DEEPSEAWOLF
Contributor
Gibbon and I went to Manatee Springs on Friday, July 2. I have a state park pass and it was free for us to dive minus air fills and gas getting there. After having a horrible sinus problem last month that scared me that I might not be able to dive again EVER, I had to find out for sure.
After I hit twenty feet and emptied all the fluid from my completely blood filled mask,.... just kidding. :11:
Actually, I was very relieved that I was once again, easily able to blow and go, straight to the bottom without a problem!
I saw the mystery perchlike fish again that I am unable to identify. SOME day, I will be able to get a camera down there to photograph him. I also saw a lot of tetra like fish. I've never seen them before anywhere I have been in the spring systems. I am curious to find out if they truly are indigenous, or are aquarium releases taking hold in the ecosystem.
The water level was down by at least a foot! The water level at the sink is usually at the second step or above, but was about an inch or more BELOW the edge of the concrete platform. The water in the main was exceptionally clear, and the fish were abundant. there were three very large bass, that, minus the magnification of the water, were probably over a foot long each. I came away with four pennies I found on the spring bottom, which came nowhere close to paying for the air fills.
Picked up a few pieces of garbage from the spring, did the superman and the one armed hurricane twice in the main spring. WOW! That's a lot of force on the mask!
No manatees, or columbian river otters. Then again, we WERE surrounded by very aggressive looking fun noodles that were attacking swimmers!
All in all, a very good day. Weather was awesome! Rangers are getting to know me now. Gibbon only had to wait thirty minutes for me thanks to all the "Arrive Alive, Drive 45" drivers on the road. That trip from Gainesville is horribly long if you can't get around them!
After I hit twenty feet and emptied all the fluid from my completely blood filled mask,.... just kidding. :11:
Actually, I was very relieved that I was once again, easily able to blow and go, straight to the bottom without a problem!
I saw the mystery perchlike fish again that I am unable to identify. SOME day, I will be able to get a camera down there to photograph him. I also saw a lot of tetra like fish. I've never seen them before anywhere I have been in the spring systems. I am curious to find out if they truly are indigenous, or are aquarium releases taking hold in the ecosystem.
The water level was down by at least a foot! The water level at the sink is usually at the second step or above, but was about an inch or more BELOW the edge of the concrete platform. The water in the main was exceptionally clear, and the fish were abundant. there were three very large bass, that, minus the magnification of the water, were probably over a foot long each. I came away with four pennies I found on the spring bottom, which came nowhere close to paying for the air fills.
Picked up a few pieces of garbage from the spring, did the superman and the one armed hurricane twice in the main spring. WOW! That's a lot of force on the mask!
No manatees, or columbian river otters. Then again, we WERE surrounded by very aggressive looking fun noodles that were attacking swimmers!
All in all, a very good day. Weather was awesome! Rangers are getting to know me now. Gibbon only had to wait thirty minutes for me thanks to all the "Arrive Alive, Drive 45" drivers on the road. That trip from Gainesville is horribly long if you can't get around them!
Loaded question... As a cave diver, I say... Yes double 104s 
