With coral reefs around the world in peril from pollution, ocean acidification, disease and other threats, watching these animals reproduce is an exciting, exhilarating, and uplifting experience. A mass …
Exploring the Lake Wales Ridge: Central ‘highlands’ with old-fashioned flavor
10 May 20188:56 AM
When folks say Central Florida, what comes to mind? Orlando, Disney, theme parks?
There is another Central Florida and it makes a delightful discovery: the Lake Wales Ridge.
Like a spine up the middle of the state, the Lake Wales Ridge is a 150-mile-long stretch of higher ground, extending from Clermont on the north to Lake Placid on the south.
How high is the ridge? The highest point is Sugarloaf Mountain near Clermont at 312 feet, so, no, you won’t need to worry about climbing any peaks.
But you will be enjoying some of the most beautiful rolling hills, forests, streams and quaint small towns that Florida has to offer. And it’s all within two or three hours of urban South Florida, Tampa and Orlando. It is, in fact, the geographic center of Florida…read more of the article from Bonnie Gross of the Florida Rambler.
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![](mailto:?subject=Kids and Creatures Dive With Captain Slate&body=Seven youngsters age 10-15 became certified scuba divers last week with Captain Slate's Scuba Adventures in Islamorada. But their final two check-out dives 25 feet deep on the reef were anything but routine: they were accompanied by a pair of moray eels, a half-dozen nurse sharks, and big schools of chubs and snapper.
"It was really cool to see the sharks and everything!" newly-minted diver Bernard, 14, of Islamorada said afterward.
And the best thing about scuba diving?
"Being underwater and looking at everything and not running out of air," Bernard added.
For 23 years, Capt. Spencer Slate and his crew have been conducting a summer kids' scuba camp out of their Keys shop. The five-day June session was taught by Captain Russell "Skip" Dawson, a NAUI/SEI course director and Captain Sky Fabel -- Slate's daughter, dive boat captain, and dive instructor. Slate was master of ceremonies for the final two open-water dives--the popular "Creature Feature" where he feeds and cuddles tame eels and sharks.
The pre-dive briefing on the boat heading out to the site was more about creature safety than dive skills.
"Do not reach out to the eel with your hand if he's coming to you," Slate told the students. "Don't try to pick the eel up. I'll bring him up to you and you can pet him. If you are stupid, he will bite you."
Once at the reef, everyone descended and Slate banged on a tank to summon the eels-- a six-foot-long green and a smaller spotted moray. They seemed a little hesitant, venturing out of their rocky lairs just long enough to eat some fish bits, let Slate pet them, and inspect the divers kneeling on the bottom. No animals nor people were harmed during the filming of the dive by Emmy-winning videographer Frazier Nivens.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/P1020379.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4782" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/P1020379.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1920" /></a>
For the second dive, the group visited with a half dozen easygoing nurse sharks to about seven feet long. The sharks gobbled the fish snacks they were offered, allowed themselves to be petted, and rested on the bottom between the kneeling divers.
That was a highlight for newly-certified advanced diver, Patrick, 15, of Key Largo.
"I like seeing sharks. I'm interested in sharks," Patrick said. "I did the advanced course because I love scuba diving. I want to see wrecks and stuff."
Added Marco, 15, of Tavernier: "I like that it's another world that you can't see on dry land and it's only in specific areas of the world."
Fabel said she really enjoyed teaching the kids.
"They loved asking questions," she said. "That's what I love about this camp."
Captain Slate will offer two more kids' scuba camps this summer: July 10-14 and Aug. 7-11. Limited to 15 divers, they are expected to fill up fast.
For more information, visit <a href="http://www.captainslate.com">www.captainslate.com</a>, and to reserve a slot in the next camp, call 1-800-331-3483.
Families who need a room during the camps can reserve at the Islander, a Guy Harvey Outpost in Islamorada. Call 1-800-513-5257. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/kids-and-creatures-dive-with-captain-slate/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Galapagos: Islands of Eye-Popping Photo Ops&body=Sea lions sprawled on park benches barking at human passersby. Hundreds of marine iguanas standing around spitting salt. Tiny baby booby birds only inches from a walking trail.
Just a few of the images from the highlight reels of a handful of avid wildlife photographers who joined Guy Harvey Outpost's inaugural May photo safari to the Galapagos Islands.
"I'm gonna go again for sure," said country music star Ronnie Dunn of the Brooks & Dunn duo. "It was super fun. Full of surprises."
The expedition was led by veteran Sports Illustrated photographer Ron Modra who served as both guide and mentor to the group. But Modra said he didn't have to do too much mentoring.
"Everybody we had on the trip was fairly well accomplished," Modra said. "I think they got some really great stuff. I didn't let them leave a location until everybody had what they wanted."
Unlike guided cruise ship expeditions to the Pacific islands about 600 miles off Ecuador, this itinerary was land-based and covered five islands in eight days. The photographers stayed in hotels at night, traveled by boat to the islands, and hiked and snorkeled at their own pace to obtain the images they wanted.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Booby-babies.jpg"><img class="wp-image-4801 size-full" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Booby-babies.jpg" alt="" width="2100" height="1400" /></a>Photo: Diana Calleja
Naples, FL photographer Diana Calleja got many great shots of boobies, frigate birds, iguanas, and sea lions, but one image she coveted eluded her: the tropicbird, noted for its bright red bill and long, white-feathered tail.
"It's just magnificent. They are so fast. I'd like to go back maybe next year and get that shot," Calleja said.
Calleja's trip got off to an unfortunate start; on the second day, a broken strap plunged her camera into the ocean. Only the memory card was spared.
"I was just devastated," she said. "But everyone said, 'no, no' -- we have equipment for you."
And for the remainder of the trip, using borrowed gear from her fellow shooters, Calleja scored nearly everything she wanted--lying flat on a path between lava rocks to get photos of baby boobies; swimming with sea lions "just doing this ballet around you"; tripping over her own feet when a mama sea lion scolded her for getting to close to a baby.
"I was well clear," she said. "We all had a good laugh."
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/steve2.jpg"><img class="wp-image-4802 size-full" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/steve2.jpg" alt="" width="1680" height="1120" /></a>Photo: Steve Martine
The Galapagos revealed itself in different ways to all the photographers. Dunn was flipping through some images one night and nearly deleted one he had shot from a cliff while trying to capture birds in flight. But upon closer examination, he discovered he had captured a superb image of a large rock covered with marine iguanas, including one he said looked like Godzilla.
"There's stuff hidden in the rocks all over the place," Dunn marveled. "You almost need a spotter when you're looking through the lens: 'Hey! Coming in at 2 o'clock!'"
Dunn was enchanted by the rich diversity of wildlife -- from the colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs perched on the rocks to the sea lions reclining on park benches.
"I thought I'd sneak over by one and he jumps up and barks at me," Dunn said. "The big males are doing that alpha thing all the time. They look like they're trying to kill each other, but they're not."
Dunn owns a warehouse in Nashville, Tennessee's arts district where he's putting together the Lensmen Project-- a gallery of nature photography by travelling shooters. He said the Galapagos trip spurred him to get serious about it.
Improving his skills with Modra, he said, is "like getting to paint with Picasso. And Ron is great fun."
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Guy Harvey Outpost will mount a second land-based Galapagos photo safari led by Ron Modra October 29-Nov. 5. For complete details, pricing and reservations, visit <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com">www.guyharveyoutpost.com</a> or call the travel desk at 800-513-5257. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/galapagos-islands-of-eye-popping-photo-ops/){kind=link}
TRAVEL DESK : 800.513.5257
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