Goliath Grouper

FINALLY!
SFUPS did a three tank dive off of Jupiter on Friday, September 14th and I FINALLY got Goliath Grouper shots that I am happy with.  Thanks to Sam Hodge for putting this together. I was worried the night before as the evening news said seas would be 3′ to 6′.  Yes, the seas were a little choppy and rolly polly, but the diving was well worth it.  Water was a comfortable 82 degrees and NO current all day.  Vis could have been a lot better and I was expecting a lot of backscatter in my photos. However, the Cigar Minnows that surround the groupers seem to help hide the particles.

The first two dives were on the Jupiter Wreck Treck in 90 feet of water, starting with the Zion Wreck which was the most productive for me.  The third dive was on the MG111 Wreck (60′) where there were a ton of groupers and masses of swirling bait fish, but the water was much greener with more suspended particles.

All shots were taken with a Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens (set at 15mm) in a 4″ mini dome.  Why were all the photos taken at 15mm? Because that’s where the lens was set and the zoom gear did not work underwater.  The photos are also full frame or close to it.

The first several photos are not good by any means but I have included them to show the surroundings and the massive numbers of these giant fish.

Click HERE to see the photos.  Don’t forget to play the slideshow FULL SCREEN.