Blue Heron Bridge Dive Conditions 5/6/16
Blue Heron Bridge Dive Conditions report: today was good! Divers reported 15ft of visibility but a little cloudy. Water temperatures hovered at 75 degrees. Topside it was a gorgeous sunny day in South Florida!
Frequently our Blue Heron Bridge Dive Conditions Report focuses on a particular creature. Today we introduce you to Learchis evelinae pictured above. From Wikipedia: Learchis evelinae is a species of sea slug, specifically an aeolid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.
According to the Sea Slug Forum, Learchis evelinae have translucent clear bodies with some white speckling. The “upper three quarters of oral tentacles are opaque white. The smooth tapering rhinophores are multicolored with a basal translucent clear band, then an orange mid region, then an opaque white upper third. Edmunds & Just describe an orange line on each side of the head from the base of the oral tentacle to the base of the rhinophores.”
This was our first encounter with Learchis evelinae but several other local photographers have also encountered this gorgeous little nudibranch at the Blue Heron Bridge as well. So we encourage you to keep your eyes peeled for these small creatures. And please don’t forget to take care in your body positioning while diving the BHB. Exceptional buoyancy skills are the key to protecting these tiny creatures from a misplaced fin kick. If you’d like a chance at seeing one of these gorgeous little guys, hire one of our BHB guides. And if you’d really like to dive the BHB like an expert, sign up for our Blue Heron Bridge Specialty course.
Until the next Blue Heron Bridge Dive Conditions Report, keep those gills wet!
