Feb
12
2012
Several Southeast Florida locals who have viewed this video say they enjoy the typical nature of the the offshore reefs reflected in it.
It includes gorgonians and sponges, Lionfish and Stingrays, Lobster and High Hats, butterfly fish, mating Creole fish, and two male Grouper fighting over a female, Also includes some nice schools of Bar Jacks, Snapper, and Amberjacks.
- Jon Barcellona
Feb
12
2012
I have dived the United Caribbean several times – initially in 2007. Back then it was nearly an intact freighter resting in the sand. This last time in October of 2011 offered a completely broken wreck scattered across the bottom. It was amazing to see the stark difference that a few years and a couple direct hurricane hits can make – even at 70 to 100 feet.
The Goliath Grouper in the opening sequence was was bigger than me – maybe 250 pounds, but a little too shy to let me get closer than 25 feet (it looks a little further because I was shooting with a wide angle lens.). The big school of Atlantic Spade fish let me hang with them happily.
Two sequences from this video were included in the Jimmy Houston Outdoor World episode premiering on the NBC Sports Cable Channel in January 2012.
- Jon Barcellona
Feb
12
2012
This medium depth wreck is about a mile off Pompano Beach. Southeast Florida is wreck mecca, with dozens or great wrecks at various depths.
Feb
12
2012
Diving the wreck of the Captain Dan – about a mile off the South East Florida coast. Located near Fort Lauderdale.
Jan
28
2012
The Ancient Mariner is one of the many wrecks along the Southeast Florida. It is situated less than two miles offshore near Boca Raton. (2011)
- Jon Barcellona
Jan
28
2012
I have had several friends who saw the Jimmy Houston Outdoor World episode ask me about the frilly fish. It is a pacific Lionfish. These were not found in the Atlantic until after Hurricane Andrew. It is theorized that these popular aquarium fish were released due to flooding in Coral Gables. Now these are a common site off the Florida Coast and wrecking havoc on the indigenous juvenile fish. I have seen them as far East as the Turks and Caicos.
This video shows several fish that I saw off Boca Raton (on the wreck of the Miss Lourdes) and Fort Lauderdale in March and October 2011.
- Jon Barcellona
Jan
28
2012
Jimmy Houston fishing show has been airing for more than 35 years. On January 24, 2012 they broadcasted a show set in Bimini, Bahamas. This show featured my video in all the underwater sequences. The actual video used was shot on shipwrecks off of Fort Lauderdale, the Florida Keys and the Turks and Caicos, which all have very similar conditions to Bimini. In fact, Fort Lauderdale is approximately 50 miles from Bimini.
This clip is a 6 minute sequence from the show showing underwater video from the wreck of the United Caribbean and Baracuda shot in the Turks and Caicos.
- Jon Barcellona
May
15
2011
Various reef creatures – Hammerheads, turtle, octopus, sea horse, whitetip reef sharks, trumpet fish, crown of thorns starfish, ruby-lipped bat fish, trumpet fish, puffer fish, angel fish, trigger fish, giant nudibranch, Galapagos shark and more. Filmed during a week of diving on Cocos Island, Costa Rica.
- Jon Barcellona
Dec
28
2010
This video includes more lobster than I could count hiding in a cut near Dirty Rock, Cocos Island, Costa Rica and a sequence of two lobsters that are either fighting or beginning a courtship dance. It is hard to tell sometimes (see the Mating Whitetip Reef shark video).
My hypothesis is mating activity. I base this hypothis on two facts: (1) lobster only mate when the female is molting – look at the condition of the shell of the smaller lobster, and (2) I was inches away from these two for several minutes (the video was shot with a wide angle lens) and they completely ignored everything around them – they even scared away a resting shark just off camera. If you have an opinion, or better yet, if you know something about crustacea amor please comment.
- Jon Barcellona
Dec
28
2010
Ouch, glad I am not a female whitetip reef shark. Notice the bite marks on the female in the closeups at the end of the video.
Who would have thought that being eaten by a shark is the second worst thing a shark can do to you.
This video was shot at three different dive sites at Cocos Island, Costa Rica. The last scene with the resting Whitetip Reefs Sharks was shot at Bajo Alcyone which was named for Jacques Cousteau’s less famous research vessel. Cousteau and his crew filmed much of their special on Hammerheads at this site.
- Jon Barcellona