SaltySully
New member
There are ones from the carribean they are just not as nice looking. I will post a pick of the next one I collect
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Florida Keys snorkeling locations
- Thread starter Ron Reefman
- Start date
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Ron Reefman
Active member
SaltySully, it turns out you were right. The marine biologist at Bailey Mathews National Shell Museum says it's a Hairy Sea Cucumber (Sclerodactyla briareus). The part I was unaware of is that it's an echinoderm and all echinoderms are protected on Sanibel Island and if I had been caught with it by FWC (Florida Wildlife Commission) I could have been fined up to $500 and the loss of the sea cucumber too!
Good to know. Sanibel has some of, if not the most restrictive collection rules in the State of Florida.
Good to know. Sanibel has some of, if not the most restrictive collection rules in the State of Florida.
SaltySully
New member
I didn't know seacucumbers were protected there also, I knew live seashells were, but that surprised me. Cool find any way.
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Ron Reefman
Active member
It's been so warm in SW Florida (and the Keys) this February that the water is already getting warm. We've been 10+ degrees above average for high temps over the last 3 or 4 weeks straight.
I'm thinking a snorkel trip to the Keys in late April isn't out of the question.
I'm thinking a snorkel trip to the Keys in late April isn't out of the question.
GoNoles
New member
Did this front make it down there? It's windy as all get out up here in West Palm. I'm looking to get down there for a dive soon.
Just get a shorty it helps in the months before and after the summer around $60 at Amazon, I also got a full size Lycra to fend off Jellyfish and it also helps with cooler waters
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water is wet
New member
I posted several pages back and probably a year or so ago that I was going and or had gone down and that I would post some pictures but unfortunately photobucket has gone sand done terrible things and the uploader is being difficult so I'm only able to load a few pictures.What are the rest of you doing to post them?
water is wet
New member
I wanted to to post pictures of the food from the restaurant posted in the picture above but for some reason those photos are being difficult so this is what I've got. By the way I've never had Cuban food so I don't have anything to compare it to but my wife and I really loved that place which is located in key west.
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Ron,
Thank you so so so so so much for this thread. I am truly thankful. I am visiting the keys for the first time in September and my wife for our three year anniversary. We have never snorkeled, so this will be our first time. We are either going to shoot for a rental house or I may go for the Blackfin resort! I hate to spend a lot of money as I doubt we will ever be inside.
I recently started a small reef tank so I hope to collect some green zoas and maybe a few little critters. Is there any hope of finding pistol shrimp and shrimp gobies anywhere in the keys? I have loved catching and viewing wildlife since I was a kid. I am lucky that my wife enjoys accompanying me. The keys sound like my paradise.
Luckily we have plenty of time to plan and acquire gear. I think we will buy our own mask, fins, and whatever else needed. I'm going to try to get the Akona gloves you wear as well.
Again, thanks so much. I can't wait to get out there and snorkel! I am tempted to try the canals around Miami for cichlids as well!
Thank you so so so so so much for this thread. I am truly thankful. I am visiting the keys for the first time in September and my wife for our three year anniversary. We have never snorkeled, so this will be our first time. We are either going to shoot for a rental house or I may go for the Blackfin resort! I hate to spend a lot of money as I doubt we will ever be inside.
I recently started a small reef tank so I hope to collect some green zoas and maybe a few little critters. Is there any hope of finding pistol shrimp and shrimp gobies anywhere in the keys? I have loved catching and viewing wildlife since I was a kid. I am lucky that my wife enjoys accompanying me. The keys sound like my paradise.
Luckily we have plenty of time to plan and acquire gear. I think we will buy our own mask, fins, and whatever else needed. I'm going to try to get the Akona gloves you wear as well.
Again, thanks so much. I can't wait to get out there and snorkel! I am tempted to try the canals around Miami for cichlids as well!
GoNoles
New member
Be careful! Many areas in the Keys are Marine Sanctuaries, and as such, are no-take zones. Also, check with Florida Fishing laws as to limits/prohibitions on taking wildlife.
https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/regs/welcome.html
http://www.myfwc.com
Thanks!
I am studying those regulations, I don't want to get in any trouble. I bought an ID book as well so I can throw that in my bag and reference in case I am unclear on anything. From what I gather, as long as I recognize the take limits (5 polyps per person for zoas) and do not collect in sanctuaries then I should be golden. I'm a legal eagle lol, not a fan of breaking rules when it comes to wildlife.
I'm sure we will spend the first half of the trip exploring and getting everything figured out before we decide to collect anything. I'm worried about navigating the waters via kayak. Is there any good information on tides? The rivers and lakes where I live are very calm, I have not kayaked choppy water. It looks like all of the areas you can collect from need to be accessed via boat/kayak. Do you recommend a sit on top kayak for easy in and out at the cost of padding ease, or a sit in sea kayak?
I'm coming up short on any type of shrimp goby in Florida. The popular websites list "Indo Pacific" as the area the fish are from, which is not helpful. I know KP Aquatics collects in the Keys and they do not list any shrimp gobies on their website.
Another thing is we are trying to decide how long to stay. We are a 12.5-hour drive so two days will be spent traveling.
I'm a huge cichlid fan and one of my dreams is to go collect in Peru. I'm pretty excited about the opportunity to collect and keep critters. I'll cherish those Zoas if I am lucky enough to collect and transport them safely!
I am studying those regulations, I don't want to get in any trouble. I bought an ID book as well so I can throw that in my bag and reference in case I am unclear on anything. From what I gather, as long as I recognize the take limits (5 polyps per person for zoas) and do not collect in sanctuaries then I should be golden. I'm a legal eagle lol, not a fan of breaking rules when it comes to wildlife.
I'm sure we will spend the first half of the trip exploring and getting everything figured out before we decide to collect anything. I'm worried about navigating the waters via kayak. Is there any good information on tides? The rivers and lakes where I live are very calm, I have not kayaked choppy water. It looks like all of the areas you can collect from need to be accessed via boat/kayak. Do you recommend a sit on top kayak for easy in and out at the cost of padding ease, or a sit in sea kayak?
I'm coming up short on any type of shrimp goby in Florida. The popular websites list "Indo Pacific" as the area the fish are from, which is not helpful. I know KP Aquatics collects in the Keys and they do not list any shrimp gobies on their website.
Another thing is we are trying to decide how long to stay. We are a 12.5-hour drive so two days will be spent traveling.
I'm a huge cichlid fan and one of my dreams is to go collect in Peru. I'm pretty excited about the opportunity to collect and keep critters. I'll cherish those Zoas if I am lucky enough to collect and transport them safely!
water is wet
New member
I don't have a answer for all your questions but I prefer a sit on to kayak for ease of getting on and off. My wife and I use Hobie kayaks which have flippers that you operate with foot pedals and steering is controlled by a rudder or you can use the kayak paddles and we love it. We've only been down about 5 different times now but it's always pretty obvious what the water conditions are like as to wether you want to go out usually if it's rough in one area you can find another spot that's fairly calm by going to the other side of that island at least that's been my experience.
A 12hr dive is easily doable in 1 day my drive is about 21hrs without including stops and we get there in 2 days.
Ron Reefman
Active member
Ha! I have a full dive skin and wet suits in several thicknesses already. But if you want to be in the water for long periods of time, even good wet suits leave me wanting better (cold hands, cold face...). And cooler or cold water and short days make for far less interesting life on the sea floor (especially shallow reef areas). If you want to go see the big reefs for 60 to 90 minutes, cool water isn't much of an issue. But shallow, near shore wildlife just doesn't come out much until it gets warmer.
Ron Reefman
Active member
ahud, I saw your PM and replied with my phone number. Call and we can talk.
Give Ron a call, he'll hook you up with some good info. I'll try to answer a couple of your questions:
If you're kayaking pay attention to the NOAA tides for the specific area you are in. The current can run pretty good around the bridges so getting in or out through there at tide changes can be difficult. If I'm fighting the tide in a kayak I'll usually go right to shore instead of through a pass and then carry it along shore. The chop shouldn't bother you... you'll get a little wet when its choppy, but you're getting in the water anyways.
I've done quite a bit of snorkeling and even some diving from a kayak and paddleboard, and I would defiantly recommend a sit-on over a sit-in. If you get swamped with a wave or two (which can happen even in good weather) your sit-in will be full of water, but with a sit-on or a paddleboard the water goes right off. With that said, there are places that you can defiantly collect right from shore depending on what you are looking for and your comfort in the water. Ron can hook you up with some good spots, and I know quite a few that you can do some collecting from a kayak or shore as well.
There are no native symbiotic shrimp gobies in the Caribbean. There are pistol shrimp, but as far as I know they wont pair with the pacific shrimp gobies. That's not to say that fish don't ever pair with a goby in the Caribbean, but it's not a normal thing like it is in the Pacific.
Whatever you decide, it's better to book early. September is towards the beginning of Lobster season, so thing can fill up pretty quickly.
Is it just zoas that you are mainly looking to collect? Between Ron and myself we should be able to give you all the advice you need for some fun, legal collecting. PM me if you have any questions after talking to Ron.
SaltySully
New member
No collecting in the dry tortugas it is a national park, the whole thing is a no take zone.
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Ron Reefman
Active member
There are small coral heads in shallow water all around the fort, even on the old coal dock pilings and the moat wall (ocean side). But NO collecting.
