Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale
The current “SHARK” exhibit is a must see for everyone. If you’re thinking it’s just a bunch of pictures of sharks, you’re way off base. It’s nicely done with equal parts fun, education, and visually stunning art of all mediums. They even have a “Jaws” memorabilia display!
One Hundred
This is my 100TH POST since starting this photo blog back on April 15th of this year. I try to post something once a day, but that can be easier said than done sometimes.
I started this as a “hey, this is awesome, you should see it too” site, but I’ve noticed it’s attracted a variety of fans like “snow bird” northerners, hopeful tourists, former Floridians, nature lovers, photographers, fellow SCUBA divers and ocean lovers alike. It’s always fun to read everyone’s comments and see what everyone “likes”. So please continue to do so and spread the word about this site if you know someone who might appreciate it the way you do. Above all, thank you supporting Beauty of Florida!
This photo is from Fort Lauderdale’s 100 year anniversary last year. They had this giant “100” set up by the beach directly across from the world famous Elbow Room.
Happy World Ocean Day
I honor of World Ocean Day, here’s look inside the shipwreck from my previous post. A popular hangout as you can see!
Wreck Creation
This is the first picture I’ve posted here that wasn’t taken by me. I handed the camera off to my wife for this shot of me exploring the Tracy wreck, aka Ken Vitale Memorial. It’s a 132 foot oil rig supply boat sitting in 70 feet of water just off the coast of Fort Lauderdale. There are many wrecks here not far from the beach, but you do still need a boat to get to them. We even swam to a 2nd wreck from this one. Some of the best diving in the States is right here in South Florida. Come down and go for a swim!
The Lonely Kayaker
I shot this one from the dive boat last week. I thought it was cool how the reflection showed the clouds on the left and clear sky on the right.
Shark Encounter
Saw this guy passing through the reef last weekend. I shot some video of him too that you can see on the Beauty of Florida Facebook page.
Invasive Beauty
Invasive species are species that are not native to the enviroment or ecosystem they are living in. They can be plants, animals, insects, fish, or even new creatures created from non-native species mating with the native species.
The Lionfish pictured here may look exotic and beautiful and it is, but it’s actually a huge threat to the oceans of Florida and the Caribbean since it’s actually a native to the South Pacific. Their spines are venomous so they don’t have many predators and they compete for food with native fish.
There are often “Lionfish Derby’s” or other types of organized hunts to help control the invasive population and tp spread awareness to the public. There are even pet amnesty days where owners can surrender their pets without question or punishment. This helps cut down on people letting their Burmese python or pet piranhas “free”. There’s even a cookbook dedicated to nothing but Lionfish dishes. No matter where you live, you likely have invasive species problems, educate yourself about them and report them when you see them.
For more info on invasive species in Florida visit Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. For info on other areas, visit Invasive.org.
The Sunless Sunset
Today was a day of rain. Not the usual crazy stormy weather rain, but just plain old rain…constant all day rain. It was enough to spark a flood watch for most of South Florida and to cause Fort Lauderdale to cancel the final day of the air show. Seeing grey days like this makes me wonder how I did it so long in Oregon where it would rain like this for weeks on end without a break. It’s not easy to live without the sun, but many have learned to do it. I know I did, but obviously I could only do it for so long. Here’s a sunless sunset pic and a reminder of what’s on the other side of the clouds.
Rocket Man
I almost forgot, after the air show I saw the Rocket Man! This thing looks like a lot of fun!
Fort Lauderdale Air Show
The Fort Lauderdale Air Show is a free event which takes place at one of the main beaches. It’s an amazing show full of impressive stunts and powerful aircraft. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in Fort Lauderdale next April. The show took a 5 year hiatus, but is back to doing annual shows.
Beauty of Florida 