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SUMMER 2012
LOCAL DIVING
tips, guitarfish and sawfish might also be
encountered. Even scalloped and great
hammerheads, tigers and whale sharks
aren’t strangers here.
Opportunities to see sharks increase
between November and April as the
northern portion of the Palm Beaches
turns into the aggregation center for
thousands of spinner sharks. Converging
en masse along the shoreline, these 4- to
5-foot sharks give beachgoers a spec-
tacle as they launch themselves from the
water with spinning aerobatics.
In addition to the spinners, the num-
ber of bull, sandbar and lemon sharks
more than triples as these larger species
move down from the north to escape the
cold and join the resident populations
on the outer reefs and wrecks offshore of
Jupiter and North Palm Beach.
The big thrill for divers fortunate
enough to catch the show is seeing large
numbers of lemon sharks (Negaprion
brevirostris) converge into traveling
aggregations. A single aggregation can
number more than 100, but groups of
25 to 40 are most common. Adding to
this strange spectacle are occasions in
which a group will park together on the
bottom to nap. This behavior from such
large sharks (8 to 9 feet long) makes for
a baffling spectacle. Unfortunately, these
groups are highly sensitive to noise; div-
ers’ bubbles tend to spook them away.
If sharks, turtles and goliaths aren’t
enough, divers will also find a variety of
rays — from small clearnose skates to
large southern and roughtail stingrays
and eagle rays. If you’re lucky you might
even spot a manta in the 20-foot shal-
lows along the beach.
It is remarkable to think this kind of
wildlife exists so close to such a large
metropolitan area. But until you see it
for yourself, you’ve got my word on it:
It’s a happening place.
AD
CONDITIONS:
Diving off Palm Beach County is year-round, with summer offering the calmest sea
conditions and warmest temps (78°F to 83°F). In winter, expect water temperatures in the upper-60s
to mid-70s. Visibility, averaging 50 to 100 feet, is largely influenced by weather and currents.
GETTING THERE:
Dive charters operate out of all four inlets — Jupiter, Lake Worth (Palm Beach),
Boynton Beach and Boca Raton, which are all accessible from I-95 or US 1. There are numerous daily
flights into Palm Beach International Airport (PBI). For more information on travel, accommodations
and topside attractions visit www.palmbeachfl.com.
HOW TO DIVE IT
For more than 10 years the Blue Heron Bridge at Phil Foster Park, north of West Palm Beach, has
been a cherished shore dive for many divers and photographers. Access is easy, and depths are
shallow (15 to 18 feet). Incoming tide is best for visibility; it pulls in clearer water through the Lake
Worth Inlet. Outgoing tide reverses the flow, reducing visibility from the 40- to 60-foot range down to
a muddy 5 or 10 feet.
“The bridge” is regarded a muck dive; the bottom around its pilings is largely made up of sand, rubble
and discarded debris. The attraction is the wondrous variety of small fish and invertebrates that are rarely
seen in Florida or even the Caribbean. But one must study the surroundings, scanning every nook, cranny
and empty bottle to find the little treasures that exist here. These include seahorses in shades of brown,
bright red, yellow and orange; blue and yellow nudibranchs; funky-looking batfish; sea robins; stargazers
and a few varieties of frogfish (the striated frogfish being the most common but best camouflaged).
Not all the marine life here is at the small end of the spectrum, though. The larger inhabitants include
barracuda, snook, spotted eagle rays and even manatees.
GETTING THERE:
Take I-95 and exit at Blue Heron Boulevard, just north of West Palm Beach.
Head east to Singer Island, driving through Riviera Beach and over the first span of the Blue Heron
Boulevard Bridge. As you pass over the larger span of the Blue Heron Bridge, the entrance to Phil
Foster Park is on the left.
BluE HErOn BrIDgE