DixieDolphin
Contributor
So, I treated myself to a fun little weekend down in W. Palm. Went out on a drift dive trip with Narcosis out of Riviera Beach. I love these guys! Very friendly, very helpful... just an awesome boat to dive with.
Booked through SeaDragons dive shop down in Rockledge. My loyalty to the shop I got certified through aside, its also definitely worth noting that they have a nice little deal with Narcosis and actually offer a lower price than the boat itself does (rock on!) It was just a handful of SeaDragons folks on the boat on Sunday afternoon, so very spacious with only about twelve or so divers altogether.
First dive was on Flower Gardens. Visibility was awesome! Something like 70 or more, by my reckoning. Water was around 78° F, which was a nice change from cold springs! The weather was beautiful, too... bright sunshine and lovely seas. It was a very lively day down there on the reef, too. It was like Id died and gone to fish-o-phile heaven! There were huge schools of grunts hanging around, like a fishy carpet over the reef. Looked like mostly bluestriped grunts in the big schools, but I also saw quite a few lane snappers. But Im a sucker for angelfish; always watching for rock beauties (a favorite fish since childhood) and queen angels... and I wasnt disappointed! Also saw plenty of French & grey angels, banded butterflies, foureye butterflies, stoplight parrots, and tangs a plenty! (Can you tell I love fishwatching? =P ) On the safety stop, I think I caught a glimpse of a mola swimming in midwater at a distance. Those funky dorsal & anal fins are pretty distinctive, but it was at a distance so I cant say with complete accuracy.
Second dive was on [-]the Breakers reef[/-] Cable Crossing. Again, beautiful vis and comfortable temperatures (even for a skinny warm-water wimp like me... gotta work on developing that blubber layer, I guess.) Pulled some beer bottles and plastic cups off the reef (hey up there, stop dropping your crap on the fish!) Had a pleasant surprise at one point, when I turned to look to my left and realized that a loggerhead was accompanying me! There he was, just swimming along beside me about three feet away. He tagged along for a few minutes, then proceeded on to whatever turtle errands he was about. A little further along, I spied two barracuda hovering motionless against the current about ten or twenty feet away. Its really cool to see them sitting practically motionless in the water, despite the flow along the reef. Nearby, another diver pointed out a nurse shark. Unfortunately, I didnt manage to spot it (drat! I wanted my first dive-related shark sighting!) I did see a few rays buried in the sand along the edge of the reef, though.
Came up after the second dive and headed in, with some dark storm clouds rolling in from the south. Looks like we just missed that weather, thank goodness! Funny, though... I drove south afterwards to where I was staying with a friend of mine in Boynton, but didnt run into that weather down there. Go figure.
All in all, it was a magnificent day! Perfect weather, awesome water! Couldnt ask for much more! I tell ya, I didnt want to leave and come back inland to Orlando today. It really hit me when I stepped outside this morning and felt that lovely seabreeze blowing in... I loved that when I lived in Melbourne and I miss it here in the hot, stale air of Orlando. =P
But... Im sure Ill be back down there again soon! I have a feeling this is going to be a great summer! Hope everybody else had a great weekend of diving, too!
Booked through SeaDragons dive shop down in Rockledge. My loyalty to the shop I got certified through aside, its also definitely worth noting that they have a nice little deal with Narcosis and actually offer a lower price than the boat itself does (rock on!) It was just a handful of SeaDragons folks on the boat on Sunday afternoon, so very spacious with only about twelve or so divers altogether.
First dive was on Flower Gardens. Visibility was awesome! Something like 70 or more, by my reckoning. Water was around 78° F, which was a nice change from cold springs! The weather was beautiful, too... bright sunshine and lovely seas. It was a very lively day down there on the reef, too. It was like Id died and gone to fish-o-phile heaven! There were huge schools of grunts hanging around, like a fishy carpet over the reef. Looked like mostly bluestriped grunts in the big schools, but I also saw quite a few lane snappers. But Im a sucker for angelfish; always watching for rock beauties (a favorite fish since childhood) and queen angels... and I wasnt disappointed! Also saw plenty of French & grey angels, banded butterflies, foureye butterflies, stoplight parrots, and tangs a plenty! (Can you tell I love fishwatching? =P ) On the safety stop, I think I caught a glimpse of a mola swimming in midwater at a distance. Those funky dorsal & anal fins are pretty distinctive, but it was at a distance so I cant say with complete accuracy.
Second dive was on [-]the Breakers reef[/-] Cable Crossing. Again, beautiful vis and comfortable temperatures (even for a skinny warm-water wimp like me... gotta work on developing that blubber layer, I guess.) Pulled some beer bottles and plastic cups off the reef (hey up there, stop dropping your crap on the fish!) Had a pleasant surprise at one point, when I turned to look to my left and realized that a loggerhead was accompanying me! There he was, just swimming along beside me about three feet away. He tagged along for a few minutes, then proceeded on to whatever turtle errands he was about. A little further along, I spied two barracuda hovering motionless against the current about ten or twenty feet away. Its really cool to see them sitting practically motionless in the water, despite the flow along the reef. Nearby, another diver pointed out a nurse shark. Unfortunately, I didnt manage to spot it (drat! I wanted my first dive-related shark sighting!) I did see a few rays buried in the sand along the edge of the reef, though.
Came up after the second dive and headed in, with some dark storm clouds rolling in from the south. Looks like we just missed that weather, thank goodness! Funny, though... I drove south afterwards to where I was staying with a friend of mine in Boynton, but didnt run into that weather down there. Go figure.
All in all, it was a magnificent day! Perfect weather, awesome water! Couldnt ask for much more! I tell ya, I didnt want to leave and come back inland to Orlando today. It really hit me when I stepped outside this morning and felt that lovely seabreeze blowing in... I loved that when I lived in Melbourne and I miss it here in the hot, stale air of Orlando. =P
But... Im sure Ill be back down there again soon! I have a feeling this is going to be a great summer! Hope everybody else had a great weekend of diving, too!
