JAMES RIVER PARK SYSTEM

Snorkeling in the CityUnderwater exploration on the James River in Richmond

There’s so much To explore! This snorkeling guide gives only a glimpse of the hidden underwater communities of plants and animals living in the James river. Try to explore several spots and compare your findings, or visit the same spot several times through-out the summer. choose a spot and begin your exploration.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Be Safe!• Wearoldtennisshoesorspe-cialwatershoestoprotectyourfeetfromsharpobjects—avoidopen-toedsandals.

• Wearalifejacket.It’llhelpprotectyoufromroughrocks,improveyourmobility,andkeepyouafloatifyouhappentoshootasmallrapid.

• Usesunscreentoprotectyourskin,especiallythebackofyourneck.

• Alongsleevedshirtandlight-weightpantsofferextrapro-tectionfromabrasivesurfaces.

• Please…noglass.Donotbringglassintothepark.Putalltrashintoaproperreceptacle.

• Helppreserveourcitywilder-ness…Leaveplants,animals,andartifactsasyourfindthemforotherstoenjoy.

42ND STREET

WILLIAMSISLAND

RIVERSIDE MEADOWS

PONY PASTURERAPIDS

THEWETLANDS

PUMPHOUSEPARK

REEDYCREEK

NORTH BANK PARK(Texas Beach)

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Areas to Snorkel Areas to AVOID

22ndSTREET

PORTAGE

Dams (AVOID) Riv e rside Dr

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Wallowa Rd

Hath

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Riverside Dr

30th St

22nd St

H i llcrest Rd Sem

mes Ave

Wes

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Blvd Riverside Dr

42nd

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Riverside Dr

Forest Hill Ave

Texa

s Ave

Arth

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Mead

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Kansas Ave

Belvi

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JAMES RIVER PARK SYSTEMSnorkeling in the City

oriental Freshwater clamWith shells that are beige, round, and covered with ridges, these small,

common clams live in sand or gravel. Often the empty shells are seen in piles left on rocks by muskrats. River

currents spread other shells along the shoreline and in eddies at the ends of islands.These clams were first seen in the James River in the early 1970s. They were probably brought here in bal-lastwater used to weigh down ships coming from California or Asia. Clams filter water as they feed.

American Freshwater musselThese mussels have thin, black shells that can be up to 4 inches long. The inside of the shell is slick and shiny. Mussels feed by filtering water. Pollutants collect in the flesh, making them unsafe to eat, although at one time they were part of the diet of Native Americans.

1⁄4 –11⁄2 inches

1–4 inches

dig your hands into sand bars and fine grav-el to find live ones. Watch them underwater as they dig back down by sticking their soft bodies out of their shells (sometimes they’ll do this while you hold them between your fingers).

Fish nestsSand: Male Sunfish create a “bowl of sand” to hold their eggs. Locat-ed in calm water near the shore or behind boulders

Feel the smooth, lustrous lining called “mother of pearl”. This once was used to make buttons and is the same substance found in natural pearls.look for live mussels sticking up like a wedge out of gravel bars where water is a foot deep or less and moving quickly.

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creatures that are easy to find

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6–9 inch diameter

PhOtOS: Sand nest by Snowmentality, Flickr.com. Rock nest by Emmanuel Frimpong, vtichthyology.blogspot.com.

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gently drop a small pebble or snail onto the nest and he’ll quickly remove it by biting it and spitting it away from the nest.

the male flares his fins to show his colors. This attracts nearby females and chases away other fish that may try to eat the eggs.

Rock: Platform of walnut‐sized rocks nests are built in moving water by Bull Chub. The male guards the nests, but not very well.

1–4 feet wide

Watch other fish come up to the nests to lay their eggs or eat someone else’s.

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WhAT To do:Crawl or walk upstream with your face in the water. A snorkel and face mask are a big help.

Choose shallow rocky areas (6”–24” deep). The best view-ing is in slow‐moving water.

Look in the shadows. Crea-tures hide or attach them-selves under rocky overhangs and undercuts.

Where To snorkel:the Pony Pasture is easily reached but also is the most heavily used area.

The broad stretch of rocks at the 42nd Street entrance offers more variety and is less crowded.

North Bank has a sandy beach and calm water.

Any place the water is clear, slow‐moving, and rocky should be interesting.

WhAT To Avoid:Avoid sandy or muddy areas that cloud up.

Do not swim near a dam. You might get caught in the current and be swept over the dam. The hydraulic action of the water below the dam makes it difficult for even a strong swimmer to escape.

Avoid fast-moving and turbulent water since you can get injured on slippery and sharp rocks. And it is possible to drown due to foot entrap-ment.

TipshoW To enJoy your snorkeling AdvenTure

JAMES RIVER PARK SYSTEMSnorkeling in the City

crayfishCrayfish look like little lob-sters. The two claws hold and tear the creatures which are their food. They normally walk forward, but will scoot away backwards when alarmed.

snailsThere are at least a half-dozen kinds of aquatic snails in the James. Each has its own preferred water conditions, but many often can be found near one another, often on the upstream and downstream sides of the same rock!

Long Spiral‐shelled SnailsRiver Snails are the most common kind. Feel the many ridges around the shell. (A smooth‐surfaced, thinner‐shelled kind is a rare find.)

Short Spiral‐shelled Snails

Pond Snails are small and smooth with rounded edges. (Another small, smooth kind has one wide, flat ridge around the edge.)

Orb Snails look like a coil of rope and are also rare.

Little Pond Snails are tiny, thin, smooth, and cone- shaped.

small Fish (1–4 inches)

place a crayfish in a swim mask full of water then watch it. it may eat a worm if you’re patient.look under water to see how it moves. gently touch it with one finger and watch it scoot!.

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1⁄2–1 inch long

PhOtO: Crayfish by Jason Neuswanger, troutnut.com.

ILLUStRAtIONS: Fish by Duane Raver/USFWS. Snails by etc.usf.edu.

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For a truly unique perspective, bend over so your head is underwater, then put your face up close to a rocky overhang. it’s a little spooky, but often you’ll come face to face with a fish!swim up to a stand of water willows in one foot of water and wait quietly with half your mask above the water and half below (breathe with a snorkel).lie in a shallow rapid (6” deep) with your arms out to either side and small fish will often use you as their new territory.

creatures That move Quickly

Shield DarterPercina peltataLook under rocks. It walks on its fins.

Eastern MosquitofishGambasia holbrookiLook in potholes. It resembles a guppy.

Satinfin ShinerLook in pools. It has a blue outline on its fins.

PumpkinseedLepomis gibbosusMany kinds. Look for a dark dot on the gill cover.

Blue CatfishIctalurus furcatusLook for smooth skin, forked tail and “whiskers” on face (barbels) used to taste the river mud; can be large.

Smallmouth BassMicropterus dolomieuThe most popular game fish, it has red eyes and dark stripes on the sides; can be large.

American EelAnguilla rostrataSnake-like fish seems to “bite” water to breathe. May be found in rock cracks and caves.

Common CarpCyprinus carpioSilver or yellowish tinge and heavy‐bod-ied with big scales and tiny whiskers on the mouth.

Longnose GarLepisosteus osseusLook for black dots on the sides of this long and slender fish. It may be very still then move away quickly near the surface.

medium Fish (5–10 inches) large Fish (1–2 feet or longer)

Young Smallmouth BassLook in pools and behind rocks. It has red eyes and a yellow dot on the tail.

Bull ChubLook for fish forming schools. Under water it has a dark line with a gold line along its side. The most common kind of fish in the river, and one of only two that eat clams!

JAMES RIVER PARK SYSTEMSnorkeling in the City

creatures found under rocksAquatic insectsThese bottom dwellers hatch and live under water for most of their lives—6 months to 2 years—then crawl out, shed their skins and become winged adults that breathe air for a few days or weeks, long enough to mate and lay eggs in the water. At night they feed on algae (and on each other) on top of submerged rocks. During the day they scurry under rocks to hide from fish. (That’s why fish feed best at dawn and at dusk!)

hold the nymphs in your palm full of water. Watch them vibrate their “tails” and/or side flaps in the still water to get more oxygen. (These are actu-ally gills.)

Nymph3 tails, legs in close

Mayfly

Golden MayflyHexagenia limbata

Adultbody arched, 2 tails (other varies have 3)

STonefly daMSelfly dragonfly CaddiSfly dobSonfly

Caddisfly: As you crawl over the rocks, these small, green, worm-like larvae may attach to you (it feels like a little pin prick). They live in miniature nets like bits of nylon stocking attached to rocks (sometimes by the mil-lions) and strain the water for tiny bits of animal matter. some kinds also live under rocks in tube-like cases of sand or twigs.

see if you can find a surface without caddisfly nets; they are everywhere, except in still or deep water.

Dragonfly: cup some water in your hand with a nymph and watch it walk.

put nymphs in a swim mask full of water and they can also move forward quickly by pump-ing out water through their rear ends! These plump nymphs are voracious feeders and have a special way of catching their prey: The lower lip covers the entire face like a mask and extends out like a scoop! Their food includes other aquatic insects, tadpoles, and tiny fish.

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Eastern Dobsonfly Corydalus cornutus

Adultlarge mouth parts wings flat on back

Zebra CaddisflyMacroslemum

zebratum

Adultlong antennae, moth-

like wings

Blue DasherPachydiplax lonipennis

Adultwings to sides, doesn’t sting, eats mosquitoes,

large size

Ebony Jewelwing Calopteryx maculata

Adultwings held up over

back, eats mosquitoes, doesn’t sting

Giant Stonefly Pteronarcys dorsata

Adultwings folded on back

Nymph2 tails, legs held out

Nymph3 tails, legs held out

Nymphplump body

Larvaegreen, live in “nets”

Hellgramite sharp pinchers

capture prey, many legs

Hellgramite: carefully lift plate-sized rocks in shallow, fast-moving water to find these predators. Watch them walk through fast currents holding on with their many sharp legs. (They may crawl on your hand if you stay still but pinch if you pick them up!) hellgramites eat other nymphs and are a favorite food of bass.

PhOtOS: Bluedasher dragonfly by texas Eagle, Flickr.com. Eastern Dobsonfly by Jenn Forman Orth, Flickr.com. Remaining images by Jason Neuswanger, troutnut.com.

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Written by Ralph R. White, Compiled by Stephanie Reichard, Revised 2019. Published by Friends of the James River Park, www.jamesriverpark.org