DEEP/SHALLOW MOLASSES REEF, report, wednesday, 12/14/16, pics

[reefman]

on a weather roll in south florida: warm sunny skies(87F in MIA), light winds, seas <1FT. electing to stay with the best reef tract in the upper keys(consistent/reliable marine life, pelagics and viz), a double @ molasses reef: #1 deep buoy M28 followed by newly replaced shallow buoy M1. particulate/dusty blue water 40-60FT, light to moderate current, water temp 78/79F @ 20-90FT. deep reef was a bit quiet, the shallow, not so much! 2nd dive: simply fantastic: multiple reef/nurse sharks, turtles, dense schools of horseye jacks, chubs, cuda, tropical, snappers/grunts and numerous groupers. pics from TIMG,,,,,,,,,,


reefman
key largo

 

[reefman]

additional pics from today,


reefman
key largo

 

[iamrushman]

being unable to dive during the week!....i thank you for great photos so i get to enjoy your weekday diving...

 

[timg]

being unable to dive during the week!....i thank you for great photos so i get to enjoy your weekday diving...

Thank you iamrushman.

 

[scubaguy655]

sigh.....much better than the 30 degree weather in Atlanta today. Probably my favorite dive on MO in the right conditions.

Looks like Tim has a little shark whisperer thing going on with the sharks posing for him!

 

[Skeptic14]

Excellent stuff, the shark shots especially are nice, are they always that cooperative?

Thanks for sharing as always!

 

[timg]

sigh.....much better than the 30 degree weather in Atlanta today. Probably my favorite dive on MO in the right conditions.

Looks like Tim has a little shark whisperer thing going on with the sharks posing for him!

Thank you scubaguy655. Patience is the key with the sharks. No chasing, just waiting in the right place. The most difficult part is not flashing the strobes too soon - you need to let the animal get as close as they want to get.

 

[timg]

Excellent stuff, the shark shots especially are nice, are they always that cooperative?

Thanks for sharing as always!

Thank you Skeptic14. As for the sharks, it is a matter of observing their movements, intersecting their (anticipated) path, and waiting for them to approach. No chasing. Watch and wait. Also helps when we are using Steel HP 100 tanks and have about 100+ minutes on the dive.

 

[sportxlh]

sigh.....much better than the 30 degree weather in Atlanta today. !

I'm sighing too. Having moved from SE Florida to Atlanta earlier this year, mornings like this make me wonder what I've done to myself.

TMG: really like the reef shark shots. Looks like he made several passes to get those shots at various angles, or do have a super fast shutter and got all of the pictures on one pass?

 

[timg]

I'm sighing too. Having moved from SE Florida to Atlanta earlier this year, mornings like this make me wonder what I've done to myself.

TMG: really like the reef shark shots. Looks like he made several passes to get those shots at various angles, or do have a super fast shutter and got all of the pictures on one pass?

Thank you sportxlh. Each time the shark passes I get 4 or 5 shots within strobe distance. I have the strobes set a 1/2 power (left/main) and 1/4 power (right/fill), so the recycle time is very fast (Ikelite 160 strobes).