We are so busy taking happy divers out to the reef, that we haven’t had time to update the Captain’s log! If you need to check current reef conditions, check NOAA’s buoy on Molasses Reef. It’s always a great time to dive! Come down and let us show you the most beautiful live reefs and wrecks!
* * * M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S * * *
May it bring you happy memories, old-fashioned pleaser and an under water world of joy with simple blessings and the beauty of each quiet moment.
Kelly and Crew
There are still lobster left here in the Florida Keys after Mini Season. One just has to be lucky. We will be starting the regular lobster season August 6th so if you are needing any dive equipment or lobster gear please stop in our dive shop. We are a full service dive shop. Tank fills while you wait…
Seas: half ft.
Wind: 12 kts
Visibility: 35 ft.
LET’S GO DIVING OR SNORKELING
Offering a variety of diverse ecosystems it is no wonder diving around Islamorada, is rated as amongst the best, with good reason. Abundant marine life, calm and warm water, visibility is generally great (35ft -55ft) and astounding marine life. On an average day of diving or snorkeling from our boat one would expect to see hundreds of colorful/tropical fish. Just to mention a few: Redband, Blue and Stoplight Parrotfish – Gray, French and Queen Angelfish – Great Barracuda – Green Moray – Spotted Eagle Rays - Queen Triggerfish – Nurse Sharks - Yellowtail Damselfish – Scrawled Filefish – Blue Tang.
* * * Too many to list * * *
This past week Mother Nature has been showing off her calm side. The wind has been variable, calm waters and visibility about 40ft. Too good to be true. If not at work, everyone has been playing in or on the water.
YOUR VACATION TIME IS PRECIOUS
. . . Enjoy the best snorkeling or diving excursion possible . . .
We would like to thank everyone for joining us from the Broward Community College Science Class. The divers and snorkelers had their private boat trip and everything was fabulous. The students and staff found unlike terrestrial animals, marine creatures are, for the most part, easy to approach and observe, especially the many little fish that rely on camouflage and mimicry to avoid predation. One diver witnessed a small group of dolphin face to face. On the boat ride back to the marina the same group of dolphin joined us and played in our wake.
IF YOU LOVE NATURE YOU SHOUD BE UNDER WATER
Wind = from the south at 5kts
Seas = less than a foot
Visibility = 45 feet
Captain’s log, Star date: 6-29-08.
After a couple a windy days we headed out looking for VIS. We’d found great visibility the last two days but had to go further out to get it. Today we were hoping to find the elusive VIS a little closer in….and boy did we.
First dive, The Hamm (short for Hammasaurus….don’t ask), 60+ foot of vis and just a smidgen of current. I dropped down with my open water student, Zach, and began our recon. A nurse shark, then three nurse sharks, then a big ol’ green moray eel, and then a southern stingray….WOW! And we weren’t even five minutes into the dive yet. We saw a few more green morays and so many nurse sharks that I stopped pointing them out half way through the dive. FABULOUS dive, my friends (do I sound like John McCain, yet?…..my friends?).
Second dive, Sarah’s (not short for anything), visibility about forty, and still that slight south current. Zach had just finished the last two skills of his open water certification, and so after much congratulationism (do I sound like George Bush, yet?) we headed out to see what we could see. AHUGE Southern Stingray was spotted by Zach and we took a moment to revel in the glory of this creature’s magnificence. Here’s the awesome part: for the first few minutes of the dive I had heard the faint soundings of what I knew to be Dolphins. I really didn’t expect to see them since this is veeeerrrry rare, but I cast my gaze about nonetheless. Vigilance pays because what I suddenly saw 25 feet in front of me was a pod of four to five REAL LIVE DOLPHINS! I turned to get Zach’s attention, but he was of in la-la land (now a certified diver and all) and by time I got to him the Dolphins were gone. Sorry, Zach! But I saw them! Two other divers in our group saw them too, and it was all the buzz back on the boat. You can dive your whole life here in the fabulous Florida Keys and never see a Dolphin in the wild…..it only took me four years and about 700 dives. I consider myself truly blessed.
Well, the second dive was still good for the young Zachster. That big Southern Stingray made a couple more fly-bys at us and we saw Spotted Eels, Lobsters (yum!), trumpet fish, angel fish, puffer fish, groupers, etc. etc. etc. (do I sound like Yule Brenner, yet?).
Another magnificent day of diving here in Islamorada. As it was once said, diving is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’ll get (Run Forest! Run!). I guess today we got Godiva.
Remember, if you feel the urge to submerge come see us here at the Holiday Isle Dive Shop and be prepared to be amazed!
Captain Drew signing off.
The conditions are great today for snorkeling or diving.
There is an 11kts breeze from the East which is bringing in the blue water.
The visibility is 30’ plus. Seas 1’-2’
Hospitality Expo / Bartenders Weekend
Catch the action here at Holiday Isle Resort
May 11th through the 13th
You deserve to be served.
Kokomo Pool & Beach Bar Reggae Band Shell
World Famous Tiki Bar Rumrunners Island Bar
Bartenders Skills Contest - Monday May 12th
Bikini Contest $1,000.00 Cash Purse - Tuesday May 13th
WE LOVE BARTENDERS!! WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE !!
THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO !!
Let’s go snorkeling or diving the water is great