Florida March 2010
The pictures on this page were shot during 4 dives in Florida during March 2010. Two were on Snapper Ledge diving with Sea Dwellers out of Key Largo. Two were drift dives out of Jupiter, Florida, diving with Jupiter Diving Center. Viz on all dives was 20-25 ft. A bit better in the Keys. Unusually poor for both sites but fun dives. Except for the blue angel I have not used either Picasa or Adobe illustrator to eliminate the particles in the water. Snapper ledge is a typical shallow reef. Depths of 15-29 ft. Lots of natural sunlight.
Snapper Ledge:
Snapper ledge is named that for a reason. Large schools of snappers. Most of these are blue striped grunts. Toward the top is, I am guessing, a Copper Variation Schoolmaster Snapper. In the lower left near the bottom is a French Grunt with a yellow tail and diagonal stripes.
French Grunt (yellow), brain coral, and sea fans. Bluish fish may be a Pigfish or a White Grunt.
Nice Sea fans
Large Trumpetfish.
Harlequin Bass. Small fish common on the reef.
Blue Tang. Note the blemish on the side. That is not a photo artifact. Possibly a healed wound.
Found a nice seagoddess, one of the many very exotic looking seaslugs called nudibranchs.
Saw a couple lobsters.
Jupiter:
First time I have dove out of Jupiter. Unusually bad viz for Jupiter and current going the wrong way but an enjoyable pair of dives. Drift dove offshore ledges. Bottom around 80 ft. Ledges rise up to 65 or so. Due to depth all pictures shot with flash.
Saw two (very) large turtles on both dives. This one is a loggerhead. Buddy said one of the others was a Hawksbill.
I like squirrel fish
Saw a number of angel fish. As large as I have ever seen. Much bigger than what one usually sees in NC or the Keys. This is a gray angel.
This is a blue angel.
The remaining pictures are of various animal life and scenes on the reef'
A coral out and feeding.
Doctorfish. Was in a loose school of about 10.
School of Cottonwick grunts. Just below and left of center there is a small fish. Most likely a Sharpnose Puffer. Couple of goatfish are down on the rocks (orangish red fish). They can change color when resting. Also, probably another doctorfish in shadows in lower right.