{"id":22939,"date":"2022-08-29T13:53:13","date_gmt":"2022-08-29T17:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/?post_type=dan_alert_diver&p=22939"},"modified":"2023-01-31T12:30:03","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T17:30:03","slug":"blue-heron-bridge","status":"publish","type":"dan_alert_diver","link":"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/fr\/alert-diver\/article\/blue-heron-bridge\/","title":{"rendered":"Pont du H\u00e9ron Bleu"},"content":{"rendered":"

L'IMPLACABLE ET PUISSANT FLUX VERS LE NORD<\/strong> <\/span>of the Gulf Stream\u2019s clear, tropical waters provides Southeast Florida with beautiful and unique diving opportunities. Passing off the coast of Palm Beach County, the warmer, constantly flowing water nourishes and replenishes reefs and corals that support and attract an incredible diversity of marine life. The reefs offshore are easily accessible and often delight divers with beautiful blue water and visibility that can reach 100 feet.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just inside Palm Beach Inlet lies an unexpected but wondrously pleasant surprise \u2014 the Blue Heron Bridge at Phil Foster Park. The Gulf Stream waters come in twice daily with the high tides, flowing through the inlet to the Intracoastal Waterway, transporting exotic and biodiverse marine life to settle in the shallow waters at Blue Heron Bridge. Recognized as one of the best shore and muck diving sites in the U.S., it\u2019s also considered some of the best muck diving among divers and underwater photographers worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t expect colorful reefs; prepare instead for a menagerie of unusual and exotic sea life you would typically have to travel the world to see. Every dive can be a surprise \u2014 you never know what\u2019s lurking in the next high tide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil Foster Park \u2014 better known as Blue Heron Bridge, the Bridge, or just BHB \u2014 is a small island inside the Lake Worth Lagoon just off the Intracoastal Waterway. It\u2019s connected to the mainland by two bridges leading from Riviera Beach to Singer Island. There is convenient parking just off the beach, allowing divers to gear up on their tailgates and walk directly from the beach into the water. Divers share the park with beachgoers, who can fill the beach on nice days, so we arrive a couple of hours before high tide. A great dive community frequents BHB, so arriving early gives us time to socialize with fellow divers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Plongeurs<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Les plongeurs qui se trouvent sur le c\u00f4t\u00e9 est du pont Blue Heron profitent de la mar\u00e9e haute pour plonger dans une eau d'un bleu \u00e9clatant.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Diving BHB is pleasantly straightforward and has something for just about everyone. Snorkelers, novice divers, freedivers, and experienced divers will appreciate the easy entry right off the beach and the shallow waters, which average around 15 feet with a maximum depth of 25 feet. It is a macro photographer\u2019s dream, with an abundance and variety of underwater subjects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BHB area is a no-take zone for tropical fish collecting. Effective April 1, 2019, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a regulation to \u201cprohibit the collection and possession of marine life fishery species (species collected for and managed for the tropical aquarium trade) within the park and surrounding waters.\u201d For many years the local dive community unwaveringly championed the cause, working with the Palm Beach County Commission and FWC to successfully implement the policy change to protect this unique area for generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rascasse
Une rascasse de r\u00e9cif \u00e9tire ses m\u00e2choires<\/strong>
dans les algues, cr\u00e9ant ainsi une sc\u00e8ne inqui\u00e9tante.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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\"chauve-souris
Ce poisson-chauve-souris \u00e0 pois a une couleur rouge vif.
et un visage que seule une m\u00e8re peut aimer.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Pieuvre<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Ver<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

L'illumination de ce ver de terre en pleine exposition met en \u00e9vidence ses<\/span> des colorations semblables \u00e0 celles de l'arc-en-ciel.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Une femelle pieuvre de r\u00e9cif des Cara\u00efbes, sous l'\u0153il attentif d'un observateur, couve et a\u00e8re ses \u0153ufs avec pr\u00e9caution. Regardez de pr\u00e8s pour voir les b\u00e9b\u00e9s pieuvres \u00e0 l'int\u00e9rieur des nacelles.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

En 2012, la ville de Riviera Beach a ajout\u00e9 un sentier de plong\u00e9e libre de 800 pieds entre la plage et le chenal de navigation, cr\u00e9ant ainsi un r\u00e9cif artificiel parall\u00e8le \u00e0 la plage et \u00e0 200 pieds au large. Les am\u00e9liorations apport\u00e9es au fil des ans comprennent l'ajout de 15 modules de 5 000 livres con\u00e7us pour ressembler \u00e0 des r\u00e9cifs naturels, de trois statues de requins-marteaux en ciment de 1 500 livres et de quelques \u00e9paves de petits bateaux non planifi\u00e9es. Le r\u00e9cif artificiel sert de nurserie \u00e0 d'innombrables esp\u00e8ces de poissons juv\u00e9niles et abrite de petits bancs de grunts, de carangues jaunes et de poissons-spades. Des anguilles, des blennies et des gobies se nichent dans les structures. Une carte d\u00e9taill\u00e9e affich\u00e9e sur la plage fournit un plan utile de la zone de plong\u00e9e et du sentier de plong\u00e9e avec tuba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diving BHB revolves around slack high tide, which offers the calmest currents and best visibility. With the shallow depths, divers can expect a dive of up to two hours or more, depending on air consumption. If you enter the water an hour before high tide, you\u2019ll miss the currents picking up and visibility dropping significantly about an hour past high tide. The dive is generally leisurely, but tidal currents can be strong outside the two-hour dive window, especially at the bridges. Visibility during slack high tide typically ranges from 20 to 40 feet but can be as low as a couple of feet or as high as 80 feet or more, depending on the conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notre plan de plong\u00e9e commence g\u00e9n\u00e9ralement juste au large de la plage, \u00e0 l'ext\u00e9rieur de la zone de baignade, o\u00f9 nous explorons les hauts-fonds sablonneux et herbeux et laissons les courants de mar\u00e9e diminuer avant de nous approcher de l'un des ponts. \u00c0 premi\u00e8re vue, il peut s'agir d'une plong\u00e9e inint\u00e9ressante, sablonneuse et peu profonde, mais les surprises r\u00e9compensent le plongeur patient et observateur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Blennies<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Les blennies des algues affichent leur personnalit\u00e9 lorsqu'elles sortent de leur tani\u00e8re en jouant \u00e0 cache-cache.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Les eaux peu profondes abritent des hippocampes, des poissons-grenouilles et des pieuvres, dont beaucoup se trouvent dans un m\u00e8tre ou deux d'eau, \u00e0 peine au large de la plage. Des grondins et des mergules volants se prom\u00e8nent sur le fond, et un banc de gros poissons-perroquets arc-en-ciel fr\u00e9quente la zone et se nourrit \u00e0 la mar\u00e9e montante. Les anguilles de jardin jouent leur jeu de la bo\u00eete \u00e0 outils \u00e0 mesure que l'on s'approche et que l'on s'\u00e9loigne, et les poissons-coffres de buffle et les poissons-filets sont fr\u00e9quents dans les herbes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Des poissons-grenouilles de toutes les couleurs, formes et tailles arrivent \u00e0 la fin de l'hiver ou au d\u00e9but du printemps. Le BHB abrite des poissons-grenouilles stri\u00e9s, ocell\u00e9s et nains, et il n'est pas rare d'en voir une demi-douzaine lors d'une seule plong\u00e9e. Les plongeurs patients et habiles peuvent d\u00e9couvrir des poissons-grenouilles nains bien camoufl\u00e9s dans les fonds marins. Un poisson-grenouille \u00e0 sargasse est une raret\u00e9 qui n\u00e9cessite des contr\u00f4les fr\u00e9quents et un examen minutieux de la sargasse flottant \u00e0 la surface. Certains plongeurs chanceux ont assist\u00e9 au rituel de ponte des poissons-grenouilles, lorsque la femelle lib\u00e8re ses \u0153ufs dans la colonne d'eau et que les m\u00e2les nagent avec empressement dans le nuage pour f\u00e9conder les \u0153ufs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lined and longsnout seahorses in various textures, colors, and patterns visit, but they are challenging to find at times \u2014 the frillier ones and juveniles blend perfectly with their grassy surroundings. Others hide in sponges matching their coloration. On a few occasions we\u2019ve seen a bright red one standing out like a sore thumb, brazenly swimming through the sandy, grassy areas, tail clinging to seagrass as it slowly hunts for food, seemingly without a care in the world. They are often in mated pairs, and some divers have been fortunate to witness females passing their eggs to the male\u2019s specialized brooding pouch or the male hatching babies into the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Octopuses become scarce over the winter, but in early spring Atlantic longarm, Caribbean reef, brown-striped, and common octopuses start to return in numbers. Octopuses seem to adjust to divers and are often out and about in the sand during the day. Sometimes they are playful, and it seems as if they are posing for the camera with some of their antics \u2014 changing colors and textures, grabbing shells to decorate their dens, and pouring like liquid into crevices and holes. Bottles and cans are favorite spots for them to make homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Every dive can be a surprise \u2014
you never know what\u2019s lurking in the next high tide.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

More than 100 species of nudibranchs and sea slugs are at BHB, but most are tiny, unlike those in the Indo-Pacific. Divers with extreme patience, a keen eye, and knowledge of the habitat enjoy the search and successfully find these small creatures. Admittedly, we have yet to develop that skill, or maybe we don\u2019t have the sharp eyesight required, so we rely on the assistance of more advanced nudibranch finders. Photographing them requires strong diopters. On the larger side, Florida regal sea goddesses occasionally find their way from offshore wrecks to BHB. We had a pleasant surprise this past fall with the arrival of a few Janolus flavoanulatus<\/em>, which aren\u2019t invasive, but they don\u2019t belong here and typically live in the Western Indo-Pacific. Speculation is that they hitched a ride on a cargo ship. They disappeared a few weeks later, almost as abruptly as they arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After spending time in the shallows off the beach, we head off to explore one of the bridges shortly before high tide. Covering the east- and west-side bridges in a single dive is too much. It\u2019s more fun exploring a smaller area, so we pick one and save the other for another day. It\u2019s incredible what you can find using a slow and steady approach. Urchins and starfish pepper the sandy, shelly areas leading to the east bridge, which are excellent places to stop and look for tiny sea life such as bumble bee shrimp. Decorator urchins pile on an amusing amount of junk to camouflage themselves. There are a few unusual critters such as tiger mantis shrimp, decorator crabs, bobbit worms, pipefish, and three species of batfish (polka-dot, shortnose, and roughback). Scorpionfish and stargazers lie entirely camouflaged on the bottom, stealthily awaiting their prey. Yellowhead and banded jawfish can be found in their burrows, sometimes with the male mouthbrooding eggs. Caribbean reef squid and grass squid are occasionally in the water column. Under the east bridge is home to lobsters, green and spotted moray eels, cardinalfish, and seahorses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Un m\u00e2le de sandre \u00e0 gorge bleue montre<\/span> de sa gorge et de sa nageoire dorsale afin d'impressionner et d'attirer les femelles qui se trouvent \u00e0 proximit\u00e9.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Un<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A female Caribbean reef octopus selected the east bridge to raise her eggs early this year, making her final home in an 8-inch abandoned pipe about 3 feet off the sand. Seeking safety and privacy, she attached her clutch of eggs to the pipe\u2019s walls about a foot back from the opening, her arms in constant motion aerating and cleaning the eggs. After the first sighting early in March, she stayed in her den for the next six weeks until her eggs hatched. She was gone about a week after the eggs hatched. It was extraordinary and humbling to check on her and watch the babies\u2019 development. The cycle of life continues, and it was wonderful to share in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le pont ouest traverse le principal chenal de navigation et est beaucoup plus haut pour permettre le passage des grands bateaux. La zone de plong\u00e9e abrite une grande partie de la m\u00eame vie marine que la partie est. De grands poissons-anges gris, fran\u00e7ais et royaux ainsi que des bancs de poissons-spades nagent sous la trav\u00e9e. Des \u00e9ponges color\u00e9es recouvrent les grands piliers qui soutiennent le pont et servent d'habitat aux crabes \u00e0 fl\u00e8che, aux crevettes coralliennes \u00e0 bandes et aux blennies. Un monticule de sable couvert d'herbes marines juste au sud de la trav\u00e9e abrite des limaces \u00e0 bouclier, des bernard-l'ermite color\u00e9s et des sandres \u00e0 gorge bleue. Les deux ponts sont agr\u00e9ables \u00e0 plonger, avec de nombreuses similitudes dans la vie marine, mais l'action peut changer au fil du temps d'un pont \u00e0 l'autre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nous faisons g\u00e9n\u00e9ralement de la macro au BHB, mais la vie marine plus importante passe parfois par l\u00e0. La surprise peut \u00eatre grande lorsque votre visage est proche du fond alors que vous cherchez de minuscules cr\u00e9atures et que vous vous retrouvez face \u00e0 face avec un m\u00e9rou goliath lorsque vous levez les yeux. Bien qu'ils soient dociles, voir un poisson de la taille d'une petite voiture sous le pont peut vous faire sursauter. Les raies aigles tachet\u00e9es sont relativement fr\u00e9quentes, chassant au gr\u00e9 des mar\u00e9es par groupes de deux \u00e0 quatre. Les lamantins recherchent parfois des eaux plus chaudes en hiver, les requins nourrices ne sont pas rares et les plongeurs peuvent parfois apercevoir une tortue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les plong\u00e9es nocturnes au BHB sont \u00e9galement une excellente occasion de d\u00e9couvrir la faune et la flore marines qui se cachent g\u00e9n\u00e9ralement pendant la journ\u00e9e. Le parc ferme au coucher du soleil, mais les magasins de plong\u00e9e locaux organisent des plong\u00e9es nocturnes deux fois par mois. Vous avez besoin d'un laissez-passer sp\u00e9cial, disponible gratuitement aupr\u00e8s du magasin de plong\u00e9e local qui organise la plong\u00e9e de nuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve been residents of Palm Beach County since 2020 and retired here in part because of the variety of dive opportunities. We love Blue Heron Bridge and dive here as often as possible when the conditions are good and the tides cooperate. We dive year-round with water temperatures ranging from 72\u00b0F to 86\u00b0F. Its variety, never-ending surprises of exotic marine life, fantastic dive community, incredible photographic opportunities, and ease of access make it a dive site that\u2019s hard to beat anywhere in the world.\u00a0AD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EN SAVOIR PLUS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u00e9couvrez plus de ce que le pont Blue Heron offre dans une galerie de photos et ces vid\u00e9os.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=ConH2nL5WdA%3Ffeature%3Doembedhttps%3A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/ConH2nL5WdA\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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