Our divers can’t seem to get enough of the goliath groupers and it’s with good reason. The action on the wrecks is spectacular! Per the divers request, we headed to the Corridor wrecks for the first dive of the afternoon.
A swift current drifted over the wrecks causing all the groupers to lay low to the bottom. Following in the groupers footsteps, I did the same. While the current moved over my head at approxiamtely 1-2 knots, the groupers and I held steadfast on our spot on the bottom. While this type of diving can be challenging, if you remind yourself to relax and you sway across the bottom finding the little pockets where the current seems to die off, you will find yourself face-to-face with these leviathans as they don’t move much during these conditions.
I spent my whole dive surrounded by schools of these groupers. Drifting in midwater behind the Mizpah, I was attempting to photograph one goliath grouper only to be nudged in the head by another who swam behind me — knocking my strobe out of position. I swear the groupers were laughing at me. My time underwater quickly passed as I watched in awe at these giants and the schools of bait fish and jacks that encircled them. It’s easy to understand why our divers can’t get enough of this unique spectacle that you can only see here in Palm Beach.
For our second dive we headed east from the wrecks to Midreef. This reef runs for miles so we could easily drift with whatever current we encountered. A quick look at the sea buoy made it certain the surface current was moving at a good 3-4 knots. That is quite fast and not the norm in Palm Beach. The good thing was the current on the bottom was very light in comparison — perhaps a knot at the most.
The good thing about the faster than normal current is that tropical fish act just like the goliath groupers from our previous dive. They seem to be more carefree about approaching the divers. Many of the angelfish on the reef would not only swim much closer to me, but stuck around for quite a while.
Tucked alongside the ledge, I could take my time exploring the nooks and crannies on the reef without having to fight the current. Best of all, this faster current brought with it clear blue warm water. As they say, every cloud has a silver lining. We might not always have the perfect conditions underwater, but if you learn to take advantage of what diving in Palm Beach has to offer not only will you become a better diver, but you will have the opportunity to experience the marine life in ways you probably haven’t done so before.
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