Dozens of juvenile reef fish seek cover among the rocks off Ocean Ridge.
By John Pacenti
It’s just before low tide at Gulfstream Park on the morning of Aug. 15, and a mere 30 yards from the beach is a snorkeler’s treat. On this day when the shimmering water is like glass, transparent and smooth, juvenile fish gather on rocky outcroppings within the short swim from shore.
Endangered queen conch have come back — and unfortunately so have the poachers. Some visitors have seen lobsters under rocks, and even spear fishermen have shown up to hunt.
This is a relatively recent occurrence, according to Ocean Ridge Mayor Geoff Pugh, who said beach renourishment projects have covered up the patch reef for years at a time. The last renourishment in the vicinity occurred a decade ago.
“It’s almost like it was when I was a kid, that’s how neat it is,” he said. “There’s actually Gorgonian sea fans.”
On one sea fan, Pugh said he counted 34 flamingo tongue cowries with their oblong spotted shells. Pugh said it was his son who told him to get out there and snorkel.
“There’s all kinds of fish and there’s actually real live queen conch shells,” Pugh said.
A 4-inch-tall sea fan has emerged since the rocks became exposed. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
This is not John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in the Florida Keys — or even Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach — but for the snorkeler seeking serenity and a quick jaunt among sea life, the area from around Ocean Ridge to the County Pocket fits the bill.
A recent outing produced no lobsters but did have a queen conch along with a Crayola-box variety of tiny reef fish, with yellow the predominant color. A school of silvery-blue bar jacks, sergeant majors, porkfish, the zebra markings of high hats along with grunts and wrasse were all visible.
Imagine jumping into a saltwater aquarium — that is what snorkeling this area is like this summer. Most fish aren’t big — some are super tiny — but are spectacular nonetheless.
Still, this is Florida, and every ray of sunshine has opportunistic savagery trying to shade it. Witnesses saw men taking queen conch from the ocean to eat, Ocean Ridge police confirmed.
Florida law prohibits the commercial and recreational harvesting of queen conch in state waters, a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
An anonymous posting on Facebook said three men in their 30s or 40s harvested “two beautiful large queen conch.”
“They said they intend to eat them and keep the shells,” the post said.
Ocean Ridge Police Chief Scott McClure said his department received a report of individuals taking three conch on Aug. 10. “Persons had left the area prior to the officer’s arrival,” he said.
Any good news is welcome on the reef front. The last two summers have been brutal on some prominent Florida reefs as record ocean temperatures have bleached out pristine underwater gardens in the Florida Keys and Biscayne Bay.
The civic group Friends of Delray pointed out in its newsletter that Delray Beach is home to several companies positioned to make the city a leader in artificial reef technology.
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