Headed to Key Largo tonight - New Pics 8/2/07

[Peter_K]

Good diving. Catch any bugs?

 

[jgohlke]

It's in between seasons....just after mini-season and before the real season opens. It's a good time to go diving...you can get some good dive prices/packages. So no bugs (lobsters)....but we did see some on the Benwood during our night dive.

We left Key Largo early this (Sunday) morning and got home about 2:00pm. It was a great 3-day weekend.

 

[MiamiCubano]

It's in between seasons....just after mini-season and before the real season opens. It's a good time to go diving...you can get some good dive prices/packages. So no bugs (lobsters)....but we did see some on the Benwood during our night dive.

We left Key Largo early this (Sunday) morning and got home about 2:00pm. It was a great 3-day weekend.

Looks like you guys had an outstanding time! Thanks for sharing the pics! :thumbs:

Sorry we didn't get to arrange a mini-HERF this time around, but you aren't that far away from us, so my offer still stands brother! :thumbs:

 

[tone-ny]

Thanks for sharing, great pictures and sound like you had a great time.

 

[Capt Redbeard]

Those pics are making me jealous. I wish i had more time to make it down to the keys. Thats where I spent spring break with some friends, fishing and diving for lobster. It was one of the best times I had. Brought my 25 count humidor with me and every day after fishing and diving we'd fire up the hot tub and some cigars. There's just something about being down there that is therapeutic. I'm glad you had all had a blast. We should arrange a Key Herf for us floridians to spend the weekend down there.

 

[Saxjazzman]

Great pics!! We have to make a trip down there one day. It sounds like a great place. Thanks for the pics.

 

[HapaLee]

Damn Joe, I wish I knew you guys were headed down there! Would have been nice to hang out with you, since it's been waay too long since the last time. Glad you had some good dives, the Benwood is a GREAT dive at night! Very eerie w/ the plates scattered around! Next time we need to get you on either the Spiegel Grove, or the Duane and Bibb!

 

[Wurm]

GREAT PICTURES!!! :thumbs:

 

[jgohlke]

Hey Lee - long time no hear...How ya doing?

The Benwood at night was something. A little spooky, but very cool. We saw lots of big parrot fish and a whole bunch of other fish too. We didn't do any of the deep dives because we aren't Advanced Certified, but we are planning to work on that this year.

During our last morning dive on Saturday, there was a bit of a feeding frenzy over a fish head. Nobody claimed ownership, so I don't know how we happened on it, but the fish were going wild. It didn't take long for a couple of sharks to show up and ruin the party for the smaller fish (including 1 pretty good size 'cuda). A few of the divers had underwater cameras and got some really good pictures. We swapped email addresses so I may have access to them in the next couple of days. I'll share if I can.

In the meantime, here's some info on the Benwood: Benwood linky

Here's a few underwater pictures of the wreck that I found using Google:

 

[bfreebern]

Wow, very cool. So you're allowed to dive and harvest a few lobsters for dinner?

 

[jgohlke]

Yes you are! There are rules of course....just like hunting. You can only catch 6 per day. no egg-bearing lobsters, they have to be at least a certain size, ya gotta have a license, you gotta have a measuring device on you...etc.

 

[Ultima83]

Wow. That looks like an awesome dive site.

 

[jgohlke]

I heard back from one of our fellow divers who took some underwater pictures and she was generous enough to share her pictures with us. I picked out a few to share. She had a couple of pictures of the sharks feeding on the fish head...it looks like she got pretty close!

Here they are:

Her dive partner:

I didn't see this turtle, but she got some good shots of him.

Up close and personal with a 'cuda

It's a little bit hard to see, but this is one of the sharks with the fish head in his mouth:

Shark doing a "drive by"...

Same shark, swimming away.

 

[stogieman]

Very cool Joe, great pics and thanks for sharing with us........ :thumbs: