5/19/2011: We were up bright and early about 7am. After a quick continental breakfast, it was off to the dock to meet the dive boat. One gets the impression that not many folks around here are morning people. The hotel breakfast starts at 7:30, and I don't think anybody (except us two Minnesotans) was on time for the dive trip. But, that's OK! We are on vacation!
The dive trip started with a 45 minute boat ride to the Carysfort lighthouse. See below for information on this reef and lighthouse. It's supposed to be the most pristine reef in the Keys because it doesn't get a lot of diving pressure.
http://www.florida-scubadiving.com/florida-scuba-diving-sites/key-largo-diving-sites/carysfort-lighthouse/
The first dive was right by the lighthouse on Carysfort Reef. It was a shallow dive of about 20 feet. Beautiful coral, lots of fish, and a slight current. We didn't sight anything spectacular, but there are apparently sea turtles in the area right now as well as dolphins. The barracudas act like they are afraid of nothing, including us! It would be a little more reassuring if they would at least swim away when we approached! Apparently they can attack shiny jewlery, so it's best not to draw attention to oneself!
The second dive was a couple miles away at Carysfort South. This reef has much more structure. Huge domes of brain coral, canals and arches were common. When we first descended, we landed right on top (almost) of two spotted eagle rays. Fantastic creatures! We later saw one that must have been 12 feet long!
Carl must have had a faulty tank, because he ran out of air very early, so we snorkled for a while as we waited for the others to surface. Other than us, there were two couples on the boat, plus Captain Bob.
On the way back, we saw flying fish scooting through the air. Fantastic little fish! They can stay airborn for many yards, it seems. We wondered if they were fleeing predators, or just having fun.
After our dive, we stopped at the dive shop to get a replacement strap for Dad's fin and we got some groceries. Then it was off to Pennenkamp State Park to hike the Mangrove Trail, visit the visitor's center, and look over the beaches, marina, and dive shop. Mangroves are pretty amazing trees. They grow in saltwater and help to prevent erosion on the shores. They have a fantastic network of roots and branches and their seeds look like acorns with a bean sticking out of them. Three is supposed to be a Golden Silk Spider lurking about the mangrove trees, but we couldn't find any. I don't think Carl really wanted to!
We played two sets of tennis under the lights at the park. It was fun, but not real easy to see. At least that was Dad's excuse for not being able to return many of Carl's serves.
We played two sets of tennis under the lights at the park. It was fun, but not real easy to see. At least that was Dad's excuse for not being able to return many of Carl's serves.
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