[Orange Beach, Ala.–]Scuba diving 90 feet deep on the sunken coastal freighter “The LuLu”, I was completely surrounded by a curtain of fish: shimmering minnows; fairly large amberjacks …
Watch the Reef Do the Wild Thing Live
10 Aug 20179:06 AM
With coral reefs around the world in peril from pollution, ocean acidification, disease and other threats, watching these animals reproduce is an exciting, exhilarating, and uplifting experience.
A mass spawning of large boulder corals, such as the brain and star species, is expected to occur after dark on Aug. 13-14 –the week after the full moon– in the Florida Keys. And you can reserve a front-row, underwater seat to witness this spectacular event.
A few hours after sunset on one or both nights, coral polyps all along the reef tract are expected to release millions of eggs and sperm that resemble tiny white BBs into the water column. When the gametes unite, the larvae drift around with ocean currents for days or weeks before settling on the bottom and forming new coral colonies.
Meanwhile, this explosion of new underwater life attracts predators ranging from little silver pilchards to large tarpon that flash like a Fourth of July fireworks display in their quest for food.
The annual spawning event depends on a variety of natural factors and cues such as lunar cycles, water temperature, rainfall, and tide. So it’s never exactly the same from year to year and there are no guarantees it will happen as predicted. If it does go off, it will likely be between 11 p.m. and midnight.
Reserve a spot with Captain Slate’s Scuba Adventures, a Guy Harvey Outpost Outfitter, in Islamorada by visiting www.captainslate.com or calling 1-800-331-3483. Reserve a room for your dive at the nearby Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost by calling 1-800-513-5357 or visiting www.guyharveyoutpost.com.
Pro team Member
Related Articles
Pro Team
Connect & Follow
Connect & Follow
General
Bon Appetit
Conservation Corner
Dive In
Got Photo
Get Hooked
Outdoor Adventure
SURF-UP
Travel Tips
 in Orange Beach, Alabama){kind=link}
 in Orange Beach, Alabama&body=[Orange Beach, Ala.--]Scuba diving 90 feet deep on the sunken coastal freighter "The LuLu", I was completely surrounded by a curtain of fish: shimmering minnows; fairly large amberjacks chasing them; gray, red and vermillion snapper; and convict-striped spadefish. The shifting schools covered much of the surface of the 271-foot ship. A few lurid-colored exotic lionfish lurked around various ambush points, but unfortunately none of us aboard the Down Under dive charterboat had brought a spear gun.
Too bad, because we could have carried our catch over to the popular restaurant SALT at SanRoc Cay Marina in Orange Beach where the dive boat docks. Chef Chris Sherrill and Chef Landon Benton would have prepared the lionfish in multiple creative dishes like they do with just about any other kind of fish their customers bring in. (More on that later.) Meanwhile, we simply enjoyed the swirl of colorful marine life populating the wreck.
"The LuLu" is the largest shipwreck in Alabama's vast array of artificial reefs, which include (but are not limited to): Army tanks, culvert pipes, bridge rubble, oil and gas platforms, big ships, small boats, and planes. Despite claiming only about 53 miles of coastline, Alabama boasts more than 14,000 manmade structures deployed in the Gulf from right off the beach to about 60 miles offshore, covering about 1,200 square nautical miles. In and around Mobile Bay lie another 30 smaller structures. The state plans to deploy another 600 reefs from the shore out to 70 feet deep, and it's almost ready to sink another big ship perhaps as early as this winter-- a 250-foot retired oceanographic survey vessel called the Fairfield New Venture--in about 125 feet of water.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LilaHarris2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4946" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LilaHarris2.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1367" /></a>
"We consider ourselves to have the largest and most productive artificial reef program in the country," said Craig Newton, a biologist who serves as Alabama's artificial reef chief.
For Newton, the artificial reef program is all about creating a diverse set of habitats for a wide range of marine animals-- as well as diving and fishing destinations for the state's residents and visitors.
"The more diverse you can make the artificial reef program, it's better able to withstand fishing pressure and produce large numbers of snappers each year," he said.
For example, Newton said, species like amberjack and snapper prefer larger, taller structures like ships and oil rigs while other species tend to favor smaller, shallower havens. And he plans to create "stepping stone" reefs to establish connectivity between near-shore and offshore regions. Some species such as gray snapper spend their early lives in inshore estuaries, then head to deep water to reproduce.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LilaHarris4.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4947" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LilaHarris4.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1399" /></a>
A big reason Alabama has so many man-made diving and fishing reefs off its shores is that in addition to its own deployments, it permits private individuals to sink their own -- just as long as they are properly inspected to ensure they don't pollute the waters or pose a safety hazard. While these serve as private honey holes whose locations are not published on Alabama's artificial reef website <a href="http://www.outdooralabama.com/artificial-reefs/">www.outdooralabama.com/artificial-reefs/</a>, anyone who stumbles across them may fish or dive them.
On my second dive of the day with Down Under, we visited the Captain Shirley Brown, a 128-foot ferro-cement ship that once served as a waterborne club before being sent to the bottom about 85 feet deep two years ago. On that dive, I saw more amberjack and snapper and even larger lionfish than on the LuLu, and my dive buddy Chandra Wright spent her safety stop 20 feet deep fending off a pesky remora that tried to stick to her wetsuit, then gave her a kiss on the cheek before swimming off.
That evening at SALT, Sherrill prepared a delicious feast for Wright and me and our party including a charcuterie of meats and cheeses, quail gumbo, and crabmeat-stuffed grouper with fresh vegetable succotash. He told us to bring him lionfish the next time we dive, and said he could have created something from the remora if Wright had let it stick to her! He wasn't joking; he has whipped up culinary treasures from supposed 'trash' fish at other Alabama eateries. And I bet it would have tasted great.
(Photos courtesy of Lila Harris)
**********
If you plan a visit to the Orange Beach, Alabama area, a great place to stay is the Hilton Garden Inn, located on the beach. Visit <a href="http://HiltonGardenInnOrangeBeach.com">HiltonGardenInnOrangeBeach.com</a>. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/dive-dive-dive-and-fish-in-orange-beach-alabama/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject="A Celebration of Life" Memorial for Jose Wejebe Planned for April 15th at IGFA&body=<a href="http://guyharvey.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/jose.jpg"><img title="Jose Wejebe" src="http://guyharvey.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/jose.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="300" /></a>
The following information was excerpted from <a href="http://www.spanishflytv.com/">www.spanishflytv.com</a>:
The fishing community has lost a great angler, icon, and friend. We are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of <a title="Jose Wejebe's Facebook Page" href="http://www.facebook.com/JoseWejebe" target="_blank">Jose Wejebe</a>, host of the immensely popular saltwater fishing and fly fishing television show <a title=""Spanish Fly" web site" href="http://www.spanishflytv.com" target="_blank">Spanish Fly</a> on the <a title="Outdoor Channel" href="http://outdoorchannel.com/" target="_blank">Outdoor Channel</a>. Through his show and his adventures he shared a passion for fishing that touched and inspired anglers around the world.
We would like to invite all family and friends to a Celebration of Life in honor of Jose Wejebe, Sunday April 15, 2012 at 1:30 PM at the<a title="IGFA web site" href="http://www.igfa.org" target="_blank"> IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum</a> in Dania Beach, Florida. All those who were touched by Jose are welcome to attend.
Sunday, April 15th
1:30pm - 4:30pm
IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum
300 Gulf Stream Way
Dania Beach, FL 33004
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=300+Gulf+Stream+Way,+Dania+Beach,+Broward,+Florida+33004&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&ss" target="_blank">Map</a>
Important Information:
Upon arrival you will be directed to designated areas for family and personal friends of Jose and for fans. Please respect the family's wishes and proceed to the appropriate areas.
Flowers can be sent to the IGFA address above or those who wish to honor the memory of Jose can follow in his footsteps by giving of themselves to those in need, and donate to the Jose Wejebe Memorial Foundation that will carry on his charitable spirit.
The Outdoor Channel will be airing a special episode of Spanish Fly : A Tribute to Jose Wejebe this weekend. You don't want to miss this powerful and moving tribute to Jose's life and legend. The show will also be available to view here on SpanishFlyTV.com on Monday, April 16th.
Airtimes on The Outdoor Channel :
Friday: April 13 – 12:30pm and 8:30pm
Saturday: April 14 – 11:00am
Sunday: April 15 – 10:00am https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/a-celebration-of-life-memorial-for-jose-wejebe-planned-for-april-15th-at-igfa/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Tagged Sea Turtles Reporting Safe After Irma&body=Five green sea turtles that came ashore to nest on Broward County, Fl. beaches in the past couple months have reported safe to scientists with the Nova Southeastern University/ Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
Dr. Derek Burkholder-- a research scientist at NSU's Guy Harvey Research Institute who heads the program--and colleague Glenn Goodwin, a Nova PhD student, glued satellite tags to the animals' shells after they completed depositing their eggs and were returning to the ocean. The tags beam the turtles' locations every time they surface, which is downloaded to the scientists' computers. The study subjects have kept in touch ever since-- even in the thick of Irma's onslaught.
"Everybody sought out deeper water or at least moved away from where things were rough," Goodwin wrote in an email. "Afterward, everyone returned to their normal areas, except Therese who wandered around, then ended up near Key West."
The tags usually transmit for about a year-- time enough for the scientists to try to solve several mysteries that are key to conserving the threatened and endangered reptiles: where do green and loggerhead turtles come from to nest in South Florida; how frequently do they come here; and where do they go between nesting events. Genetic samples taken during tagging will show whether sea turtle populations along the U.S. east coast are linked.
"We don't know what this population does when it leaves here," Burkholder said. "This project is to learn where they end up: who's going where and who's playing with who."
That information is vital to sea turtle conservation, Burkholder said, because it informs management decisions at the state, regional and federal levels, such as whether the animals are nesting and travelling through areas with high fishing and boating pressure that might warrant additional regulations.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Therese20170910-Irma-002-e1507034887821.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4915" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Therese20170910-Irma-002-e1507034887821.png" alt="" width="711" height="400" /></a>
"Giving them the protection they need when they need it and where they need it," Goodwin said.
In addition to the five with satellite tags, seven others were implanted with internal chips and wear external tags so that divers and anglers who encounter them can report their locations.
While the animals handled Irma just fine, their nests on Broward beaches did not; over half were swept away by winds and waves. Fortunately, it happened late in the nesting season rather than the mid-summer peak.
Broward County's Sea Turtle Conservation program has been in operation for 28 years -- focused primarily on monitoring and protecting nests from various threats and gauging hatching success. So far this season, surveyors have counted 3,337 nests--2,692 loggerheads; 634 greens and 11 leatherbacks on 24 miles of beach (excluding Mizell-Johnson State Park). It was a record year for greens; the previous mark was 500 in 2012. Nova Southeastern University and the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program are part of a network dedicated to sea turtle conservation that includes several volunteer organizations --Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (STOP), the South Florida Audubon Society, and Sea Turtle Awareness Rescue Stranding (STARS). The volunteers work tirelessly throughout the season to help protect sea turtle hatchlings by redirecting them away from disorienting coastal lighting back to the moon- and star-lit ocean.
The three-year tagging study is funded by a $45,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Broward County. But the program could use some help, since each tag costs upwards of $4,500. The first turtle to be tagged was named George Finley (even though it's a female) after the winner of Guy Harvey Outpost's May sweepstakes.
If you would like to sponsor a tag for next season, contact Burkholder at dburkholder@nova.edu or call 954-262-3673.
https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/tagged-sea-turtles-reporting-safe-after-irma/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Outpost Hosting Herman Lucerne Memorial Kick-Off Party and Awards Dinner&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/10345549_1090351407659179_1203005855189145553_n-2.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2882 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/10345549_1090351407659179_1203005855189145553_n-2.jpg?w=300" alt="10345549_1090351407659179_1203005855189145553_n (2)" width="300" height="284" /></a>From the early 1970s till the early 90s, Dr. Lloyd Wruble fished the remote waters of the Everglades back country twice weekly with a mentor who'd been roaming the region well before it became a national park in 1947. Herman Lucerne-- the former Florida City mayor and pioneer citrus grower nicknamed Mr. Everglades--introduced Wruble, a Miami oral surgeon, to the winding mangrove labyrinth of Hells Bay where the two endured extreme heat, relentless mosquitoes, and menacing reptiles for the exhilaration of catching monster snook.
"He showed me a lot I didn't know," Wruble said of Lucerne. "We were prepared to stay all night-- mosquito suits and all that."
Being unable to explore some of the park's narrowest inland passages in Lucerne's wide motorboat prompted Wruble to procure a 16-foot aluminum craft with a 70-horsepower Yamaha capable of penetrating creeks only as wide as stairwells and plying flats less than a foot deep. There they caught plenty of other game fish -- tarpon, bonefish, snapper, black and red drum, sea trout and even black bass where the 'Glades waters ran fresh enough. In the days before GPS and reliable cell phone service, the pair were the envy of South Florida sport anglers who longed to plumb their secret spots but were daunted by the perils and discomfort.
In 1992, Lucerne died in the aftermath of devastating Hurricane Andrew. But Wruble kept fishing on his own and eventually introduced up-and-comers such as captain Rick Murphy, now host of television's Chevy Florida Insider Fishing Report, to the hardships and rewards of Hells Bay and the Everglades.
In 2001, Wruble held the first Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Fishing Championship to honor his friend's pioneering fishing legacy. The 2015 edition slated for Sept. 18-20 will host more than 70 angler teams competing to catch and release all seven eligible species --snook; tarpon; bonefish; sea trout; snapper; red drum; and either black drum or black bass--on bait, lures or fly tackle within Everglades National Park. No prize money will be awarded; proceeds benefit the park. The Islander, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort in Islamorada, will host the Sept. 18 kick-off party and the Sept. 20 awards dinner.
Logging all seven species will be fun to try, but tough to accomplish.
"They have to time the tides and have to pre-plan where to go at what time," Wruble said. "Knock off the easy ones first and save time to go after the more difficult ones. Bonefish is usually the toughest. It's very difficult to do, but every year we have several anglers that get all seven species."
The angler who measures, photographs and releases the greatest total length of all seven will be crowned grand champion. Trophies will be awarded in numerous other categories as well. Co-hosting the event are fishing celebrities Flip Pallot, Chico Fernandez, C.A. Richardson and Rick Murphy. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-outpost-hosting-herman-lucerne-memorial-kick-off-party-and-awards-dinner/){kind=link}
TRAVEL DESK : 800.513.5257
Connect & Follow