Florida, recommendations for winter trip: diving/snorkelling?

[sinetwo]

Hey folks,

 

We're looking to go to Florida (Orlando and south of Orlando) for a week in winter (February).

 

On our list we have:

• Snorkeling with manatees
• Snorkeling with turtles/dolphins if possible
• Diving springs (any that look great with natural light)
• Jupiter for sharks and potentially blackwater
• Blue heron bridge (during the weekdays, not up for the weekend crowd!)

 

Our thoughts are...

• Fly in to Orlando
  • Do manatees/springs
• Head down to Jupiter / west palm beach
  • Sharks, general diving
• Maybe go to key west if it's worth it
  • Snorkelling/diving
• Head back to Orlando before flight
  • Maybe squeeze in another manatee snorkel if required 🙂

 

Ideally we'd join the trip up with a cheeky visit to Bimini for dolphins and hammerheads but it'll add on way too much to the budget (at least $1k for a quick trip).

 

I wanted to ask:

1. If people had general recommendations on what to go for for mostly wide angle shooting
2. How to structure the trip
3. Which operators will make our lives easier as uw photogs?
4. Are groupers, or other awesome subjects on the diving menu in February or is that wishful thinking?

Edited December 3 by sinetwo

[fruehaufsteher2]

Manatees could be a nice thing.

We've been with Floridasharkdivers https://floridasharkdiving.com/ (only snorkeling/freediving), was much fun and great pics. (Jupiter)

Further south I am not sure whether diving will be really interesting

 

We headed over from Florida to grand bahama and went with the tigers. Not much of diving (you sit overweighted on the bottom) but beautiful creatures. Epicdiving with Vin and Debrah.

 

Second pic with the lady in the freediving suit is floridasharkdivers

[sinetwo]

Thank you @fruehaufsteher2, I think we will skip Bimini. I'm absolutely desperate to see hammers but for a 2-3 day trip to Bimini it'll be an extra $1k at least. I'd rather put that towards Galapagos!

 

So our plan is generally:

• Snorkeling with manatees - absolute priority
• Snorkeling with turtles/dolphins if possible - not a priority
• Diving springs (any that look great with natural light) - medium priority
• Jupiter for sharks - high priority
• Blackwater - low priority (we've done some of the best)
• Blue heron bridge - low/medium prioirty

The nice thing is if I'm able to pack my 300mm 2.8 + 1.4x TC, then we can go birding as well, which means spoonbills, skimmers, bald eagles, ospreys 🙂

[fruehaufsteher2]

The 300/2,8 is also a recommendation from my end.

[Pooley]

I think you've got the right idea of the best areas already. From my experience with the manatees around crystal river, its best to do your research well in advance with which operator you go with. 

 

Most of them just want to out you near to them for a nice snorkelling experience which is great without a camera, but often in the worst viz for photos. Try and insist on trying to find the in clear water, even if it means they are not at their most active. I asked for a photo specific trip but still ended up in dim green water 

 

There are a couple of reputable outfits around Jupiter and it goes down to personal choice whether you're up for baited dives or not. Last time I went it was with Jim Abernethy bit I'm not sure they do dedicated shark dives any more. I have heard good things about Emerald Charters though. 

 

If you go baited its normally a bit of time on the sea bed attracting the sharks then rising to around 10-12 metres and drifting around the bait box where you get the Lemons really close

 

 

I don't know anything about the springs and there are plenty of centres for blue heron and blackwater, I've been happy with Pura Vida. 

 

For the birds, without a doubt the best place is Lake blue Cypress for the Ospreys, but you must time it right with the wind coming in from the east otherwise they'll spend a lot of time facing away from you. East wind on a sunny morning is incredible . You also have Stick Marsh close to the lake for the Roseatte Spoonbills. Another favourite place for me is Cape Coral for the burrowing owls where they live amongst the general population and you just walk around the streets and find the owls looking you of their burrows - and that's totally free!

 

 

 

Mike

[Lasongo]

For shark diving, go with either Gung-Ho Divers or Salty Divers:

https://www.gunghodiving.com/

https://www.saltydivers.com/

For many years I went out with Emerald, but over the past 2 years they had some major turnover with feeders, DMs, etc...and its not my "cup of tea" anymore.  Nick, the owner of Gung Ho Diving, worked for many years on Emerald and started his own business a couple of years ago and he's knocking it out of the park.  Tell him how and what you want to shoot and he'll get it for you.  All the locals (myself included) use Gung Ho now.

Check the tide charts before diving Blue Heron Bridge, you want to dive at high tide.

Regarding the Goliath Groupers, they will be around throughout the shark dives, you'll probably see at least 2-4 per dive.  However, the really big mating aggregations occur in August, so you'll just have to come back another time!

 

Edited December 4 by Lasongo

[Davide DB]

 

 

[sinetwo]

Thank you all for your advice - the number of operators are a bit overwhelming but it's clear that we need to consider who we go with and what they're able to offer photographers specifically. This may be more difficult with boat charters that charge $4-500 for a private manatee excursion, vs $50 for a shared boat. Having said that, we may do manatees for 2 days if needed, as our schedule is pretty flexible.

 

This is the first water trip I'm doing where diving isn't the main activity.

 

@Pooley: Stellar photos, both under and over! Sunset owl is ❤️ Even with the milky vis I think you've managed to extract a really nice photo. Enough inspiration for us to go, I'm certainly hoping we also see burrowing owls.

 

@Lasongo thanks for the advice, I'll look them up. We need to consider the ethical part around chumming (totally aware of arguments both for and against!), and I'd hazard a guess that even dive ops like Jupiter, who do not chum, get to go on shark dives due to others' chumming, so it's probably a side effect than anything else. Even if I could snap one good grouper shot I'd be really happy. The backscatter grouper hero images are really getting to me 😉 

 

@Davide DB thanks for the clip, I'll look at the recommended charters there too.

[ShallowSeasGallery]

SoFlo Resident here, there are loads of shark charters but every year it seems to rotate which ones are "hot" or seem to be getting all the Action. Last year that was 100% Salty Divers in Jupiter, but this year a newer outfit Gung -ho is getting all the tigers, apparently four at a time. I haven't paid attention to why these boats have rotating effectiveness but its just a note from the volume of images I see. Both of these boats cater for photographers. 

 

There are three blackwater operators in the area and they take turns on which night of the week they run, its not every night. South Florida Diving Headquarters- Boynton Beach traditionally does Wednesday, Fridays, Pura Vida Does Thursday, Sundays, and Walkers does Mon-Wed-Friday (depending on weather). All three operators are good and everyone uses all three. 

 

Lastly Blue Heron Bridge is a gem in February, obviously stay on top of the daily shifting tide situation, As a visitor I suggest you dont deviate from it. The last two years Februarys were the tail end of Seahorse Season and the start of hairy frogfish season, not to mention the winter nudis are out. If you like the muck, you cant skip it!

 

As a visitor you will be told to go to crystal river for the manatees over and over. This is not the most idea photography spot for manatees but I suggest you connect with a local guide who can take you to better spots. These are not to be spoken about or shared on open forums lest they become a zoo, but some of them are now burned enough to take tourists, before becoming a circus like crystal river.