* * * 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.

. . . 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

                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.

 There is an 11kts breeze from the East which is bringing in the blue water. 

The visibility is 30’ plus. Seas 1’-2’

Catch the action here at Holiday Isle Resort

 May 11th through the 13^th 

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 13^th

WE LOVE BARTENDERS!!    WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE !!

THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO !!

Let’s go snorkeling or diving the water is great

Seas are less than a foot and visibility is in the 30′ range ! 

Get out of the cold and come on down and dive with us !!!

Seas: 2-3 Inside the Reef

Visability at Davis Reef:  25ft-30ft

Water Temp: 79 F degrees

Conditions are starting to look better for diving on some of the inside patch reefs.

Santa needs to slow our winds down here in Islamorada.