Diving in the Keyes

I had my first glimpse of wild reef systems over the weekend. Very,
very cool. Dived in Key Largo which was also the site of 3 diving
deaths on Friday which prevented us from diving the Spiegal Grove (
http://www.cdnn.info/news/safety/s070318.html ), but all worked out well
as I spent more time on the reefs.

I was completely amazed by the wild life and corals. I saw a French
Angel (1 of many) which was about 2 feet long and the size of a serving
platter. Many mated butterflies. Schools of blue chromis. Tons of
Tangs, Yellow tails, lobster, crabs, Butterflies, damsels, etc. A brain
coral that that was 6 feet tall and 3 feet across at it's base. Parrot
fish, zoas, on and on.

The sand between reefs appeared lifeless, but looking closely, it teamed
with a blennies. Copepods (or similar flea like creature) swarmed
around small cave entrances, and I even found small multi-celled
cylindrical creatures that floated freely that I can't identify.

My last dive I spent looking for eels and succeeded with a 7 foot Moray,
another small moray, and yet another that resembled a snow flake eel.

It does put my aquarium to shame, but then again, it's the only way I
can keep a reef in my living room. I'll still keep it.

--Kurt

KurtG wrote:

I had my first glimpse of wild reef systems over the weekend.

Way cool! Closest I've gotten is the Boston Aquarium with its schools of French
Angels.

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.

Wow, how neat!!! I'm jealous. I can't even swim in shallow water

Susan
"George Patterson" wrote in message
news:5tHLh.12673$1a6.8166@trnddc08...
KurtG wrote:

I had my first glimpse of wild reef systems over the weekend.

Way cool! Closest I've gotten is the Boston Aquarium with its schools of
French Angels.

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.

"KurtG" wrote in message news
Copepods (or similar flea like creature) swarmed
around small cave entrances,

Could be fish larvae, too...

"Susan" wrote in message newsjJLh.9037$zx.6243@trndny05...
Wow, how neat!!! I'm jealous. I can't even swim in shallow water

Diving has little to do with swimming... :-)
You can do diving with very little swimming.

Pszemol wrote:
"Susan" wrote in message
newsjJLh.9037$zx.6243@trndny05...
Wow, how neat!!! I'm jealous. I can't even swim in shallow water

Diving has little to do with swimming... :-)
You can do diving with very little swimming.

I had to swim 200 yards with no gear to get certified. I don't know if
that's a requirement or if the instructor just wanted to get a feel for
our skill levels.

If you can't swim, you usually have a reasonable fear of water, and it's
best to feel perfectly comfortable jumping 10 ft off a boat with 80 lbs
of gear on.

Not that I wouldn't encourage anybody to get swim lessons and get
started. It's a really awesome experience.

--Kurt

Pszemol wrote:
"KurtG" wrote in message
news
Copepods (or similar flea like creature) swarmed around small cave
entrances,

Could be fish larvae, too...

I bet you're right.

I also saw two blue chromis during their ritual mating dance on the sand.

I also found many black/dark blue fish with a yellow tail and bright
blue dots along it's back fin. It's about 6-8". It turned out to be a
"yellow-tail damsel". I'm starting to understand the need for
scientific names.

--Kurt

I took swim lessons and still am not the best swimmer. I guess I should
have done lessons in my "younger" years and not as I got older. I totaly
agree that fear plays a huge part in swimming. Once I realized I could just
stand up in the 4ft. of water and had no reason to fear I took off across
it. I've always wanted to dive in the reefs but I know I would never make
it.

Susan
"KurtG" wrote in message
.. .
Pszemol wrote:
"Susan" wrote in message
newsjJLh.9037$zx.6243@trndny05...
Wow, how neat!!! I'm jealous. I can't even swim in shallow water

Diving has little to do with swimming... :-)
You can do diving with very little swimming.

I had to swim 200 yards with no gear to get certified. I don't know if
that's a requirement or if the instructor just wanted to get a feel for
our skill levels.

If you can't swim, you usually have a reasonable fear of water, and it's
best to feel perfectly comfortable jumping 10 ft off a boat with 80 lbs
of gear on.

Not that I wouldn't encourage anybody to get swim lessons and get
started. It's a really awesome experience.

--Kurt

"KurtG" wrote in message ...
Pszemol wrote:
"KurtG" wrote in message
news
Copepods (or similar flea like creature) swarmed around small cave
entrances,

Could be fish larvae, too...

I bet you're right.

I saw it swarming the same way in rock holes when I was snorkeling
on Maui/Hawaii or Cayman Island. Unfortunatelly did not have my
plankton net to catch them for closer inspection :-)
Next trip I will have to get one :-)))

I also saw two blue chromis during their ritual mating dance on the sand.

I did not see mating, but saw blue/purple eggs of some striped fish
on the patch of rock and fish guarding them with passion... :-)
They resembled my maroon clown pair eggs nest but it was of course
much, much larger - my fish are very small compared to the ones I saw.

I also found many black/dark blue fish with a yellow tail and bright
blue dots along it's back fin. It's about 6-8". It turned out to be a
"yellow-tail damsel". I'm starting to understand the need for
scientific names.

Yes,. in some countries in Europe they stop even using common names
in aquarium trade, just to avoid confusion. All corals/fish/inverts are called
with their scientific names, which is hard to browse for an unfamiliar :-)

"Susan" wrote in message newsPTLh.12096$dG.141@trndny08...
I took swim lessons and still am not the best swimmer. I guess I should
have done lessons in my "younger" years and not as I got older. I totaly
agree that fear plays a huge part in swimming. Once I realized I could just
stand up in the 4ft. of water and had no reason to fear I took off across
it. I've always wanted to dive in the reefs but I know I would never make
it.

Do not say this to yourself - since you are not afraid swimming at 4ft deep
it is now only a matter of practice and building your self confidence to
make the next step: deeper water and than diving... Good luck - you can do it!