inter_alia
Guest
WPB and Abernethy's...
Just spent one night in West Palm Beach on our way to Key Largo. We arrived on a Saturday, had arranged ahead of time with Abernethys to be on a Sunday morning two-tank boat. We stayed at the Rutledge Inn old-Florida sort of hotel sandwiched between the new, taller national chain hotels. Good price from westpalmbeach.com and a great view from the balcony.
Arrived at Abernethys by 7:15 and unloaded at the dock. There were probably fifteen divers but two were spearfishing and would get off before us, and one was a heady photographer who also jumped off solo before the group. Our divemaster, Jane, was energetic, knowledgeable and instilled confidence immediately. Her briefing was solid for both dives and, for the Corridor dive, included helpful visual aides. Three enormous cheers to Jane!
These were both drift dives, the current was called ripping. However, even in these currents it was easy to follow the good scenery because of Janes experience and briefings. These were my first drift dives, really incredible experiences.
On the way out, I spotted a turtle at the surface he was large, just the head came up and then he bobbed a little, retreated underwater. A nice welcome and foreshadowing of the big critters to come...
First dive, Juno Ledge: max 89 feet, 37 minutes, 80 degree water, ripping current. We were told to drop in negative, very quickly. We lined up on the boat with fins on and just all tumbled in as close together as we could. On the way down, once the reef came into view, I watched several reef sharks rocketing away from us... whoa. So we had all made it, and we all could control our motion enough to stay still if we were looking at something or to not overtake Jane, who wanted to stay in front. Highlight was an enormous green moray sticking out of the reef pretty far to show off gorgeous creature! Saw some spiny lobsters scurrying backwards from the spectators. The reef itself was healthy and interestingly shaped with these deep crevices where large fish were hiding from the current. Visibility was good enough for this drifting adventure, probably about 40 feet.
Second dive, The Corridor: max 81 feet, 34 minutes, 79 degree water, ripping current (more ripping than at Juno Ledge.) We were briefed very well for this one by Jane. Once down there, I realized why. You had to know on which side to be for the wrecks and rocks, etc., or youd have to work very hard to get back in line. This dive was just AMAZING. We dropped in negative again, but it was harder to get to 80 feet in a straight line this time... When I did, I was immediately rewarded with Jane pointing out her hoped-for Goliath Grouper/ Jewfish. Hundreds of pounds, slowly swimming away from us behind the Mizpah and just an incredible sight. I cant exaggerate how big he was.
So we moved along the first boat, darted to the next and met in a break of it to regroup, hiding from the current. Next, we swam to the hull of the Amaryllis and stayed low inside it to avoid the current again. Lots of growth on her, but I was catching my breath and trying to slow down so I didnt get a great look at it all. We were taken by current past the next few rock formations and another old wreck pretty fast. We hit tidal water (brown, sudden) and Jane motioned for us to head up. I was starting to rise when I noticed others looking that way so I looked that way and BOOM! There was the biggest turtle (sea turtle?) Id ever seen, including in aquariums or zoos. I might have been a little narcd because my first thought was were you alive during the Civil War? but he was just that big. The shell might have been five feet long (flatter than a loggerheads, more oblong) with huge rectangular flippers and that head adding onto the length. He was on the bottom, swimming up effortlessly as we were all pulled away from him by the current and our rising to the safety stop.
Just a once-in-a-lifetime surprise, that turtle, and one confirmed by the other witnesses on the boat. Unbelievable, Im still a little breathless about him.
Four thumbs up for Jane, Abernethys and their marina: after I had unloaded my gear from the boat and was waiting on the dock for the car, down in the water were TWO SPOTTED EAGLE RAYS feeding on a dead fish. Right there, just flitting about beautifully and eating that fish together... At the dock!? Am I lucky or what?
Needless to say, I bought a t-shirt. Go to West Palm Beach! Now! Shoo!
Abernethys website is scuba-adventures.com I highly recommend them, and get Jane as your guide if you can... shes my new hero.
Just spent one night in West Palm Beach on our way to Key Largo. We arrived on a Saturday, had arranged ahead of time with Abernethys to be on a Sunday morning two-tank boat. We stayed at the Rutledge Inn old-Florida sort of hotel sandwiched between the new, taller national chain hotels. Good price from westpalmbeach.com and a great view from the balcony.
Arrived at Abernethys by 7:15 and unloaded at the dock. There were probably fifteen divers but two were spearfishing and would get off before us, and one was a heady photographer who also jumped off solo before the group. Our divemaster, Jane, was energetic, knowledgeable and instilled confidence immediately. Her briefing was solid for both dives and, for the Corridor dive, included helpful visual aides. Three enormous cheers to Jane!
These were both drift dives, the current was called ripping. However, even in these currents it was easy to follow the good scenery because of Janes experience and briefings. These were my first drift dives, really incredible experiences.
On the way out, I spotted a turtle at the surface he was large, just the head came up and then he bobbed a little, retreated underwater. A nice welcome and foreshadowing of the big critters to come...
First dive, Juno Ledge: max 89 feet, 37 minutes, 80 degree water, ripping current. We were told to drop in negative, very quickly. We lined up on the boat with fins on and just all tumbled in as close together as we could. On the way down, once the reef came into view, I watched several reef sharks rocketing away from us... whoa. So we had all made it, and we all could control our motion enough to stay still if we were looking at something or to not overtake Jane, who wanted to stay in front. Highlight was an enormous green moray sticking out of the reef pretty far to show off gorgeous creature! Saw some spiny lobsters scurrying backwards from the spectators. The reef itself was healthy and interestingly shaped with these deep crevices where large fish were hiding from the current. Visibility was good enough for this drifting adventure, probably about 40 feet.
Second dive, The Corridor: max 81 feet, 34 minutes, 79 degree water, ripping current (more ripping than at Juno Ledge.) We were briefed very well for this one by Jane. Once down there, I realized why. You had to know on which side to be for the wrecks and rocks, etc., or youd have to work very hard to get back in line. This dive was just AMAZING. We dropped in negative again, but it was harder to get to 80 feet in a straight line this time... When I did, I was immediately rewarded with Jane pointing out her hoped-for Goliath Grouper/ Jewfish. Hundreds of pounds, slowly swimming away from us behind the Mizpah and just an incredible sight. I cant exaggerate how big he was.
So we moved along the first boat, darted to the next and met in a break of it to regroup, hiding from the current. Next, we swam to the hull of the Amaryllis and stayed low inside it to avoid the current again. Lots of growth on her, but I was catching my breath and trying to slow down so I didnt get a great look at it all. We were taken by current past the next few rock formations and another old wreck pretty fast. We hit tidal water (brown, sudden) and Jane motioned for us to head up. I was starting to rise when I noticed others looking that way so I looked that way and BOOM! There was the biggest turtle (sea turtle?) Id ever seen, including in aquariums or zoos. I might have been a little narcd because my first thought was were you alive during the Civil War? but he was just that big. The shell might have been five feet long (flatter than a loggerheads, more oblong) with huge rectangular flippers and that head adding onto the length. He was on the bottom, swimming up effortlessly as we were all pulled away from him by the current and our rising to the safety stop.
Just a once-in-a-lifetime surprise, that turtle, and one confirmed by the other witnesses on the boat. Unbelievable, Im still a little breathless about him.
Four thumbs up for Jane, Abernethys and their marina: after I had unloaded my gear from the boat and was waiting on the dock for the car, down in the water were TWO SPOTTED EAGLE RAYS feeding on a dead fish. Right there, just flitting about beautifully and eating that fish together... At the dock!? Am I lucky or what?
Needless to say, I bought a t-shirt. Go to West Palm Beach! Now! Shoo!
Abernethys website is scuba-adventures.com I highly recommend them, and get Jane as your guide if you can... shes my new hero.
.
