Snorkeling & Collecting Discussion Group

[UM Aquarium Club]

Wild collecting is one of the wonderful things about living in an area with reefs. We've collected a number of species from the Miami area (following FWC regulations and with licenses) and its very rewarding to be able to grow a fish from juvenile size (when possible) into a more mature size. Its also cool to have a story behind some of the species in your tank that you can share with people.

 

[Reef-junky]

Ron always finds cool stuff

 

[Ron Reefman]

Wild collecting is one of the wonderful things about living in an area with reefs. We've collected a number of species from the Miami area (following FWC regulations and with licenses) and its very rewarding to be able to grow a fish from juvenile size (when possible) into a more mature size. Its also cool to have a story behind some of the species in your tank that you can share with people.

I agree completely. It kind of makes a connection between the ocean and your tank that actually passes through you rather than some online store or wholesaler and LFS. You bring up raising fish, I love the fact that I've had RFA's from the Florida Keys have babies in my tank! It's so cool!

I don't get to do much collecting now that I've downsized and the 40g cube is overflowing with corals and RFA's. But back when I had a 65g shallow reef tank (4' x 2' x 14") I only kept stuff that I collected either in the Keys or even off the beach (as in off the sand, not in the water) of Sanibel Island. Those were the days!

It looks like we have snorkel trips to the Keys scheduled for May, June and July so far!

 

[Island Reef 242]

Hi Ron, I have been meaning to post on this thread for a while. I live in the Bahamas and have recently started up a small 10g aquarium in preparation for a 75g that i am currently putting together. I collect everything that is in my tank, and now that the water is warming up I will be snorkeling and collecting allot. You can read about me in my intro here, and about my tank here. Enough about me, on to some pictures, which is what y'all came here for

The following are some pictures I took while snorkeling and collecting during the month of March 2019.

A lovely group of butterfly fish on a reef just off of my house.


A cool little Christmas tree worm.


Beautiful purple finger coral, with a sea fan and some blue headed wrasses.


Looking over a bunch of mustard hill coral.


A lovely large brain coral with Christmas tree worms on it.


A camera shy Queen Angelfish.


A Green turtle with a large remora.

Most of my collecting is done along the shore line right outside my house. My family owns a boat that we use a couple times a month, if the weather is good, to visit other islands, beaches, turtles, and some amazing reefs. When catching fish for my tank I use nets and lots of patients ;Meh. Sometimes I will crush up some snails and put in the net, or stir up the sediment which will attract the more curious fish. The prettiest fish always seem to be the smartest. To catch them you have to watch and learn their swimming patterns, gain their trust, and have lots of patients.



Above is what I collected the last time I was at rose island, on a reef just 10 feet off the beach. There is a couple pieces of live rock, a small piece of mustard hill coral, some snails, a Caribbean cleaner goby, a red lipped blenny, a pencil urchin, a reef urchin, brittle star, and a bunch of baby shrimp (a snack for my fish).

For those who are wondering. It is illegal to export any coral or ornamental fish out of the Bahamas. But there is no law that says I can not collect for my personal tank.

All underwater photos are taken with a GoPro.

Easter weekend is coming up and I hope to go in the boat if the weather is good. Will post some more pictures when i get them.

Happy snorkeling and collecting,
Chris

 

[soflmuddin]

It's official, I am moving to the Bahamas when I retire.

Sent from my H1611 using REEF2REEF mobile app

 

[Island Reef 242]

It's official, I am moving to the Bahamas when I retire.

Sent from my H1611 using REEF2REEF mobile app

Come on down, the waters nice

 

[Ron Reefman]

Hi Chris, thanks for adding to the thread. Photos are always welcome. And so are any insights you have into collecting. You are so lucky to have the laws you do in the Bahamas, I think 1/3 to 1/2 the stuff in your collection photo would be illegal in Florida even with a license. And that even includes the live rock!!!

I've been to Bimini a few of times (by sailboat). I just love the water and we did a lot of snorkeling. I've also been to Andros and worked a charter sailboat trip down the Islands. We were chartered by a researcher doing Buccaneer Palm research. So we'd drop him on an island in the morning, pick him up in the afternoon and move on to another island overnight. Because he was off the boat all day, the Captain (a mid 20's lady), the first mate (my friend in his early 40's) and me (the volunteer deckhand, about 50) got to do quite a bit of snorkeling. It was a wonderful 10 day tour. I been in Nassau twice, but only saw the dockside tourist stuff and bought provisions for our sailing trip. I'd do the Bahamas again in a heartbeat if I still had our sailboat (and a wife who wasn't afraid of it!). LOL

I encourage you to add more here anytime you want and thanks again for getting started. BTW, I started with a 30g and then got a 75g, have fun with that.

The water is so blue in Bimini, can you tell I loved it! ;Woot

 

[Sea MunnKey]

Great pictures & thanks for sharing Ron. Heading to Fiji in less than 2 weeks and not sure if anyone has done any snorkelling for corals over there?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Sea MunnKey, I haven't been to Fiji yet... I say yet because my wife and I are always looking ahead for vacation adventures. 2019 is already booked as full as we'd like (and can afford). But 2020 we are 95% sure we will be doing a Fiji snorkeling trip with a group called Road Scholars (not the smart Rhodes Scholars). We've been on 2 of their other trips (Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta and Churchill, Manitoba, Canada to see the Aurora Borealis) and have had a great time on each! Besides being fun, it's also easy because they take care of almost everything! The Fiji trip includes snorkeling 7 or 8 days out of 11 day for the entire trip. And airfare from Los Angles to Fiji and back is also included!

Here is a link to their trip and maybe it can offer an idea or two?
https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an...-blue-waters-snorkeling-and-exploring-in-fiji

So when you are done with your trip, I want a detailed account of everything you do as well as lots of photos! PLEASE!!!! ;Snaphappy

 

[Island Reef 242]

Hi Chris, thanks for adding to the thread. Photos are always welcome. And so are any insights you have into collecting. You are so lucky to have the laws you do in the Bahamas, I think 1/3 to 1/2 the stuff in your collection photo would be illegal in Florida even with a license. And that even includes the live rock!!!

I've been to Bimini a few of times (by sailboat). I just love the water and we did a lot of snorkeling. I've also been to Andros and worked a charter sailboat trip down the Islands. We were chartered by a researcher doing Buccaneer Palm research. So we'd drop him on an island in the morning, pick him up in the afternoon and move on to another island overnight. Because he was off the boat all day, the Captain (a mid 20's lady), the first mate (my friend in his early 40's) and me (the volunteer deckhand, about 50) got to do quite a bit of snorkeling. It was a wonderful 10 day tour. I been in Nassau twice, but only saw the dockside tourist stuff and bought provisions for our sailing trip. I'd do the Bahamas again in a heartbeat if I still had our sailboat (and a wife who wasn't afraid of it!). LOL

I encourage you to add more here anytime you want and thanks again for getting started. BTW, I started with a 30g and then got a 75g, have fun with that.

The water is so blue in Bimini, can you tell I loved it! ;Woot

Bimini, is nice but there has been way to much construction on that tiny island, and they have destroyed some of there reefs :mad:. Andros is nice as well, but they have mosquitos the size of seaplanes . My favorite islands in the Bahamas are the Exumas. They have the clearest waters, best beaches, and prettiest reefs. There is a marine park covering some if the Exumas, it is the first designated part of the ocean to be protected in the world. No collecting there ;Smug.

I had a small Buccaneer Palm once, but a hurricane destroyed it ;Dead. They are quite unique, and one of our few native palms.

If you are ever back down this way let me know. I love showing off my country. Any excuse to go on the boat . I know I am fortunate, and try to not take it for granted, but I do live in what Astronaut Scott Kelly calls "The most beautiful place from space"

 

[Ron Reefman]

The researcher we were transporting was going to 4 different native habitats for Buccaneer Palms to try and figure out why the native stands in Florida all disappeared. So when we saw one at a plant nursery, we bought it and it's in our backyard just outside our bedroom window about 15 feet from the house. But then we have at least 10 different palm tree species in our yard (my wife turned our yard into a sub-tropical rain forest! We have way more gardens and trees than grassy areas in our yard.

 

[Island Reef 242]

The researcher we were transporting was going to 4 different native habitats for Buccaneer Palms to try and figure out why the native stands in Florida all disappeared. So when we saw one at a plant nursery, we bought it and it's in our backyard just outside our bedroom window about 15 feet from the house. But then we have at least 10 different palm tree species in our yard (my wife turned our yard into a sub-tropical rain forest! We have way more gardens and trees than grassy areas in our yard.

Awesome, I will take trees, palms, bush, and plants over grass any day. Unless its sea grass, lots of cool stuff can be found in that, plus its what turtles eat.

Sorry to hear about the native stands in Florida disappearing.

 

[Lissa1987]

Does anyone know if we get anything worth collecting in Tampa bay (southshore- I'm in Apollo Beach) I've always wanted to go snorkeling but the boyfriend isn't interested. I'm still holding out for a Keys trip on my birthday (late January -anything there then?)

 

[Ds04384]

Does anyone know if we get anything worth collecting in Tampa bay (southshore- I'm in Apollo Beach) I've always wanted to go snorkeling but the boyfriend isn't interested. I'm still holding out for a Keys trip on my birthday (late January -anything there then?)

I’m up in Clearwater and I’ve done a little beach combing but I don’t really find much. We’re a little too far north. I do want to try snorkeling sometime around here tho. There’s sea grass beds near fort desoto and honeymoon island that might be interesting, just wouldn’t expect to find much you’d want to put in your tank.

 

[JoeIII]

Tampa bay reef club does a collecting trip to ft desoto every year.
As mentioned, not much you would want in your tank, but a good excuse to spend a day outside and look for neat creatures.

 

[soflmuddin]

Does anyone know if we get anything worth collecting in Tampa bay (southshore- I'm in Apollo Beach) I've always wanted to go snorkeling but the boyfriend isn't interested. I'm still holding out for a Keys trip on my birthday (late January -anything there then?)

Best advice, get a new boyfriend.
Late January is cold and water is usually murky. Now thru November is best.

 

[icy1155]

Does anyone know if we get anything worth collecting in Tampa bay (southshore- I'm in Apollo Beach) I've always wanted to go snorkeling but the boyfriend isn't interested. I'm still holding out for a Keys trip on my birthday (late January -anything there then?)

If you are comfortable with the cooler waters you can find neat stuff to collect in the keys year round. I would go any time other than lobster mini season, avoid the keys at all costs that week. Otherwise there is always somewhere you can go to get cool critters. The places Ron has mentioned are always good bets but its also fun to just go exploring. I've seen some really neat ecosystems just stopping somewhere and hopping in the water or paddling out to a random patch reef I saw on google earth.

 

[Peace River]

Does anyone know if we get anything worth collecting in Tampa bay (southshore- I'm in Apollo Beach) I've always wanted to go snorkeling but the boyfriend isn't interested. I'm still holding out for a Keys trip on my birthday (late January -anything there then?)

It all depends on what you mean by worth collecting. I have collected different species of pipefish, seahorses, puffers, filefish, many types of killifish, and more. While these are not reef fishes, I personally really enjoy seeing, keeping, and breeding Florida’s native fishes.

Additionally you may also want to reach out to Mote and the Florida Aquarium - in the past they have had guided hands-on intro to the bay programs.

 

[Lissa1987]

It all depends on what you mean by worth collecting. I have collected different species of pipefish, seahorses, puffers, filefish, many types of killifish, and more. While these are not reef fishes, I personally really enjoy seeing, keeping, and breeding Florida’s native fishes.

Additionally you may also want to reach out to Mote and the Florida Aquarium - in the past they have had guided hands-on intro to the bay programs.

Seahorses and Pipefish are set for my next tank. Where have you had luck finding them?

 

[Peace River]

Seahorses and Pipefish are set for my next tank. Where have you had luck finding them?

Seahorses show up in the net but are not as common. Chain pipefish and gulf pipefish show up more regularly (pay attention to the length of the nose to tell the difference). The best places to look are in any of the grass flats. If you are having to sort through a lot of pinfish and bay anchovies in the seine then you typically won’t find many killies, but pipefish may show up either way.

As I’m sure you already know, both seahorses and pipefish need live foods so make sure that you are ready for them when you go collecting. It can be a challenge because you can have the live food ready but not find your target species or you can find your target species and then be scrambling to get the food if you don’t have it ready.