Four Dives off Hurricane Pass May 30, 2015

Tim Metcalf and I made four separate dives on two tanks each of air yesterday.  We started on Mainmast Ledge in 55 ft of water the went further offshore and dived two separate rocky areas and then returned to another part of Mainmast Ledge to finish the day.  Vertical visibility was 45 to 50 ft, horizontal around 30 ft and water temperature was 81 degrees.  We had a 10 to 15 mile easterly wind to start the day but it died in the early afternoon, the seas flattened, and we were able to run in at 35 mph, fast and fun.  We saw lots of Gag grouper, a few of nice size (season is closed), some small red grouper, juvenile hogfish, and lots of Mangrove Snapper and Key West grunts.

 I recognized the remains of a stove Tim is hovering over on Mainmast Ledge from the dive Donna and I made there three weeks ago.

 Managed to get a half decent photo of a three inch blenny with my wide angle lens.

 A new (to me and Tim) type of crab on the ledge.  It was sort of half way between a Stone Crab and a spider crab.

 Tim over this five foot profile part of Mainmast ledge.

 Soapfish peering from their hideout.

 A juvenile hogfish.

 Tim spotted a Great Barracuda cruising the ledge.  It sure would make it hard to land a fish hooked while fishing this ledge!

 We saw a large cloud of fish on Tim's sonar hovering above the ledge, we found this large school of small fish, Tim is hidden behind them, under the ledge.

 TBD sand diving fish.

 If you look closely you can just make out the head of a Yellowhead Jawfish peering at me from his burrow.  It's the first time I've seen one of these in the Gulf, you normally find them in the Caribbean.

 A curious triggerfish let me get a half decent photo of him.

 A pair of juvenile Hogfish.

 A juvenile Hogfish with his frills extended as he gets tense about my close approach.

 A nice red grouper.  Hope he doesn't get speared before he gets a chance to grow to a decent size.  Some folks call these strawberry grouper, I think it is because of the size some people spear....

A cool toadfish.

To see more from these dives please go to:
https://plus.google.com/photos/110159573286645489662/albums/6155163938848110385?authkey=CMb7n-n0ipuDIw