Jump to content

CLB402

Recommended Posts

There's a lot of muck and scum once you get beyond the action of the waves; the teeth might be there, but seeing them is another story.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always wondered about that, it must be some areas where the mud and sand maybe moved away for periods of time, but if it's like the beaches this are just temporary spots. Still I bet some may have tried, would be nice to hear from people who did it. MK

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Black water diving, somewhat like diving by Braille. Unless you are very comfortable underwater in conditions where you have to do everything by feel, I wouldn't recommend it. And I certainly wouldn't do it without someone else there to assist in an unforeseen circumstance. I have been with others that have totally freaked out in water that is so murky they cant see beyond the mask on their face. I have gone on dives during algae blooms in which the visibility was like swimming in pea soup...not fun at all. You can get completely disoriented and panic if you don't keep your head straight.

If it's just some muck stirred up on the bottom I would do it. But would definitely give it second thoughts if it makes the water so murky that visibility is zero.It also depends on how deep you plan to go.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I spoke to an old time charter captain last summer who told me he has been diving some areas south of the power plant for years. He mentioned it's very hard to find the right areas because the sandbars are always changing. He showed me some of his finds and I was very impressed. He mentioned diving in depths up to 20 feet.

I assume that in the past the cliffs extended much further out into the water then they do now as seen with the constant erosion. You can see evidence of this in certain areas at times when the sand is washed away and you are physically walking on the lower layers of the cliffs themselves. I would imagine they extend further out into the bay but generally are covered in silt.

I would think it would be a very time consuming task to find productive areas unless you are on the water daily as would a charter captain.

Andrew

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This would not be 'black water diving' as much as 'everything on the bottom is deeply covered in algae and muck' (and it doesn't fan).

I sure would like to know what is in the bottom of Parker's Creek, though. Just sayin'....

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just saw a video on youtube of a guy diving in the Potomac. The visibility was awful but he got some great Megs. (You can't even see in the video because everything is so murky) but he said those were the same conditions at Calvert. I wouldn't mind trying it sometime though! He only dove a few feet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The clarity of the water is best this time of year. When the water gets warm the visibility drops, things start growing all over the bottom, and the sea nettles are not pleasant when they settle around your neck and face.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The clarity of the water is best this time of year. When the water gets warm the visibility drops, things start growing all over the bottom, and the sea nettles are not pleasant when they settle around your neck and face.

Have you had any luck with Megalodon teeth? Where exactly did you dive?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have tried several areas along the cliffs with varying degrees of success. A lot of it is being lucky enough to find a bare area that has not already been collected.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dove off of Calvert Cliffs in the 1970s. My first fossil hunting trip was actually with my dive club with a fossil dive from the beach at Governors Run. Don't try to dive from the beach. Without a boat it is a waste of time. You need to move along the cliffs by boat and find areas with clay bottom exposed, sand moved away. The sand moves every day so a great spot today will have 2 ft of sand tomorrow. The water is pretty shallow near the beach so you need a lot of weights to keep you from bobbing up and down in the wave action caused by wind and boats. Also there are a lot of sharp shells in some of the clay which really tears up your wet suit and gear. Visibility wasn't bad in the late fall and winter but water temperatures were. Boats are a real problem because most don't seem to know what a diver down float/flag is. Most of my dive trips were a bust because of just too much sand. When I found clay bottom I did well and did find a few megs. In the end, the number of bust trips caused me to stop diving at Calvert Cliffs. I could find much more beach collecting in the 1970s.

Marco Sr.

"Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day."

My family fossil website     Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros     My Extant Shark Jaw Collection

image.png.9a941d70fb26446297dbc9dae7bae7ed.png image.png.41c8380882dac648c6131b5bc1377249.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An old timer friend of mine has had some success but like others said finding suitable spots are tough and always changing. A compromise could always be a deep glass bottom bucket...I have found some cool finds with this reguardless of the tide conditions. I have also thought about just floating with a mask and snorkel in the zone but without a wet suit to try this in the winter summer conditions can be tough.

LIFE IS SHORT...HUNT HARD!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have snorkled along the cliffs in the summer time with some very good success. The biggest problem I had was the boat wakes. Like Marco mentioned it was very hard to keep from bobbing up and down.

Andrew

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After having lived there a year, I have found the best success just walking the beaches. The megs aren't huge but you can find them. As others have said, the beach changes every day so you never know where there will be sand, rocks, or marl. It's always an adventure and amazing to see the changes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My feeling is that diving Calvert Cliffs vs. beach searching is that diving will cut way down on what you come home with (except maybe big whale vertebrae).

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My experience usually works out like this -

Dive finds - post-3033-0-95316200-1420592998_thumb.pn

Walking the beach after diving - post-3033-0-97502600-1420593075_thumb.pn

The 4 1/2 inch meg I'm holding was found on the beach by a friend waiting for me to finish my dive. Hilarious!

post-3033-0-97516900-1420593325_thumb.pn

Screenshot 2024-02-21 at 12.12.00 AM.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This would not be 'black water diving' as much as 'everything on the bottom is deeply covered in algae and muck' (and it doesn't fan).

I sure would like to know what is in the bottom of Parker's Creek, though. Just sayin'....

In my experience lots of sand and muck just like you thought.

Screenshot 2024-02-21 at 12.12.00 AM.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...The 4 1/2 inch meg I'm holding was found on the beach by a friend waiting for me to finish my dive...

Oh, the ignominy!

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well from what everyone is saying, I guess I'll stick to walking the beach at Calvert Cliffs. Seems like it's my best bet, and I do love it :)

I also don't have a boat...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recommend visiting your local dive shops and talk to the people there. You may get lucky and find a dive buddy who can show you the ropes.

Luck is the most important skill of a fossil diver.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why not just go down to Wilmington and go out to the Meg Ledges? You are practically guaranteed a big meg or two. Sounds like a fun day trip for you. AND you can see them from a few feet away!

Win Win...

Sorry , it's really really fun..... :)

MH

"A man who asks is a fool for five minutes. A man who never asks is a fool for life".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Why not just go down to Wilmington and go out to the Meg Ledges? You are practically guaranteed a big meg or two. Sounds like a fun day trip for you. AND you can see them from a few feet away!

Win Win...

Sorry , it's really really fun..... :)

MH

I looked into that and it looks awesome! Problem is - that's a really deep dive normally. I am going to try Venice, FL. That dive is only about 30 feet or so. It would be awesome to do some dives around here though, a little closer than a trip to Florida or NC :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...