to be helpful.

My advice is worth what you paid for it. You can take it or leave it, though I'd prefer that you not pick up a fire worm any time soon. For my bluntness, I humbly apologize, for everything else, I stand by it.

Yes, lets all try to be civil, please. <-internet police

 

[moosicman]

It's all good. I've not been bent out of shape in the least. Perhaps my response seemed terse but it wasn't at all intended to be (tried to start off the reply in a way that would be jovial and disarming).

I did intend on explaining the circumstances though. And I did conclude (not bitterly) from the points of me asking for an ID of the hydroid, the fact that I said it burned, and your assumption that because I didn't have on gloves that it was my hand that got tagged, thus your comment about not touching unidentifiables was to be interpreted as a read-between-the-lines that I was touching the wild life. I rarely do, if ever. In fact, sometimes it touches me! Fighting A Remora - YouTube

But I will say that it's possible that even though I strive to be an excellent steward of the earth, resources, and of my personal implications on it that I may not go as far as you or others might with what is and isn't acceptable. Some people carry it a bit too far (and I understand why, but to each his own). Like the lady on one dive boat that was all militant about not peeing in the water to the detriment of the environment. Some might even get miffed by my mere suggestion that I don't see things as fragile as they do - to the reader, should that be you, please count to 10 and take a deep breath and try to sleep as good as I will tonight.

What I mean is, you won't find me bumbling and dragging myself and my tanks and accessories across coral (especially in critical and sensitive areas and locales) but I do believe that mother nature is far more red in tooth and claw than any footprint I've left or anything I have done/will do on my dives. That said, I'm not beyond handling a rock or secure outcropping for stability purposes (note my fingertips only on the rock @ 1:30 or so of the first video) . The next bad storm we get will do worse than I'll do in two lifetimes of diving (at this site or the others).

Now to the morons that DO use their tanks for battering rams on precious 700 y/o or so brain corals (slight hyperbole but true story), I've little respect.

Still, I've no arresting powers.....at least, not yet. Heheheheh.....

 

[Hetland]

Do divers enter the channel side of the jetty from what appears to be a break in the jetty from the kiddie pool area?

Yes. It's not a full break though, more like a section where the rocks are not as tall. You can usually swim through without much fuss.

Do they ever go to the beach on the ocean and enter there and come in from the outside of the jetty? I guess that would be on the northwest side of the point that extends into the gulf.

Yes, they also enter on one side (Gulf or Jetty) and exit the opposite location.

Seems like too much work for me. Diving is supposed to be a lazy-man's (or lazy-woman's) sport. I guess if I ran out of cool stuff to see I'd try making the circuit, but I find something new just about every time I dive it.

Or do they pretty much stay on the southeast edge of jetty working down toward the end then back?

I enter through the rocks. I usually head towards the Gulf on my first tank. I stick close to where the sand meets the jetty, which will eventually get as deep as 70ft. When I hit turn pressure, I ascend to the 20-40ft range and work my way back to the entry point. I usually tie a flag near the sand at my entry point, and make a note of the depth. This way it's easier to find my reel on the way out, because I can watch for the sand to intersect at the proper depth, and boom, there's my static flag.

On my second tank I head to the left (away from the Gulf), and do the same, but the trip is much shorter and shallower in that direction. This gives me some time padding in case the tide flips early. You can burn the rest of your tank in the kiddie pool if necessary too.

But this is the way I dive the jetties. I'm not claiming it's the best way, I'm claiming that it's the laziest way, and that it seems to work pretty well for me.

If they do just the southeast edge jetty where is the most common place to start the dive.

Look for a spot in the rocks that you can swim through. Take your time, if there's surface swell, you can get knocked around. The entry is in the vicinity of the pole that says something about not swimming past that point, but they don't line up perfectly. Look for the dive flags. Most folks tie a static flag at the entry/exit point.

Palm Beach huh? You slumming it over in our parts? I LOVE diving that area!!!!

 

[moosicman]

I'm not claiming it's the best way, I'm claiming that it's the laziest way, and that it seems to work pretty well for me.

This made me laugh.

Idive2, you're gonna also want to watch out for fishermen and monofilament, usually toward the mid to end of the jetty if you enter by the pool and down and around the point to exit back up the beach side. You can't dive as deep and have enough air to make it all the way around but I do know some that do this.