In the blue void of water beneath the sea, a large shadow looms in the distance. As you approach, the outline of a sunken ship begins to appear. Lurking under the bow is a large mass of dense, dark fish bodies. Thick-lipped, dark brown, or gray goliath grouper swim about, heavy tail fins swaying side to side.
Every year, goliath grouper begin aggregating on the wrecks and reefs offshore of Palm Beach County. They school in the dozens, their hulking bodies congregating under ledges or swimming languidly through the water past ogling divers. These huge fish sometimes make a dramatic appearance, emerging out of a school of flashing silver baitfish, their side fins rippling, large mouths gaping open and slowly closing again.
While our reefs are home to a few “resident” goliath grouper that are spotted consistently throughout the year, one by one more and more of these fish begin arriving as summer starts to fade away into fall. Goliaths begin arriving as early as July, and are only here for a short period of time, often leaving as the last days of September tick away…