| Sponge Divers in
Boynton Beach by Sandra Edwards |
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Sponges are responsible for a great deal of the color in Boynton Beach and Palm Beach dive sites. But beyond just the colors, they create homes for many creatures, and allow the interested diver some fascinatining wildlife photography. |
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| Even though we work on configuring our dive gear to make us fast and efficient in the water, some of the best dives include long intervals where we hover motionlessly over tiny worlds within worlds. |
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| Since I became a DIR diver, one thing I have found is the hovering over tiny macro creatures has gotten much easier. Some of our best macro life is exposed to significant currents here in S. Florida. To get macro photos worth hanging on to, the photographer does not want to do any more work than necessary to stay in position---this means the more hydrodynamic we are, the less the current will push us around. Even though I look like I'm geared up to go fast, on my favorite dives, I'm really geared up to "hardly go at all". With DIR, seeing more exciting macro life actually has become much easier. |
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| The little guys don't really pose for us. But waiting just allows us to feel more "connected". |
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| Where you have large sponge populations you have Brittle Stars. |
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| Sometimes we hear Keys propaganda that the only live reefs in Florida are in the Keys. I like the Keys, but when I want to find color, I visit Boynton Beach, Florida. |
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| The face of a sponge. |
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| Diversity and texture. |
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| Some days the sponges have wild and crazy sex. When they do, visibility soon drops. |
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| Twilight and the end of the dive approaches. It gets even better at night. Visit us next month for the night dive. |
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