Abernethy.... WTF????

[tekkydiver]

This is on Abernethy's web page. I think he is using it to promote his operation


Quite the custodians of Florida's underwater resources.

 

[scubastingray]

I think this would be accurate if he were missing a finger or two.

 

[reefman]

that's the upper keys version pictured in the previous post. he's creating quite a stir amongst the dive operators(and NOAA) in Islamorada with his new creature feature conducted at pleasure reef(used to be @ elbow reef). has he no shame? padding his coffers at the expense of the animals he manipulates in a habitat, by the way, which is an unprotected reef tract in federal waters(fishing/spearfishing/collecting permitted). an FWC officer told me last week that has soon as the fish feeding concludes, savy fisherman/spearos descend on the reef for easy pickins, word is out(the officer brought up a great point as we were talking; how does a green moray distinguish between a piece of ballyhoo being hand fed by a scuba diver twice a week and a piece on a baited hook dropped on the same reef by a fisherman?). he's a legend in his own mind. pitiful,,,,,,,


reefman
key largo

 

[deeper thoughts]

that's the upper keys version pictured in the previous post. he's creating quite a stir amongst the dive operators(and NOAA) in Islamorada with his new creature feature conducted at pleasure reef(used to be @ elbow reef). has he no shame? padding his coffers at the expense of the animals he manipulates in a habitat, by the way, which is an unprotected reef tract in federal waters(fishing/spearfishing/collecting permitted). an FWC officer told me last week that has soon as the fish feeding concludes, savy fisherman/spearos descend on the reef for easy pickins, word is out(the officer brought up a great point as we were talking; how does a green moray distinguish between a piece of ballyhoo being hand fed by a scuba diver twice a week and a piece on a baited hook dropped on the same reef by a fisherman?). he's a legend in his own mind. pitiful,,,,,,,


reefman
key largo

phil are you referring to Davey/crocker? If so that is really wrong

 

[reefman]

phil are you referring to Davey/crocker? If so that is really wrong

I heard it's pleasure reef and I believe it's advertised as such,,,,

I cant' remember if pleasure reef is close to Davey crocker or not, might be an extension of the same tract. haven't dove pleasure reef in years,,,,,,,


reefman
key largo

 

[Wookie]

Since when is Abernathy in Islamorada, and the creature feature is an invention of Slate, who is in Tavernier, not Islamorada. What is the story really?

 

[DelrayDM]

Since when is Abernathy in Islamorada, and the creature feature is an invention of Slate, who is in Tavernier, not Islamorada. What is the story really?

Operation Blue Pride with Captain Slates Creature Feature

 

[Wookie]

Thanks, I get it now. I can say with some authority that some of the operators near Slates new shop are not very pleased with the circus he brought to town.

 

[reefman]

Since when is Abernathy in Islamorada, and the creature feature is an invention of Slate, who is in Tavernier, not Islamorada. What is the story really?

the shop is off Tavernier creek but in the village of Islamorada,


reefman
key largo

---------- Post added April 7th, 2014 at 09:17 AM ----------

Thanks, I get it now. I can say with some authority that some of the operators near Slates new shop are not very pleased with the circus he brought to town.

that's a fact!!!!!!!

 

[danvolker]

Operation Blue Pride with Captain Slates Creature Feature

This was a one time event....where a group of Veterans in the Operation Blue Pride organization ( that Abernethy is a co-founder of), decided that they would enjoy diving in Key Largo with Spencer slate, as something different from diving in West Palm or the Bahamas. This was actually an event created by some of the supporters of Operation Blue Pride, and while the OP for this thread may not care about these Vets that are missing arms or legs from the war, and may not be aware of what OBP is.......the short story is that Abernethy discovered that some veterans missing limbs, or even with PTSD , would experience NO PAIN and complete relaxation when in the water diving.....Most had been doing dives in places with no vis, and nothing to see....and Abernethy decided to change this, and find a way to subsidize and assist the veterans, and allow them to exist without massive use of drugs--which is the alternative.
[video=youtube_share;XvYRHvGkqKM]http://youtu.be/XvYRHvGkqKM[/video]

In this outing that the OBP veterans went on, Captain spencer Slate charged them a fraction of his normal charter fees, and did everything he could to make their underwater time memorable.
I actually went on this trip, as I support the OBP mission , and I can tell you their were no fishing boats within miles when we left the sites.

I think it particularly disingenuous to fault this outing. Whether the OP does not like Captain Slate, or Jim Abernethy, both are people that have done far more for ocean ecology and health than the vast majority of the membership on this forum. I find it insulting that the OP sees the eel photo a threat to the eel. This is a view of the environment that completely eliminates the larger issues, and clearly has no basis in biological facts. And if that's not bad enough, the OP had incorrect intel on who was doing what, where, and pretty much everything else !!!