Pura Vida Divers headed to the Blue Heron Bridge at Phil Foster Park on May 23rd, 2013 for a twilight / night dive. Getting in the water during twilight with an almost full moon meant we were likely to see some underwater love at the bridge. Many marine creatures will take advantage of this magical hour to spawn. The timing was perfect and as soon as the tidal current settled we were gifted with numerous sights.
Many fish such as the jawfish and blennies were already ahead of the game with a brood of eggs well into their developmental stage. Octopus were out and about looking for love. On the top of the list for me was watching a pair of lancer dragonettes rise into the water column side by side, pause for a second or two, and then dart further up again releasing a batch of eggs into the water column. As they slowly glided back down to the ocean bottom, the translucent eggs floated passed me. What a special treat!
To add to the night’s diving excitement, I got the opportunity to try out one of the latest underwater lights we have in stock at Pura Vida Divers. The Light & Motion Sola NightSea fluorescent exciter light. Using this special light and mask filter, the ocean transforms into a whole other world. This light and filter combo shows the brightly-colored fluorescence produced by marine creatures. It is believed by scientists that this is one of the ways animals find each other underwater.
All sorts of marine life glowed in a kaleidoscope of fluorescent colors. Octopus glowed orange, fireworms were a striking glow of yellow, green, and red. Best of all, creatures who would normally be well camouflaged stood out under the Light & Motion Sola NightSea fluorescent light. Finding the rare and elusive creatures is a lot easier at night with this new lighting system.
We are compiling some underwater footage using this new lighting system, and will have something posted soon so stay tuned. Want to see these lights for yourself and what they can do? Stop by our shop or join us on a night dive and see them for yourself!
If you would like to learn more about the love life of the marine world make sure not to miss our upcoming social night event: Sex on the Reef by Kitty Philips.
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