So after much brow beating from various friends, I have decided to try to blog more often! It should be a good way for folks to follow what’s going on during our hectic summers of boy scout charters.
Today was our first full day with Troop 31 from Pennsylvania. The day got off to a slow start because I woke up with a serious ear infection, the dread of divers everywhere. Fortunately here in Key West there is a mobile doctor who will come to you, this one will even come by boat. Fortunately I didn’t need him to go that out of his way, but I did have him meet me at the fuel dock at 9 am. After a quick look over (and in–the ear, that is), his prognosis was it wasn’t fatal! Whew! He gave me some antibiotic ear drops, told me to take the leftover antibiotic pills I had from my last misfortune, and see how it went. At least my eardrum is okay, and the pain is currently not getting any worse.
My steadfast scouts took the detour with aplomb, and off we went to the reef line south of Key West. The water was beautiful, visibility around 60 feet (or more, when the sun finally peeked out from the clouds). We managed to get three great dives in, one at Sand Key (home to an old light house south–and icon in Key West), one at Eastern Dry Rocks (where you can find old encrusted chain from long ago shipwreck), and one at a spot called Kedge Ledge (three old coral encrusted kedge style anchors, big as a man, are laid along a pretty little ledge). All in all, it was a nice day. The weather is quite warm, and not much wind blowing. Makes for a steamy time on deck, but fabulous visibility on the reef!
The above picture was taken at Kedge Ledge. Jim is doing his part to eradicate the exotic invasive! Lionfish have been reproducing in alarming numbers, and biologists are concerned about their impact on the reef habitat. Apparently lionfish will eat anything, and have no predators in this region of the ocean. Time will tell how they alter their new environment……
And so I shall end my latest post. Hopefully I can keep this up this summer. 🙂
Holley