We began our dives this morning on the plane that is offshore of Bath & Tennis reef. This plane sits upside down in 125 feet of water, and with no other reef in the area it is a magnet for marine life. A resident goliath grouper lives on the plane, numerous sharks were seen circling, too. All around this wreck numerous fish congregate.
The allure of this dive varies from diver to diver. Some like it simply because it’s something out of the ordinary, a deeper dive than normal for the area, or the marine life that can be seen at a dive site where divers are not frequent visitors. For me, part of the fun is on the ascent back to the surface. Not because the dive is over, but because of what strange and unique creatures we might encounter in these deeper waters. It’s common to come across large pelagic fish such as billfish, mahi mahi, or even a mola mola.
Change your perspective and focus on the smaller creatures and you will find yourself immersed in an alien world. On our ascent, we saw things like Venus girdles, Hyperiids that use jellies for defense , and the bizarre gastropod Atlanta helicinoidea. Perhaps this is the fish nerd in me showing through, but these macroscopic lifeforms are fascinating to me. Some of these creatures have a very impressive repertoire of defense skills and evolutionary tales (ie. we might be descendants of them). All these creatures and many more can be seen as you drift in the blue, warm water of the Gulf Stream.
For our second dive, captain Dean motored M/V Sirena to the northern end of Breaker’s reef. Here we encountered large southern stingrays, eels, a green sea turtle, scarlet shrimps cleaning a grey angelfish, a lemon shark, and tons of tropical fish. All of this under the gorgeous blanket of coral that is Breaker’s reef.
For both dives we enjoyed over 80 feet of visibility, 73 degrees Fahrenheit water temperature, 2-3 foot seas, and clear skies. Just another great day of diving in Palm Beach, Florida. Come join us!
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