16 divers joined us for dinner at the Rusty Anchor this week,
as well as new Stewardess, Johanna. She is a keeper, unfortunately, we can’t
keep her. We can get her back on weekends, however. Anyway, after a fine meal
and briefing, we set out for the Dry Tortugas. The dive shop on this trip was 5
Star Divers out of El Paso, Texas.
We got to the Tortugas by going way offshore. Lobster season started last
weekend, and there are about 15 zillion traps set in the usual route to the Dry
Tortugas, so we traveled in deeper water than the traps were set in. We got to
the dive site at the normal time, however, and tied up to Mushrooms. The buoy at
Mushrooms was re-installed last week, and the dive is every bit as good as I
remember it. 2 goliath grouper, as well as a big black were on the site to greet
the divers. We would see more goliaths on this trip then any other trip this
summer. The afternoon dive was at Keeney’s Wall. The first afternoon dive had a
ripping current, which abated by the second afternoon dive. A goliath was
spotted, along with gag, reds, ad another big black. Visibility was a stunning
150-200 feet, water temps near 85 degrees, and seas of 2-4 feet.
Wednesday morning we dove at Dante’s Inferno. Again, visibility was stunning,
and the angelfish were spawning in the morning. We spotted spawning queen and
blue angelfish, as well as another goliath grouper. The afternoon was spent at
Bat Cave. Once again, the current was ripping for the first afternoon dive, but
laid down for the second. Visibility remained well better than 100 feet, and
temps were still mid 80’s.
Thursday morning we moved onto 8 fathom reef, where we found goliath grouper,
blacks, stingrays, a fatty nurse shark, and the usual little stuff. Water temp
was down to 77, visibility was closed in to less than 100 feet, and there was a
noticeable thermocline. We dove Sanctuary in the afternoon, with current ripping
on the afternoon dive. After the afternoon dive, we visited Ft. Jefferson, then
back to Sanctuary for the night dive. The visibility on Sanctuary was again
greater than 100 feet, and I’d say closer to 200 feet. We had decorator crabs,
coral clinging crabs, lobster, both slipper and spiny, and all of the usual
night critters. The divers liked the site so well they asked to dive it again in
the morning.
In the morning, yours truly went diving, and I was treated to a goldentail
moray, spawning grey angelfish, a small gag grouper, blue runners in a color
phase I’d never seen before, and some of the nicest coral formations I’ve seen
in the Dry Tortugas. With visibility well over 100 feet, it’s easy to get a feel
for the layout and structure of the reef. In the afternoon, we dove Great Every
Time. Once again, the first afternoon dive presented a ripping bottom current,
nothing on the surface. Second afternoon and night dives were a bit more
pleasant.
The money dives on the trip were the dives on the Vandenberg on Saturday. We
pulled up and had the ship all to ourselves for the first morning dive. Current
was slack, and vis was 100 feet or so, unheard of for the Vandenberg. There are
huge schools of teeny tine silver fish, which must be here for the big guys to
come. The Vandenberg gets better every time we visit.
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