Hitchin' A Ride On A Seahorse

Hi Robyn,

 

I have no doubt that you will be able to find many of these creatures on your own in the future.

 

Wow, PFP is really producing some awesome stuff these days and you're helping to show us 'the stuff'

 

I wanted to tell you how great your images look on wetpixel

 

All the best,

 

Ellen

Thanks for your kind remarks Ellen. I feel very fortunate to have a place like PFP practically in my backyard. I'm feeling rather challenged by photographing the nudis and slugs, but that's just what I needed! <_<

Hopefully this will prepare me for photographing the tiny critters we're going to see in Indonesia. R

I feel very fortunate to have a place like PFP practically in my backyard.

Yes, that's a big plus!

I'm feeling rather challenged by photographing the nudis and slugs, but that's just what I needed!

I'm sure these skills you're acquiring will prove very helpful in Indonesia.

Are you using your new MacroMate in these images?

If I come to PFP again, I'll be sure to bring my 105 lens + 1.4x Teleconverter. It just may come in handy

Ellen

Well, I'm I've gotta come to Florida to dive again someday! I took my open water course there, enjoyed it, but now I see the critter potential I wanna do it again with you two Floridian critter lovers!

Well, I'm I've gotta come to Florida to dive again someday! I took my open water course there, enjoyed it, but now I see the critter potential I wanna do it again with you two Floridian critter lovers!

That would be wonderful Graham,,,,I'd love to show you around PFP (as would Carol, I'm sure!). I really hope you can make it to sunny south Florida! Robyn

I'm on a world tour visiting friends and if all goes well, I may get to do it again for diving. this is simply fun n family trip this time, maybe next will be fun n diving with friends...

Congrats to both Carol and Robyn! Excellent pics and narrative. Thanks

Here's an installment from the recent adventures at Blue Heron Bridge! More on my site to come. Best, Carol

PS - Photos taken with Nikon d200, Subal ND20, 105vr lens, Subal 105vr port (AF & MF) for lens and Nikon 5T diopter (attached with 'blue tak' - pic of that here - http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showt...=25237&hl=)

 

Carol,

I would be most interested in knowing whether you are finding the longsnout seahorses on the

west or east sites of the Blue Heron Bridge park area (Phil Foster Park).

It really is a great "muck diving" opportunity between trips to the Indo-Pacific!

Thank you.

Bob

Carol,

I would be most interested in knowing whether you are finding the longsnout seahorses on the

west or east sites of the Blue Heron Bridge park area (Phil Foster Park).

 

It really is a great "muck diving" opportunity between trips to the Indo-Pacific!

 

Thank you.

Bob

Bob,

I actually spent a number of days in a short time-span diving there, late May/early June. I hadn't dove there for over a year and my gal buddies that I usually dive with were tied up.

Creatures really do move around a lot there, that coupled with an amount of unethical "collecting" in spots and the fact that the bottom changes too because abandoned/wrecked boats & debris are regularly pulled out (and the fish's habitat disrupted) --- means that the a lot of the sealife is is in different spots every time I dive it.

This time I just had to scout it out on my own and with a buddy who never dives there and I have to say it was a blast discovering things for myself! I actually like diving the Bridge that way better (than having someone show me where things currently are). Of course I could have gleaned info from pals but again I enjoyed the "treasure hunt".

But if you really want to know where things are then hire "Laz" - he is a member here and a divemaster who dives the Bridge a lot more than I do.

But do keep in mind that most divers who dive a lot there will not tell you where things are located -- is is sort of a "right of passage" to find things on your own.... . Also is for several other reasons, to curb fish collecting, so some rare creatures have some measure of privacy and I think the foremost reason because things change locations there so much! Especially seahorses as they like a certain water salinity and abundant food sources so they are always moving around at Blue Heron Bridge.

So hire "Laz", or just go on your own and scout the whole area out. It is a much more "proud feeling of accomplishment" for myself when I find things on my own anyway - and many times I find things that others never see that way....

Also to add I do believe that more divers being interested in the creatures of Blue Heron Bridge is in itself helping to protect them. The Park Rangers, Fish and Wildlife and most of all other divers around are helping more than ever to curb the shady fish collecting (and if the creatures collected there are then sold it is illegal and the authorities are taking action). Of course the best solution would be to get the area protected, but in lieu of that a lot of divers being excited about and watching out for the rare marine life will help.

Good Luck!!! Best Regards, Carol

PS - Yes I agree that it is a good "muck diving" spot, but not just as a substitute trip between trips to the Indo-Pacific, because you find cool things at BHB that you'd never find in the Pacific! B)

Hi Carol, great pictures! I just wanted to say that slug on the seahorse is a baby Bursatella leachii. I've cultured them before, and thats how they look at a ~2-3 months old.

For the slug afficianados -

 

I got a "maybe" ID on the sea hare - so I won't quote the source but they say they think it is

Stylocheilus striatus

 

but ID is not sure.

 

I tried to get more pics of it because I knew it was unusual but I lost it in the substrate after it "dismounted" the seahorse. It matches perfectly with the bottom there and it was so small. I guess I'll have to wait for it to hitch a ride again...

 

Carol

Also to add I do believe that more divers being interested in the creatures of Blue Heron Bridge is in itself helping to protect them. The Park Rangers, Fish and Wildlife and most of all other divers around are helping more than ever to curb the shady fish collecting (and if the creatures collected there are then sold it is illegal and the authorities are taking action). Of course the best solution would be to get the area protected, but in lieu of that a lot of divers being excited about and watching out for the rare marine life will help.

I do think that the diving interest is protecting the area from collectors - which is god news. While I was there I heard that it is not really a safe place for a fish collector to park their car - there is quite a bit of crime in the area!

Alex

I do think that the diving interest is protecting the area from collectors - which is god news. While I was there I heard that it is not really a safe place for a fish collector to park their car - there is quite a bit of crime in the area!

Alex

Yea!!!!! (Not to the crime but to the fact that the shady "collectors" are being "policed" in quite a novel way........

Hey whatever works to help the unique sealife there. Lets all who dive there watch out for the place and if needed alert the Park Rangers, Fish & Wildlife, etc. of any unusual "collecting" activity and then maybe we can get the area protected too in the near future!

Best, Carol