Florida
VENICE BEACH FLORIDA DIVING REVIEW
A very different dive plan! Dive from the beach or take a charter from one of the local dive shops to collect fossilized shark teeth. You will find the most teeth and other fossils such as inner ear bones of whales, dugong rib bones, giant ground sloth bones, mastadon molars, turtle shell, and prehistoric horse teeth when you reach 21 feet of water from the shore line. The Venice Beach Pier makes a nice reference point as the end of the pier is about the right depth. You can park at the county park near the pier and use the boardwalk to access the beach. This treck is not for the deconditioned as the walk is long carrying tanks. I gave only two stars for marine life because it is sparse. You might see sea horses, scallops (but don't take in this area), sea robins, and jelly fish. Many "empty" shells contain small octopus so do be careful when fanning the sea floor for teeth. You will not see a coral reef. I recomend purchasing a fine mesh bag with velcro to store your finds and a paperback fossil book so that you know what you might find in Florida. I only gave conditions 2 stars because visiblity if very unpredictable. Winds kick up the silt in this shallow gulf area very easily. Top side the beaches are wide and there are a lot of restaurants and hotels to fit any budget.
