An Update!!! Haven't had internet access since the last update, but I've been on 4 dives since then, and had a great time. On Tuesday, I dove out of Marathon with Capt'n Hooks. Great outfit. I met one of the dive masters after the dives with Ocean Divers, so I set up a trip for the Thunderbolt wreck and Samantha's Reef. The Thunderbolt was really cool! It was kind of nice being on something you could explore a great deal of in one dive, but I do hope to get back to the Grove someday! I didn't take my camera on this dive, so I didn't get a picture of the huge jewfish hanging off in the distance. It was hard to tell how big it really was, or how far away it was, but if it's the one I saw in the photo at the dive shop, it must have been 10 feet long! I dove with a guy named Rick (I think I remember his name!), who was great. The 2nd dive was on Samantha's Reef. The coral isn't terribly spectacular, but there were a lot of fish, and I saw 3 largish sharks, and a couple spiny lobster. A few of the pics at the link are from this dive.
Today I dove on Looe Key Reef with Strike Zone Charters. My buddy was a guy named Doug from Chicago, and the pics of me at the link are his (along with one of the shark pics). Looe Key is amazing. The coral is beautiful, and there are a huge variety of fish here. Saw a few parrotfish, angelfish, a large dusky shark (thanks Doug for the ID), and a bunch of barracuda. This reef is shallow, but it sure gives you a lot of time to look at things. There were some snorkelers along with us on this trip, including my parents and grandmother.
I really enjoyed my diving down here, and am sorry I wont be able to dive in warm water for awhile
I sure hope I can get back down here soon!
Poog, I'll be home tomorrow, so if you want to go diving on Saturday, let me know (or if you want to skip the Superbowl, we could go on Sunday too!
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/30555179@N00/sets/72157594511549565/
Enjoy the pics!
P.S. WyCal, thanks for the pic I'm using for my avatar, it's great!
P.P.S. Poog, as a matter of fact, I WAS kickin back in the sand with a cold drink the other day, while listening to Jimmy B on my iPod
I'm gonna miss Margaritaville