Help me find Ocean life before I go crazy!

[Cammunoz]

Hi so I'm in South Beach Miami. Where do I go to find snorkeling spots and ocean life the beach near by is filled with people and no marine life at all. ?




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[Sugar Magnolia]

Take a drive down through the Keys.

[Sugar Magnolia]

This thread has been moved to the current forum.

[madweazl]

Only thing you're going to find in south beach is over priced food and drinks.

[G_Sanab922]

Originally Posted by madweazl

Only thing you're going to find in south beach is over priced food and drinks.

+1 and beautiful women

No good snorkeling anywhere unless you go out on a boat. And even that, there isn't much reefs for snorkeling in Miami.

[G_Sanab922]

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

Take a drive down through the Keys.

Key Largo is an hour away and snorkeling trips are pretty cheap.

No good public beaches until around the marathon area.

[Cammunoz]

madweazl you are not luing this place is way over priced


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[madweazl]

Originally Posted by Cammunoz

madweazl you are not luing this place is way over priced


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Was there in May. Had the added pleasure of getting my car towed adding an extra $240 to my already rough bar/dinner fine.

[Cammunoz]

wow thats horrible


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[Cammunoz]

do i need a fishing liscence if i go to the keys and maybe take a coral or two? anyone ever ship them back


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[Maritimer]

See if you can locate Heron Bridge - supposed to be a great shore dive, but don't know exactly where it is . . .

Triple-check Florida regs on coral collecting - I suspect it's frowned upon.

~Bruce

[Cammunoz]

http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/r...arium-species/


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So if i read that correct i can grab certain things and ship them back?!

[G_Sanab922]

Originally Posted by Cammunoz

do i need a fishing liscence if i go to the keys and maybe take a coral or two? anyone ever ship them back


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You need a saltwater fishing license.

With that , just take note all stony coral is prohibited. That limits you to basically zoas , mushrooms and some gorgs.

Also stay away from any state and national parks. Collecting is strictly prohibited there.


3 day license $17
7 day license $30

Blue Heron bridge is in WPB if I'm not mistaken. about a 1-2 hour drive from Miami.

[Ron Reefman]

Look over this thread.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2511350

Lots of spots talked about where you can snorkel off the beach. Don't collect at any State Parks. All stony corals are protected. So is live rock.

Yes you need the license. And FWC does do inspections. I've been checked several times. FWC has a website that lists all the limits and prohibitions.

[Cammunoz]

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[Cammunoz]

Anyone know a good place near south beach to get a cheap drop net and fishing supplies?


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[G_Sanab922]

Originally Posted by Cammunoz

Anyone know a good place near south beach to get a cheap drop net and fishing supplies?


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South Beach and cheap don't belong in the same sentence... lol
And collecting gear isn't that cheap anyways.


Honestly though, don't buy anything unless you have a spot you know is good. You said in the beginning that you can't even find marine life where you have snorkeled.

Try finding a good spot first, make sure you can legally collect in that particular area then buy everything you need.
No point in getting all those things if all you are going to find is hermit crabs..

[Cammunoz]

thanks im on the way to Key Largo lets see what we find!


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[sam.basye]

Originally Posted by Cammunoz

Anyone know a good place near south beach to get a cheap drop net and fishing supplies?


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Walmart has them for around $15 in the fishing idle

[Cammunoz]

i got one 12 bucks went to key largo not much luck caught a large brittle star!


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[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by Cammunoz

i got one 12 bucks went to key largo not much luck caught a large brittle star!

I never found any good spots off the beach in Key Largo.

Drive another hour down the Keys, hey, it's a relaxing drive if you enjoy the scenery. Marathon has lots of motels, and the next few Keys off the south west end of the Seven Mile Bridge has a number of good spots, depending on what you want to collect.

I guess that's the next question; just what is it you want to find?

I've snorkeled spots where you can find Gorgonians, zoas, palys, a variety of snails, emerald crabs, serpent and brittle stars, blue leg hermits, yellow sand sifting sea cucumbers, several different anemones, white & red flame scallops, coral banded shrimp, anemone shrimp, juvenile tropical fish (if you are very patient) and more.

As for equipment, I use a pair of hands (mine) with dive gloves, a small dive knife rarely needed) and a large mouth clear plastic bottle with some small holes drilled in it. It the gear that you need to keep the stuff you collect alive for the next few hours to few days that is more important.

[Cammunoz]

Sounds Great i made it to no name key yesterday damn i shoulf of kept driving!


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[Ron Reefman]

You means No Name Key next to Big Pine Key? That's further south west than where we snorkel. Look at the very north east end of Spanish Harbor Key. It's the one south west of Bahia Honda State Park. There is parking off either side, but the Florida bayside is a better lot.

[Cammunoz]

Thanks for the info but sadly i did not make it out there next time hopefully!

[Ron Reefman]

Well, if you are in Miami, your ride down to the Middle Keys is a lot shorter than mine (from Cape Coral- 5 hours) and we get down there to snorkel 3 to 5 long weekends a year.

In fact we are starting to plan for an April or May overnight camping trip to the Dry Tortugas. We want to snorkel the Ft Jefferson mote wall at night (suggested by the park at their website). I also want to be there during a New Moon in hopes of seeing the Milky Way spread out over the dark night sky away from all the lights of civilization.