Snorkeling & Collecting Discussion Group

[vetteguy53081]

oh, can anyone find the urchin lol

Upper right and tiny !

 

[cpschult]

Yay! Thank you kind stranger for taking a picture of me with a lobster and sending it to me!. I kept forgetting my phone. Caught a bunch but none were large enough to keep. Had a blast with my 5yo snorkling and catching them.

 

[cpschult]

Upper right and tiny !

Winner! I had so much fun just walking around flipping rocks with my son. I showed all kinds of stuff to the kids on the beach that were interested. Thanks @Ron Reefman for starting your thread!!

 

[Nick Steele]

After seeing signs of lobster I went and bought a lobster license (on top of my fishing license). Caught between 10-15 with my 5yo. I’ll try to get some pictures tomorrow, with high tide coming in I wanted to make sure I had a hand free in case my son had issues. None of them were legal size so they all went back. I’ve been really impressed snorkling around with all the life I’ve seen down here in the northern keys. I even saw a 3.5-4’ shark! I was able to show a few other people who were snorkling as well. It is legit heart stopping coming around a rock face to face with a shark!!

Man snorkeling in Florida is a blast! Coming face to face with a shark is fun an scary! I once was in like 2ft visibility and turned around a jetty and bam! Huge manatee staring at me spooky a little bit that something so big could sneak up on you!

Catching those small ones are good practice for the 5 y/o.

 

[littlefishy]

Scalloping crystal river 15 ys ago I glanced up from studying the grass in about 5' of water and a long grey shape cleared the top of my mask a few feet away. Closest I've come to the proverbial messing the pants. It was a manatee.

 

[snorklr]

made it to the keys in february...and unlike last year it was high 80's and low winds...immediately went to Bahia Honda and booked an afternoon snorkel trip...and the steering wheel broke as they were coming back from the morning trip...they werent sure if it would be fixed and a front was coming in with high winds so booked morning trip with Captain Hook and then headed to the Horseshoe to at least find out where it was, low tide so really couldnt go outside of it...decided to apply murphy's law this year and not get a fishing license...figured that would guarantee that i'd see stuff...not much inside the horseshoe,it was pretty barren... could've gotten some snails and hermits....next day snorkel trip to Looe Key was great...typical offshore reef, say 15 to30 ft of water , plenty of coral and fish...great visibility...of course no pics (back to that murphys law approach)....the private boat was more expensive than the one in the park but not bad...Hook's also does a coral restoration dive in May where you can attach frags (from Mote Marine's lab) ....well maybe not you specifically but you're diving with the guys that do...just not sure of the specifics....lab tour and lecture too...sounds like a great deal...of course couldn't visit Mote's lab as its only open to the public on Tuesday and thats the day i was in the horseshoe...oh well there's always next year....also on the way home hit the St Lucie County aquarium....little hole in the wall but it has a 3000 gallon tank it got from the Smithsonian set up with just local stuff...so its about the best representation of what you'll actually see on a florida reef

 

[snorklr]

St Lucie

 

[snorklr]

 

[Nick Steele]

Yeah that place is amazing! I did some volunteer work there. Very fun and informative place. They actually collect locally for displays. I need to go back been a few years.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Winner! I had so much fun just walking around flipping rocks with my son. I showed all kinds of stuff to the kids on the beach that were interested. Thanks @Ron Reefman for starting your thread!!

So where exactly were you snorkeling and turning over rocks?

I'm really glad you had a good time. And getting to teach the youngsters is a HUGE plus. I loved doing beach walks out on Sanibel Island (off Ft Myers in SW Florida) and showing kids (and a LOT of adults) the live things I was collecting along the beach.

We just bought a new 11' inflatable boat (the old Zodiac split a big seam for the 2nd time). We will be in the Keys in June and I'm really looking forward to it. Snorkeling out of a tiny boat in almost flat calm water on the lee side of a small off shore island is so relaxing! we do 90 to 120 minutes in the morning, lay in the tiny boat for lunch and rest, then do another 60 to 90 minutes in the water.

I only have two 40g tanks now, and the 40g cube is chocked full of coral, so no room for much new in the way of collections. But the 40g breeder could use a couple of new critters. I'm thinking a small upside down jellyfish and/or a small fire worm! The tank may become a home for small, undesirable critters since there is already a mantis shrimp in there!

 

[snorklr]

glad your tanks survived the hurricane...i just didn't have the heart to ask at the time...

 

[Ron Reefman]

glad your tanks survived the hurricane...i just didn't have the heart to ask at the time...

We did fine. We spent a couple of hours inside the eye of Hurricane Ian and when we passed out through the southeast eye wall we had 140+mph winds! We lost some screens in the back lanai and one bent gutter... but we also lost 13 palm trees! We were without power for 12 days, but we have an 8000watt generator that can run most of the house (or just the A/C). But after 5 days we were struggling to find gas for the generator. We now have more 5g gas cans and we'll be even more ready!

We got home 2 weeks ago from a vacation (hiking Bryce & Zion Canyons) and found our Zodiac had split a repaired seam. So we just got a new 11' inflatable RIB from West Marine and will be taking a snorkel trip before hurricane season starts. I always look forward to snorkel trips as they are so relaxing and the time in the water is like being on a different planet!

 

[Ron Reefman]

We are going snorkeling in the Florida Keys for a few days next week. I'll post updates and photos here as we go day by day.

With just two 40g aio tanks that are both near capacity, there isn't much I'm going to need to collect. Some snails, maybe a star, a couple different gorgonians, maybe another small rock boring urchin, any feather dusters and of course any RFAs I can collect (they are hard to get out of their holes in the rock).

If there is a diver at the Horseshoe, maybe I can get a couple of coral banded shrimp and a couple of flame scallops!

 

[jimk60]

We did fine. We spent a couple of hours inside the eye of Hurricane Ian and when we passed out through the southeast eye wall we had 140+mph winds! We lost some screens in the back lanai and one bent gutter... but we also lost 13 palm trees! We were without power for 12 days, but we have an 8000watt generator that can run most of the house (or just the A/C). But after 5 days we were struggling to find gas for the generator. We now have more 5g gas cans and we'll be even more ready!

We got home 2 weeks ago from a vacation (hiking Bryce & Zion Canyons) and found our Zodiac had split a repaired seam. So we just got a new 11' inflatable RIB from West Marine and will be taking a snorkel trip before hurricane season starts. I always look forward to snorkel trips as they are so relaxing and the time in the water is like being on a different planet!

Hope you found time to hike The Narrows in Zion. Another place like being on a different planet!

 

[vetteguy53081]

We are going snorkeling in the Florida Keys for a few days next week. I'll post updates and photos here as we go day by day.

With just two 40g aio tanks that are both near capacity, there isn't much I'm going to need to collect. Some snails, maybe a star, a couple different gorgonians, maybe another small rock boring urchin, any feather dusters and of course any RFAs I can collect (they are hard to get out of their holes in the rock).

If there is a diver at the Horseshoe, maybe I can get a couple of coral banded shrimp and a couple of flame scallops!

Delay this 3 weeks and we will be in the keys then also. Thank you for reviving this as I will have diving and snorkeling pics to post from keys and Hawaii

 

[kzenoni]

Delay this 3 weeks and we will be in the keys then also. Thank you for reviving this as I will have diving and snorkeling pics to post from keys and Hawaii

My family and I will be there in two weeks. Ready for some snorkeling it’s been to long since the last trip.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My family and I will be there in two weeks. Ready for some snorkeling it’s been to long since the last trip.

Key west or Hawaii?

 

[kzenoni]

Key west or Hawaii?

The keys for a week. Try to go a couples times a year.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Hope you found time to hike The Narrows in Zion. Another place like being on a different planet!

We did the Narrows at Zion, but even better was a short (1/4 mile) slot canyon just outside of Snow Canyon. At one point it's less than 12" wide. Half our group had to turn back as they couldn't fit through! The last shot is my wife climbing out at the end!

 

[jimk60]

We did the Narrows at Zion, but even better was a short (1/4 mile) slot canyon just outside of Snow Canyon. At one point it's less than 12" wide. Half our group had to turn back as they couldn't fit through! The last shot is my wife climbing out at the end!

I'm

We did the Narrows at Zion, but even better was a short (1/4 mile) slot canyon just outside of Snow Canyon. At one point it's less than 12" wide. Half our group had to turn back as they couldn't fit through! The last shot is my wife climbing out at the end!

Lots of beautiful places out West but I'd still rather go to the Keys. Enjoy your trip.