It kind of a nomenclature question. Follow along on the map and images here. (Or, click on
Wikimapia - Let's describe the whole world! and move your mouse over the satellite image)
The "
Front Yard" refers to the area from the Northernmost coral heads that line the
Channel and inward North towards CoCoView. It runs about 250' out from CCV's rooms and spreads the breadth of the images below. On the East (right) end, it shallows out behind the huge coral heads that form
CCV Wall.
The anchor chain of the
Prince Albert Wreck has been laid on the bottom marking "
The Cut" through the shallow coral heads (these make up the "
Front Yard"). These coral heads stop in 25fsw and run East to meet up with the
CCV Wall.
CCV Wall begins with a prominence some call
CoCoView Head, it is about 125' East of the
Prince Albert Wreck.
CCV Head is denoted by "
Red Can" on the right of the map. It breaks in 5-15' and drops to first sand at 90'.
The "
Channel" is approximately 140' wide and 450' long- if you consider it to start in 75' on the far East (right) end and ending as it gets into 20' near the
FIBR Gazebo on the West (left).
Newman's Wall (named after the guy that owned the land where CCV has been built) starts just 100' South of the stern of the Prince Albert wreck, a 140' tanker lying nose-up in 45fsw, the stern rests in 65fsw.
Many people disregard the "top" of Newman's Wall (at the bottom of the above drawing),
but this shallow area (on a calm day or night) is just as spectacular as the dive you are asking about,
The Front Yard. explore it during the day and make a plan for your night dive if it's calm!
From FIBR, you can follow the aircraft cable laid along the murk to get you to the DC3 Aircraft Wreck, then to the PA Shipwreck. Then follow the chain in to the Front Yard. I would ask them to drop you over the wreck and make your way in. That will save air.
click to enlarge:
The Wreck as notated, it is really just below the DC3 Plane Wreck
See the wreck?
Stay shallow. This is where the cool stuff is! At the "
Strobe Buoy" or
Dive Flag (see chart), start looking for
Squidlets. Then search and scan slowly along the bottom for
Pipefish, Mantis Shrimp, Anemones with three symbiotic
Crustaceans, Jawfish, Garden Eels and
juveniles of every imaginable kind.
You can also do a snorkel across the channel from the FIBR Gazebo making a beeline for the CCV Gazebo. You'll run into the shallow coral heads to the West of the chain. Follow those heads to the right in 20fsw and you'll find the chain. If you cross the
Channel, be aware of the yahoos that rent the JetSkis from FIBR, they go like hell through the channel, as do some employees.
lots of cool stuff to see in the
CCV Front Yard, and it's not too much of a hike from
FIBR.
