UNDERWATER PHOTO GALLERY

Photos by Mike Spelman

Introduction

Underwater Photography Tips

Diving Links

Dive Sites

Mike Spelman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been diving for years both recreationally and as part of his assigned duties with the Commission. He also volunteers to help with search and recovery dives. One of his passions is photographing freshwater fish underwater. To learn some of his tricks of the trade, click here.

The photos below illustrate some of the diversity of fish and aquatic animals that can be seen when diving in Florida's rivers, springs and caves.

American eels are one of the most interesting fish species anywhere. They are catadromous, meaning they mature in fresh water but spawn in saltwater. The eel shown here is a typical "yellow eel" seen in Florida fresh waters. After feeding on crayfish and other organisms (though not decaying flesh as many people believe), they metamorphose into a silver eel stage, in which the back becomes black and the belly silvery, the eyes become very large and their guts degenerate. They litterally become spawning machines and swim out to an area of the Sargasso Sea where they mix with millions of other eels from along the Atlantic Coast and spawn. The eggs hatch into a leaf-shaped floating larvae, called a leptocephalus which drift until they come in contact with a freshwater stream. They then metamorphose into a "glass eel" that is quite transparent and hide in the sand, the next phase as they move upstream is to become a "pencil eel" before they return to the "yellow eel" phase shown here. For more about eels, check out this article by Mike Wisenbaker.

Bluegill are among the most ubiquitous of Florida fishes. They are a primary food of many higher level predators and are also enjoyed as a sport fish. Their coloration depends on the darkness of the bottom substrate as well as being influenced by the food they eat. The most consistent identifier is the black splotch at the end of the dorsal fin.

Mike has spent hours observing the antics of freshwater crayfish as they interact with would be predators and prey, such as this bluegill. His dive lights bring out their brilliant colors. For more about crayfish, check out this article by Mike Wisenbaker.

Flathead catfish are not native to Florida but are now present in many panhandle rivers. Through diving observations, Mike has learned much about their behavior, including their tendency to hide in holes and wait for prey. They have had a significant impact on the redbreast fish population, as well as reducing the number of other catfish and bullheads in the rivers that they have invaded. Flatheads can be taken on hook-and-line and are becoming a popular trophy fishery. For more about eels, check out this article by Mike Wisenbaker.

Grass carp, or white amur, are another nonnative fish. However, sterile triploid (three sets of chromosomes) can be purchased and stocked in private waters under permit by the Commission. They are used as a low cost aquatic management tool to control aquatic plants. Although they work well in small golf course ponds, irrigation canals and other places where no plants are wanted, and can be used in small isolated fish ponds, they cannot be relied on in large open waters to control undesirable plants.

Striped bass are endemic (native) to Florida. However, unlike the classic striped bass populations along the Atlantic Coast north of Florida all the way to Maine, Florida stripers are not anadromous. That is to say, stripers in other areas mature in saltwater but spawn in fresh water. In Florida, they are at the extreme southern end of their range and can't tolerate the warm saltwater temperatures, so they grow and spawn in fresh water. In fact, their temperature requirements force them into springs during the summer, where the temperature in north Florida remains a constant 68 to 70 degrees. If it weren't for these coolwater refuges, stripers could not live in Florida. Divers, like Mike, have the opportunity to see huge congregations of these fish chilling out around the springs.

Take Me Fishing.org is a great general information site for recreational anglers and boaters.

Florida Fishing Capital of the World--Great Resources, Responsible Management