I was able to get in a couple of dives last Saturday. These shots were taken off of the end of a reef north of the Boynton Inlet not too far off shore from the Ritz Carlton in Manalapan. At the end of the reef late in the dive I came across this guy. The first shot shows how I found him with a hook in the corner of his mouth. The mono had snagged what looked like a small tube sponge that had become lodged in his throat. With a full camera rig I do not carry lobster gear and could have really used a tickle stick to try to dislodge the sponge. The hunting teams were already up the reef and out of range. I tried to get close with my shears to see if I could snip the mono at the corner of his mouth and let him disgorge the sponge, but the animal recoiled every time I got close. No gloves and I felt close to risking a nasty bite. I finally had to cut off the attempt and try to hook up with the other divers as bottom time was running short. I really feel bad that I could not help the critter.
Bob
Bob