Jupiter Dive Report-Lemons & Bugs

[Johnoly]

I jumped on the Jupiter Dive Center's Republic IV boat today. They ran 2 busy boats with divers as far away as Canada. In winter time we get 2 day windows that you have to drop everything and go diving instead of shopping for that last Christmas gift (Give 'em an IOU).

Leeward wind off the land, 78 on the bottom, 1knt current will make any Elf, ditch the shelf. This is our "Migration" weeks where Right whales, Mola Molas, and Cobes swim thru our waters to head south for the warm water if you can spot them. But the biggest visitors are the mating Lemon Sharks, and Dang if they didn't show up early with the huge 9ft males full of testosterone. It just makes you smile and gaze as they glide right by you without stopping.

Lil chilly when I woke, so I made steaming hot lobster seafood soup with warm rolls for all the Divers and Crew on the boat. Caught my limit of bugs and made some new friends. Its gonna be a great holiday week !!

 

[iamrushman]

thanks for sharing your report...nice blue water with a few white caps in the background...great pic..

 

[scubadada]

@Johnoly

Sorry I missed your lobster seafood soup. I'm at South Georgia, heading to Antarctica tomorrow, absolutely spectacular. I will get down late January or early February to swim with the Lemons.

Happy holidays, Craig

 

[drrich2]

Congrat.s on a good trip! Glad you got to see big lemon sharks.

Richard.

 

[Johnoly]

,,,, heading to Antarctica tomorrow, absolutely spectacular. ...

Color me Green with Envy...Have an Epic Story trip !!

 

[NothingClever]

I’ll be diving JDC’s three-tank boat tomorrow. I’m hoping to see some more Jurassic-sized sea life that I saw back in March on my last JDC trip.

 

[NothingClever]

Tomorrow’s Jupiter dive is definitely scratched because of bad weather.

Taking Intro to Cave instead “up north”.

Nice to be home in Florida where one has access to fresh water diving when salt water diving is infeasible.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

This is our "Migration" weeks where Right whales, Mola Molas, and Cobes swim thru our waters to head south for the warm water if you can spot them. But the biggest visitors are the mating Lemon Sharks, and Dang if they didn't show up early with the huge 9ft males full of testosterone. It just makes you smile and gaze as they glide right by you without stopping.

Just a small correction - the actual mating happens around May and June; it's pretty obvious as you'll see the females swimming around covered in fresh bite marks from the males. As they have a one-year gestation period, it's also when you'll see newborn pups in the mangroves and grass flats. I don't think the Bimini Biological Field Station folks ever figured out what the big winter aggregation was about before they got scattered. For all we know the boys and girls could be scoping each other out a few months in advance; then again it could also be a convenient rest stop or something to do with food availability or water conditions.

 

[NothingClever]

@Johnoly - you're famous. When I mentioned that somebody from SB just dived with JDC recently and posted about it, Lisa (the owner) accurately predicted it was you without any hints.

 

[Johnoly]

..... it was you without any hints.

Just goes to show you that if you Bring Food,,Everyone Likes You !!
Thanks for the post!!