Sirena headed out this morning to dive the southern reefs of Palm Beach. This colorful and rich coral reef system is some of the nicest reefs in Florida. The incredible abundance of marine life is breathtaking.
In just 45-55 feet of water, Paul’s reef is one of the southern-most reefs in the area. Because of its distance from any nearby inlet, few boats venture so far. But the extra couple of minutes spent on the boat ride there are worth it. The reef is luscious and marine life of all kinds, both large and small, abound.
During our hour dive on Paul’s reef, we encountered numerous sea creatures including a couple of sea turtles, two octopus chasing each other around the reef, eels around every corner, and tons of tropical fish. Visibility was around 40-45ft with a slight south current and 78 degree water temperature.
For our second reef dive we headed a little north to Ron’s reef. This popular dive site has a sandy east-west ravine where numerous large animals love to congregate. As soon as the divers descended near the bottom we began to explore the 10-15 foot ledge. I could hear the barking sounds of a goliath grouper in the distance. As our guide, Lindsay, turned the corner of Ron’s Rock she spotted a 8-10 foot nurse shark hiding between the rocky reef crevice. The shark stuck around while the divers observed and photographed it.
Continuing along with the southern current, we encountered numerous eels and tons of tropical fish. I ventured off into the eastern end of the reef for a while to see what surprises the ocean had in store for me there. A forest of soft corals swayed in the current. While not as fishy as the western edge of the reef, certain areas seem to attract what tropical fish are in the area and it is quite striking to see such a swirl of rainbow-colored fish flirting in and out of these patches of soft corals, giant barrel sponges, and hard corals.
Throughout the day we enjoyed clear skies, 77-78 degree water temperature, flat seas, and a warm 80+ degrees on the surface. Not a bad day of winter diving — only on the southern reefs of Palm Beach! Come dive with us and experience these amazing reefs for yourself.
If you would like to purchase any of these photographs, please contact Laz via TheLivingSea.com.
