Greeting from The Villages,FL

[CBulla]

It was a great swim if anything Always looking at the positive here...

Yeah, when I was on the bottom and it was a black murk area that my hand wasnt even visible in I could tell ya that there was no way teeth would be found. At that point I am at a disadvantage in the water since other creatures of the sea have eyes that let them see in that sort of condition...

Next time we'll get em! This is 3 dives in less than a month that have had poor conditions that have caused a dive to be cut short or not happen at all. I've got the blue dives or something... I've been left hanging to long!

 

[SmokeAire]

Venice Beach won't conquer us...we are ready for another go. Let's do it!!
Chuck

 

[SmokeAire]

Hey RJDiver,

Have your parents get in touch with Madeline, The Villages Scuba Club Pres., and we could do a Manatee snorkel with them. The phone # for the club is listed in the Villages newspaper.

At Homassasa Springs we clean the under water observation windows, dive the prings looking for fish hooks, trash and whatever people might drop in the water. Plus we also just sort of enjoy diving around. The we snorkel down the run to where it's gated looking for stuff and scratching the Manatees bellies. They love that. There are 8 Manatees that live there year round because they ahd been injured and have been rehabed. But they can not be released back in to the wild. They are all females.
The incredible thing is the thousands of marine and fresh water fish that migrate to the springs in winter. I even saw a string ray a few months ago. Lots of fun.
When you come down we will have to do some diving around here.
Later,
Chuck

 

[rjdiver]

I'll let them know about the club. I am hoping to make it down around presidents day. I may be delivering some baby furniture to my sister-in-law. I have been wanting to come down while there are enough manatee around Crystal River. I'll probably have my 4-year-old (next sunday) along. My mom doesn't go in the water, so she will watch Ryan from the boat. He has done a little snorkeling, so if I can find a wetsuit small enough for him, he may get in the water with the manatee. He loves to go to the zoo to see Stoneman and Douglas (back when Douglas was still here). The head Manatee keeper said that he would try to get arrangements for a back-scene view of Homosassa Springs.

I'll let you know if I'll have some dive time available. I would love to check out a spring when visiting. It would be nice if Homosassa would allow a volunteer manatee diver get in the water there.

Rob