Captain’s Chronicles Winter ‘08 

There are no secrets anymore, all the answers are coming.  Throw questions into the universe and the truth will return: are the polar ice caps really melting?  Be prepared to use all this important information wisely: why is love the greatest force in the universe?  The weak shouldn’t seek and the meek may tweak:  where’s the reefs?? 

The answer to the last question and many more will present itself this Thursday at SCUBA MARCO (the Shop) as Collier County Reefs Coordinator Pam Keyes and Collier Co. Marine Agent Bryan Fluech will join the dive club for an informal presentation about our artificial reef program and fish populations.  Due to funding cuts (where are out tax dollars really going?) their programs are experiencing difficulty with hands on aspects.  Like most of us are experiencing; can’t afford the gas to run out there.

We will discuss documenting locations of debris, counting fish populations, and cleaning up those reefs!  BE HERE THURSDAY, APRIL 3^rd, 6:30ish.  There are 4 less grouper to count at the 9 mile reef, don’t worry Marilyn, I’ll save you a plate.  Call 389-7889 with any questions or to excuse your absence.

What an awesome winter of diving here in southwest Florida!  Yes the cold fronts found us in February and March but we had top to bottom vis the majority of December and January.  I stood on the hard top of the Scorpion IV one afternoon following bubbles with my eyes and sketching the entire outline of the Keywadin (Klein Memorial) reef.  I could clearly see the multiple debris fields and the 100ft barge along the eastern edge of the reef.  Forty plus feet visibility just a few miles offshore in 25 feet of water!  A Gulf of Mexico gift.  Clearly the cleanest water I’ve seen in my 34 years here.  It stayed like that for about six weeks. 

It’s getting like that again.  I could see the blotches of the reef from the boat yesterday (Monday 3/31).  We had a solid 20 feet and vis should turn great on the other side of the new moon if these cold fronts will stall to our north.  I had a father-daughter referral on their first open water dives.  On the southeastern pile there are a couple dozen memorial reef balls (spherical structures 3 to 5 feet in diameter of concrete mixed with loved ones remains).  They lay on the bottom and are pitted with football size holes.  As we approached a ball I spotted a large loggerhead turtle napping with his head wedged into one of the holes.  We lay beside it admiring its barnacle laden back and checking out the claws on its flippers.   After a few minutes the slumbering giant awoke, backed up and scurried away from us.  Despite my pre-dive briefing about the likelihood of a tortuga encounter this time of the year as they congregate near shore to mate and that we often find them sleeping, my students thought the mammal was dead until he swam away.

Many of our near shore reefs and wrecks have become death traps.  When a fisherman discards a cast net that becomes entangled on the bottom, it doesn’t stop netting.  It will continue to kill fish, crustaceans, and shells.  On Ben’s barge a couple months back I was confused to see a large net that was hung up on the barge but rising up into the water column for about 10 feet.  A weighted net should sink not float?  I unfortunately (or not depending on who you are) discovered that a goliath grouper in the 75 lb. range had entangled itself in the net and its decaying remains provided plenty of ballast.

Perhaps as early as this Sunday we can organize a REEF CLEAN UP.  Whether an organized event or not, anytime you’re diving take the time (and bags) to clean up the plastics, lead, and lines (fishing, crab, and anchor) that you encounter.

The weather patterns globally still seem volatile (droughts and floods) but locally things seem a little more settled.  A couple of quite tropical seasons after the battering we took culminating with Wilma.  We’re on the dry side, not good for a lot of reasons but helps the visibility.  Our reefs and marine populations seem pretty healthy.  A great winter for gag grouper, definitely more stock than at least the last 5 years (when the evil red tides hurt our area and decimated areas to our north).  But what I see isn’t reality according to big brother, who is poised to reduce the recreational bag limit from 5 to 2.  When are we going to address our issues at their source?  Are we content to let our rights and freedoms be stripped or taxed away from us?

I’ll keep the chronicles focused on the water.  I saw the first arrow crab (other than in the blue hole) since hurricane Wilma yesterday. I exhaled to lower myself down to gaze into one of the infinite cracks that the artificial reefs form.  On the other side basking in a ray of sunlight was a fat and happy arrow crab.  Looking like a cross between a tarantula and a preying mantis this full grown specimen had purple accents along its finger length legs.  I used to catch them (they were so plentiful) to show to my divers, but this one just got my smiles and a brief prayer of thanks and prosperity.

Make a list of those questions if you’re ready for the answers.   Our newest scuba slave (person that hangs out at the shop so much we certify them and make them carry tanks) is Jordan.  He not only is good at carrying tanks, he can fill them too!  Thanks for the 1^st mating and letting me cook the feast in your kitchen.  He can also offer some deep thoughts about those ice caps melting this Thursday!

With all these answers coming forth maybe your first question should be:

Live, Love, Dive

Capt. Jeff