The wreck of the MG-111 barge and the nearby pillars of Warrior Reef to the north aren’t very scenic as dive sites go– just a smooshed hull and a few tall vertical posts sunk 60 feet deep in …
Diving with Santa Claus
6 Dec 201610:41 AM
It turns out that Santa Claus carries more than toys in that reindeer-driven sleigh: a set of scuba tanks. And you will have two opportunities to dive underwater, sit on his lap, get your photo taken, and present him with your holiday wish list.
Santa’s sleigh will take him first to Pompano Beach where South Florida Diving Headquarters, a Guy Harvey Outpost Outfitter, will host a two-tank dive on Dec. 11. One of Captain Jeff Torode’s dive boats will give you and Santa (and a couple of his elves) a lift out to the 70-foot-deep wreck of the Ancient Mariner where you’ll proceed down to the deck for a photo op. For the second dive, you and Santa will do a drift dive along a shallower reef. Afterward, digital photos will be available that you can convert to holiday cards or decorations or just plaster all over Facebook and Instagram. Cost is $60; for reservations, call the shop at 800-771-DIVE or go to www.southfloridadiving.com.
Then on December 22, Santa arrives at Captain Slate’s Scuba Adventures, a Guy Harvey Outpost Outfitter near Islamorada, for a two-tank afternoon dive on a couple of shallow reefs where snorkelers also are welcome. You’ll get a photo session and a holiday gift. Cost is $85; for reservations, call 800-331-3483.
Pro team Member
Related Articles
Popular Post
-
Redfish in Florida is “Red Hot” !
26 Feb 2018 11:48 am -
Cuba Un-canned: See It With the Locals
22 Aug 2017 10:51 am -
36 Hours in St. Augustine
11 Mar 2019 7:24 am
Pro Team
Connect & Follow
Connect & Follow
General
Bon Appetit
Conservation corner
Dive In
Got Photo
Get Hooked
Outdoor Adventure
Travel Tips
![](mailto:?subject=Diving with Goliaths off Jupiter&body=The wreck of the MG-111 barge and the nearby pillars of Warrior Reef to the north aren't very scenic as dive sites go-- just a smooshed hull and a few tall vertical posts sunk 60 feet deep in the sand off Jupiter, FL. But for the opportunity to visit with some really large marine creatures-- some of them the size of Mini Coopers --there's no better place to visit in Florida right now.
Beginning with the August new moon, and likely through early October, scores of huge Goliath grouper hang around these motley artificial reefs getting to know one another and perpetuating their endangered species. They station themselves up- and down-current and inside the structures, occasionally making booming noises that sound like submerged bass drums. If you refrain from chasing them and remain stationary on the bottom, they may approach closely enough for you to shoot some amazing photos and video.
On my recent dive, I quit counting the gigantic fish at 50. They were cautious around me, but not spooky. One hovered inside the MG-111 about four feet away from me, opening and closing its wide mouth as I watched. As if that weren't enough live entertainment, a five-foot Southern stingray glided by overhead. And at the Warrior Reef, a really large loggerhead turtle sat calmly in the sand while a small, tagged green turtle nibbled on sponges. All around them milled more Goliaths. To call it an epic dive is a vast understatement.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DSC1783.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-4258" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DSC1783-1024x598.jpg" alt="Credit Alan Cegan" width="1024" height="598" /></a>Credit Alan Cegan
Florida State University research scientist Dr. Chris Koenig and his colleagues have identified some 20 Goliath grouper spawning sites off Florida's Atlantic and Gulf coasts-- including the one I visited. Most of them are wrecks and rocky outcroppings extending from Fort Myers south to the Dry Tortugas in the Gulf and from Jupiter south to Boynton Beach in the Atlantic. The Jupiter wrecks are the prime hot spots for viewing-- easily accessible located only a few miles offshore.
Spawning, Koenig says, takes place late at night during new moon phases from August through October. Goliaths travel from as far as 300 miles away to join these aggregations and most depart when spawning is over, leaving a few stragglers year round. Koenig and colleagues have collected millions of Goliath eggs in their nets around the reproduction sites and hope someday to rear them so fish can be stocked in areas where they are heavily depleted.
The seasonal Goliath dive tours are an important economic driver for local businesses whose owners are vehement advocates for the gentle, mottled-brown fish. Goliaths have been protected from all harvest in Florida since 1990 when they were nearly wiped out by overfishing. In recent years, their recovery has prompted some hook-and-line and spear fishers to urge managers to re-open the fishery, but that's not likely to happen anytime soon.
The most recent scientific stock assessment that might have led to a re-opening flunked peer review because it was inconclusive--lacking baseline information on Goliaths before they were hammered to near extinction in the 1970s and '80s. Another potential obstacle to resuming harvest is that larger animals show high levels of mercury-- a toxic heavy metal that can cause an array of health problems in humans who consume it. Koenig says Goliath mercury levels are so high that the fish themselves get sick and die of it. And, he says, the species is still threatened by poaching, recreational catch-and-release fishing, and bycatch in the bottom longline commercial shark fishery.
So, for right now, it seems the function of the Goliath grouper is to be the star of underwater safaris and video documentaries like the lions of the Serengeti. Take the plunge to see them before they split for the season. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/diving-with-goliaths-off-jupiter/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=WANTED DEAD or Alive, LIONFISH!&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/reef-derbies-2014.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2053" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/reef-derbies-2014.jpg?w=300" alt="Reef Derbies 2014" width="300" height="300" /></a>
If you are in the eastern Bahamas and can not make it to the Bimini Beach Bash, Bonfire & Tournament please head over to the Green Turtle Club for the 6th Annual Lionfish Derby, June 27-28th. The Green Turtle Club is original host to REEF's first Lionfish Derby. We always need more divers and diners to make those pesky Lionfish disappear. To make your reservations call: 800-513-5257 or reservations@guyharveyoutpost.com, http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/ https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wanted-dead-or-alive-lionfish/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Diving South Florida’s Best New Underwater Attraction: Lady Luck&body=By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost Travel Journalist
scocking@guyharveyoutpost.com
Pulling myself hand over hand down a descent line to the shipwreck Lady Luck against a stiff current took a couple minutes. But when I finally reached the main deck of the 324-foot-long former sludge tanker, I was glad to see it sits perfectly upright in the sand. Sunk on July 23 about 130 feet deep off Pompano Beach, Florida, the region's newest shipwreck is attracting hundreds of eager divers-- and also some fish.
Exploring the Lady Luck is an exciting and challenging experience; there's really nothing like it underwater anywhere. Longer than a football field with its main deck sitting about 100 feet beneath the ocean's surface, the former Newtown Creek that for decades performed the mundane task of transporting New York City's sewage sludge is now decked out as a mock casino. And divers are taking full advantage of the opportunities for underwater selfies.
Our group -- consisting mostly of members of the South Florida Divers Scuba Club -- arrived at the stern of the ship and worked our way slowly forward, using its giant stacks and bulkheads to shield us from the current. No marine growth coats the wreck, but that's understandable given how recently it went down. We swam into the wheelhouse to find some navigation equipment still intact, then discovered some unexpected decorations outside on top: sculptures of shells and starfish created by Pompano Beach artist Dennis MacDonald.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Julie-dealing-to-Jeanne-Kossey.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4169" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Julie-dealing-to-Jeanne-Kossey-1024x576.jpg" alt="Julie dealing to Jeanne Kossey" width="1024" height="576" /></a>
Continuing forward, we found giant dice; a poker table surrounded by sculptures of card sharks and a mermaid cocktail waitress; an octopus shooting craps; and a couple slot machines. Ironically, a school of real Atlantic spadefish hovered around the poker table!
Because of Lady Luck's length and depth, it's tough to cover in a single dive. Divers will want to return again and again to visit parts of the ship that they didn't have time to see the first time around. And it won't be too long before sponges and soft corals begin to attach to its decks and bulkheads and extensive network of piping, creating habitat for fish both large and small.
The Lady Luck is expected to be the centerpiece of Shipwreck Park, surrounded by 16 other sunken vessels. Its deployment was the work of a non-profit formed by the city of Pompano Beach, the Isle Casino and several local businesses that raised more than $300,000 to purchase, clean and sink it. Captain Jeff Torode, operator of South Florida Diving Headquarters, a Guy Harvey Outpost Outfitter in Pompano Beach, was a key player in the project.
To book a dive trip to the Lady Luck, call 800-771-DIVE (3483) or visit the <a href="http://www.southfloridadiving.com" target="_blank">SFDH web site</a>.
****************
Sue Cocking chronicles the Guy Harvey Outpost travel and adventure experience in regular blog posts on GuyHarveyOutpostNews.com/. For 21 years, Cocking covered the full spectrum of outdoors adventure opportunities in South Florida and beyond for the Miami Herald, including fishing, diving, hunting, paddling, camping, sailing and powerboat racing. She is a certified scuba diver and holder of an IGFA women's world fly fishing record for a 29-pound permit.
**********
Share your photos, videos and experiences with Guy Harvey Outpost by hash tagging #OutpostAttitude to all of your social media posts. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/diving-south-floridas-best-new-underwater-attraction-lady-luck/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Diving Thrills with Huge Fish at Guy Harvey Outpost in Mexico&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/makodredge1-2.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2914 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/makodredge1-2.jpg?w=300" alt="makodredge1 (2)" width="300" height="177" /></a>
It looks just like a giant, wide-open front-end loader plowing the surface of the Caribbean Sea, except it's ALIVE. A 15-foot long whale shark -- one of hundreds that gather annually from June through mid-September in the waters around Isla Mujeres, Mexico--is sucking up its dinner of plankton as a horde of enthralled snorkelers hovers nearby to watch. The calm, placid giant-- broad and brown with white dots-- pays them no mind and cruises slowly along, feeding on the spawn of bonitos with its huge dorsal fin sticking up out of the water. A few feet away, a six-foot- wide manta ray joins the buffet line, and the snorkelers' heads swivel wildly back and forth.
The waters around this small island just off Mexico's northern Yucatan peninsula are one of very few places in the world where just about anyone can get close-up and personal with the largest fish in the ocean in its natural environment. And captain Anthony Mendillo of Keen M Blue Water Charters is your best choice for tour guide.
One of the region's pioneering whale shark tour operators, Mendillo zealously protects these charismatic creatures and delights in introducing them to visitors.
"The whale shark dive is so cool because the whole family can enjoy it," he said. "Children can go. You don't have to be a professional diver or a professional naturalist to appreciate the magnitude of the experience."
Indeed, the Mexican government prohibits scuba diving with the whale shark aggregation; only mask, snorkel and fins are allowed. Visitors are not permitted to touch the animals or use flash photography.
Although the 2015 whale shark season has wound down, Isla Mujeres and Keen M offer other unique topwater and underwater opportunities: snorkeling with sailfish and cage-diving with mako sharks.
From January through early March, Keen M boats escort their customers to the catch-and release of up to 50 sailfish per day on rod-and-reel by homing in on seabirds diving on schools of sardines that form tight bait balls. After everyone's arms are worn out from reeling in sails and letting them go, it's time to jump in and check out the spindlebeaks' living room.
"I have people who catch a double and now they're down there in their underwear ready to jump in," Mendillo said. "It's a very happy medium when a guest can say, 'I saw a sailfish eat a sardine; now I know how to hook them.'"
The occasional wahoo has been known to join the sails in crashing the bait balls, adding to the excitement.
For the extremely adventurous, Keen M offers cage-diving with mako sharks that cruise the region in March and April. If you go, you just may spot a mako sporting hardware on its dorsal fin. That's because Guy Harvey and colleagues from Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center have implanted several with tags to track their movements.
Your headquarters for diving and fishing in Isla Mujeres is the Hotel Playa Media Luna, a Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Lodge. There are plenty of openings for 2016.
*****
Sue Cocking chronicles the Guy Harvey Outpost travel and adventure experience in regular blog posts on GuyHarveyOutpostNews.com/. For 21 years, Cocking covered the full spectrum of outdoors adventure opportunities in South Florida and beyond for the Miami Herald, including fishing, diving, hunting, paddling, camping, sailing and powerboat racing. She is a certified scuba diver and holder of an IGFA women's world fly fishing record for a 29-pound permit. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/diving-thrills-with-huge-fish-at-guy-harvey-outpost-in-mexico/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=History of Diving Museum, FREE Presentation March 19, Dive Memorials, CLICK for details&body=<img src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/dive-memorials.png" class="size-full" alt="Dive Memorials at the History of Diving Museum, FREE Presentation" /> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/dive-memorials-at-the-history-of-diving-museum-free-presentation/){kind=link}
TRAVEL DESK : 800.513.5257
Connect & Follow