Blue Heron Bridge
Rivera Beach, FL
25 June 2016
Scuba Dive
© J. Manos
After a couple weeks of national trauma following the June 12th massacre at the Orlando nightclub, DIVERSe Orlando hosted a dive down here in South Florida at the Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County.
School of Bermuda chub. © J. Manos
Atlanta Underwater Explorers also came and I drove up to meet them.
© J. Manos
Both orgs are chapters of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers.
© J. Manos
People were kind of quiet but the water visibility was good.
A juvenile French angelfish hanging out with sergeant majors n a pillar crevice of the Blue Heron Bridge. © J. Manos
I was the only freediver, and of course had to regularly bounce back up for air, but it was funny later when Dave, one of the scuba divers, said he happened to look over and for a moment thought I had lost my tank. He didn’t even know I was freediving. Guess I was holding my breath good.
Bahama or Cushion Sea Star. © J. Manos
© J. Manos
I like the group and will join. Orlando is the closest black dive club to Miami. They come down here a lot. I need to commit to really learning scuba equipment.
I much prefer the simplicity and natural athletics of freediving. But it’s true that when you can breathe for extended periods underwater you can see more. And hang out underwater the whole time with other scuba divers.
Erik and Aubra, leaders of DIVERSe Orlando. © J. Manos
Two Korean members told me about the haenyeo, or sea women, of the South Korean island province of Jeju, who freedive for several hours a day gathering shelled creatures from crevices in the ocean floor. The woman said that the number of Korean sea women divers was dwindling and the tradition, which is badass and hundreds of years old, is dying out.
© J. Manos