Florida Keys snorkeling locations - Page 8

sam.basye · 03/24/2016, 11:59 PM

Ron, or anyone else who has an idea.
Do you know what type of fish this is?

I collected it in Key Largo last March in about 6" of water about 4' from the shore at a tiny little "bike path beach" on the gulf side. I collected it at night with a bucket, sucked it right in.

It is about 2.5" long, silver with faint gray/brown markings, and active at all hours.

I've never been able to find an ID, though I believe it to be some sort of goby.

Ron Reefman · 03/25/2016, 06:57 AM

Hi Sam,

I'm a lot more into inverts than fish, and even then I don't claim any real expertise. My wife (head reference librarian) and I looked in our reference materials at home and on the internet and didn't find any good answers.

First, we both agree it's very unlikely any kind of goby as they all seem to have a long fin that runs down their spine and your fish has just a short fin.

Second, we both thought it's very likely a juvenile of some species and therefore could look quite different in 6 month or a year. Although you have had it at home for a year now and that shoots a big hole in that idea!

The good news is that when I offer up a reference item like this to my wife, she can be like a dog with a bone and just can't let it go. I'll also ask a few friends in our local club who are more into fish, both for collecting and for fishing.

Hopefully, somebody else on here will have some ideas. I've never collected any fish in the Keys, but I have brought home a few that I collected in the Gulf of Mexico near home here in SW Florida. They all grew into much bigger fish that we were able to identify.

The best we could do, and it's just a WAG (Wild A$$ Guess) was a Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) which only grows to about 3" long. A field guide we have said," This fish is often found in isolated tidal pools, where it tolerates extremes of temperature and salinity."

G_Sanab922 · 03/25/2016, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

The best we could do, and it's just a WAG (Wild A$$ Guess) was a Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) which only grows to about 3" long. A field guide we have said," This fish is often found in isolated tidal pools, where it tolerates extremes of temperature and salinity."

I think that's a pretty good guess. Honestly though it looks similar to the saltwater mollies and minnows I have in my canal. I'm on the bayside. There's so many different types it's hard to get info on all of them.

sam.basye · 03/25/2016, 10:20 AM

Thanks guys! I think you might be right with the Sheepshead Minnow.

The main reason I ask is that I wanted to know if it could self-fertilize.
It's the only one in my tank, had it for a year, and about a month ago it looked pregnant. It went away for about a week (last week), and now looks prego again. Stomach very bloated, like the breeding freshwater mollies I used to have in a different tank.

None of my fish (2 clowns, 3 stripe damsel, bicolor blenny) like it, so it basically lives in the back of my tank in the 'fuge section (3" gap the width of the tank behind the foam wall) until feeding time and then stays out front all night while the other fish sleep.
I have a little window I can look through to see whats going on back there, but I can't see a whole lot.
So, not sure if it layed eggs or not.

From my researching, it appears that there are separate sexes and that's the only way of fertilization..
I also think that mine is a female as it has never changed colors like the male's do during the breeding months (from silver to blue/orange) and it lacks the darker male markings.

sam.basye · 03/25/2016, 12:35 PM

Here is a pic I just took when the lights came on. You can kind of see the increased belly in it. The previous bta pic was when the fish didn't look pregnant.

Last night

I found a pic of exactly where I caught her at. Caught it at night with a flashlight and a 2gal bucket.

Rcook9 · 03/29/2016, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam.basye

Here is a pic I just took when the lights came on. You can kind of see the increased belly in it. The previous bta pic was when the fish didn't look pregnant.

Last night

I found a pic of exactly where I caught her at. Caught it at night with a flashlight and a 2gal bucket.

I live in bradenton florida and we have these fish everywhere. I have always called the mud minnows because you find them in muddy brackish water. It's a species of killifish, I beleive it's a marsh killifish but I could be wrong on the exact species. Also these fish in the wild are often extremely fat. Not sure if all the big ones are pregnant females that I see or if it is just how they are.

sam.basye · 03/29/2016, 08:54 PM

You're right, they are a species of killifish, but I think more specifically they are a Sheepshead Minnow. I actually found this pic when I first got it a year ago. Thin and shiny.

Now it's intermittently fat and kinda striped.

About 2 years ago, I caught my first saltwater fish. They were 2 killifish from SC that went through hell and back in a tiny tank and my lack of knowledge. Cool fish though. Bomb proof. Lol

sam.basye · 03/29/2016, 09:01 PM

Figured I'd post some pics from my spring break trip last year with some of the critters you might see in the keys.

The best things will usually be found by flipping rocks.
Lots of brittle and serpent stars, emerald crabs (tan, green, and red), blue leg hermits, whelks, rock boring urchins, etc.

G_Sanab922 · 03/30/2016, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam.basye

You're right, they are a species of killifish, but I think more specifically they are a Sheepshead Minnow. I actually found this pic when I first got it a year ago. Thin and shiny.

Now it's intermittently fat and kinda striped.

About 2 years ago, I caught my first saltwater fish. They were 2 killifish from SC that went through hell and back in a tiny tank and my lack of knowledge. Cool fish though. Bomb proof. Lol

well if that's the case then I have these guys all over my canal haha
in all types of colors and sizes.

And nice catch Sam, looks nice. The only bad thing about the critters down here is that a lot aren't reef safe.

Ron Reefman · 03/31/2016, 06:52 AM

You have to be careful with wild caught animals.

First is to be sure that what you are collecting is legal and that you have the proper license. Like here in Lee County (Ft Myers/Cape Coral) it's illegal to collect ANYTHING that is alive in a shell. No clams, no scallops, no mussels and even no hermit crabs!

Second is to know how to keep them alive for transport back home. I use a cooler about half full of water with a battery operated bubbler and airstone for the 4-5 hour drive home.

Third is quarantine, depending on what you have collected. I used to worry about this A LOT, but in 12 years I haven't had a single animal show any disease or parasite. And none have caused any issues like that in my tanks.

And finally, are they safe for what you are doing with your tank. For example, in Sam's photos there is a Crown Conch which is a carnivore and will eat your snails. Or the small crab with the black tipped claws. It's a Stone Crab and it's also a carnivore and also can grow quite big. I had one in my refugium that went from tiny to over 4" across it carapace in about 18 months!

But all that said, I have a lot of wild caught animals in my tanks and they have all done quite well. I've had emerald crabs, serpent stars, porcelain crabs, yellow sea cucumbers, green zoas, cinnamon palys, brittle stars, various clams, flame scallops, rock flower anemones, pistol shrimp, american warty anemones, banded coral shrimp, curly-cue anemones, condy anemones (now illegal to collect in Florida), gorgonian corals, file fish, and more. In fact I have a 2 clams that have 8" to 12" long purple gorgonians attached to them. And they were beach rescues after a storm!

jml538 · 03/31/2016, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam.basye

Ron, or anyone else who has an idea.
Do you know what type of fish this is?

I collected it in Key Largo last March in about 6" of water about 4' from the shore at a tiny little "bike path beach" on the gulf side. I collected it at night with a bucket, sucked it right in.

It is about 2.5" long, silver with faint gray/brown markings, and active at all hours.

I've never been able to find an ID, though I believe it to be some sort of goby.

I believe it is a Sheepshead minnow. Or it looks like one, we get em up here in New Jersey.

Ron Reefman · 04/08/2016, 06:47 AM

We are starting to plan our Keys snorkel trips for the summer. So far we are going to do a mid week trip the 2nd week in May. And we will be with the SWFMAS (SouthWest Florida Marine Aquarium Society) for their club field trip the weekend of June 17th through the 20th. We are so looking forward to getting back in the water!

AZRippster · 04/08/2016, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

We are starting to plan our Keys snorkel trips for the summer. So far we are going to do a mid week trip the 2nd week in May. And we will be with the SWFMAS (SouthWest Florida Marine Aquarium Society) for their club field trip the weekend of June 17th through the 20th. We are so looking forward to getting back in the water!

I hear ya! Headed to Islamorada next Friday and will be diving reefs from there up to Largo. It's been since November last year since I was on compressed air, so the itch is overwhelmingly powerful.

Ron Reefman · 04/09/2016, 03:33 AM

Wow, all the way from AZ to dive in the Keys. I've never really paid any attention, but I would have guessed there would be 'stuff' worth diving on in the Gulf of California (although it is a foreign country) or off the coast of Southern CA? But we're glad to have you come to Florida and enjoy the Keys! The weather here is getting quite nice, upper 60's at night and low 80's most days.

AZRippster · 04/11/2016, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

Wow, all the way from AZ to dive in the Keys. I've never really paid any attention, but I would have guessed there would be 'stuff' worth diving on in the Gulf of California (although it is a foreign country) or off the coast of Southern CA? But we're glad to have you come to Florida and enjoy the Keys! The weather here is getting quite nice, upper 60's at night and low 80's most days.

It's almost become a tradition going to The Keys. This will be our 6th trip in just about as many years. We also dive San Carlos annually which is in the Gulf of California. The California Coast is too cold for us so we typically catch a big bird somewhere else. We like the The Keys for more than diving and also heading down to Key West for a day of mischief is tops. The Keys used to be amazing and I was fortunate enough to dive their reefs in the early '90s. Sadly, they are no longer anywhere close to they way they were then.

This year though we'll have our grandchildren with us, so does anyone know of a good tidal area near Islamorada where little critters can be found that young ones would find interesting? They are 3 and 4 years old, so more tidal versus snorkeling, they are not quite there yet.

G_Sanab922 · 04/13/2016, 06:58 AM

In Islamorada you can go to Founder's Park Beach or Anne's Beach. For the kids I think that would be your best bet for that area. You can also stop in between the bridges on those little islands but it tends to be a lot more rocky there.

AZRippster · 04/13/2016, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G_Sanab922

In Islamorada you can go to Founder's Park Beach or Anne's Beach. For the kids I think that would be your best bet for that area. You can also stop in between the bridges on those little islands but it tends to be a lot more rocky there.

Thank you very much, this is exactly the type of info I was looking for. Now I just need to pull the tide tables so I can be sure when low tide is.

Thanks again!

G_Sanab922 · 04/13/2016, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZRippster

Thank you very much, this is exactly the type of info I was looking for. Now I just need to pull the tide tables so I can be sure when low tide is.

Thanks again!

No problem.
Another place is John Pennekamp in Key Largo. I normally don't recommend it because it can be pretty crowded sometimes and the beach is ok. One reason why I do mention it to you is that it has a shallow barrier around the beach that is calf to ankle deep. Many like to walk it and see what they can find under the rocks. There's pics of it if you google "John Pennekamp Beach".
Also there is a nice aquarium there and some nature trails.

AZRippster · 04/13/2016, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G_Sanab922

No problem.
Another place is John Pennekamp in Key Largo. I normally don't recommend it because it can be pretty crowded sometimes and the beach is ok. One reason why I do mention it to you is that it has a shallow barrier around the beach that is calf to ankle deep. Many like to walk it and see what they can find under the rocks. There's pics of it if you google "John Pennekamp Beach".
Also there is a nice aquarium there and some nature trails.

Yes, my wife and I already consider JP. We have visited it in the past and thought it might be nice for the grandchildren. On days when we are diving, we may recommend it to my daughter and son-in law to take the kids there.

Ron Reefman · 04/14/2016, 06:19 AM

It's a bit of a drive from Islamorada, but Bahia Honda State Park has a nice beach (no seaweed washed up and shallow) on the Florida Bay side of the island. And although there can be a LOT of 'stuff' washed up on the oceans side beach, it's also shallow and after 15' to 25' sandy bottom it turns to all kinds of interesting stuff. And lots of it is still very shallow (especially at low tide). With the 2 beaches on either side of the island, one side is always calm water and they are only separated by a parking lot and bath house with an outside shower. And there are lots of places to visit in Marathon on the way to or home from Bahia Honda.

If you haven't been to it before, I recommend you visit the History of Diving Museum on Upper Matecumbe Key near Islamorada.
http://www.divingmuseum.org/

InOrderToBeAble · 04/20/2016, 07:12 PM

I have lived and been in the waters of the Florida Keys for 20 years. You can drive from any location and jump in the water and see amazing sites. It is wonderful to see vast marine wildlife just driving down from mainland and parking and jumping in. There is no need to get in a boat and go out to a reef. As a result, I now collect as a business and am happy about it.

Ron Reefman · 04/21/2016, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InOrderToBeAble

I have lived and been in the waters of the Florida Keys for 20 years. You can drive from any location and jump in the water and see amazing sites. It is wonderful to see vast marine wildlife just driving down from mainland and parking and jumping in. There is no need to get in a boat and go out to a reef. As a result, I now collect as a business and am happy about it.

This is how I got into the aquarium hobby. My wife and I had done snorkeling at various times in our lives before we met. While we were dating we decided to go to the Keys and try some snorkeling right off the beach. We happened to pick Bahia Honda State Park and it has turned out to be a honey hole (as they say on American Pickers TV show) of things to see.

But to really do it well, you need to take your time and really look around and look closely at everything! Being slow in the water means you don't scare things away before you've even seen them.

We once followed an octopus for 10 minutes as it moved from one spot to another trying to hide using it's ability to change skin color, color pattern and even texture. We just floated along in about 3' of water and watched. It stopped at 4 or 5 different things and tried to hide. From a big purple Gorgonian to a big tan vase sponge to a big clump of red macro algae and finally it found a hole under a big ball sponge and it disappeared down the hole. I swear we could hear it laughing at us as it was saying,"Ha! You can't see me now, can you?"

Now I almost always bring back something from the Keys for my aquarium. And BTW, I have the appropriate Florida license and never even get close to the upper limits the state allows. Usually it's just couple of snails or a serpent star or a small Gorgonian coral or a rock flower anemone or a flame scallop... never a lot, but usually something. And the survival rate for these collected animals in our aquariums is better than the stuff we buy at LFS or online!

AZRippster · 04/22/2016, 09:02 AM

This week SUCKED! Small craft advisories, rain, and terrible visibility. A real bummer. Thankfully the real purpose of our trip was to spend time with my kids and grandkids, but any shot at diving was shot down. We made a trip from Islamorada to Key West yesterday so the kids could see some sites but it poured the entire day. Overcast and rainy today but hoping to let the kids try out Robbies. Bottom line, the weather prediction the week before we left was 180 degrees off from reality. It appears Florida has the same weather person Arizona does.

G_Sanab922 · 04/22/2016, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZRippster

Overcast and rainy today but hoping to let the kids try out Robbies. Bottom line, the weather prediction the week before we left was 180 degrees off from reality. It appears Florida has the same weather person Arizona does.

Robbies is always a good choice. But yea the weather has been wacky lately. More bad than good.
Another place the kids might like is Wild Bird Sanctuary. It's free and doesn't take a long time.
I can't wait for the weather to get better, especially since the mahi are coming around now.

AZRippster · 04/22/2016, 11:53 AM

They are enjoying Robbie's. Thankfully the clouds have cleared so our last day here looks like it will be nice. Sadly, diving is still not a realistic option. Looks like San Carlos, Mexico in July.

03/24/2016, 11:59 PM	#176
sam.basye Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Lynchburg, VA Posts: 1,227	Ron, or anyone else who has an idea. Do you know what type of fish this is? I collected it in Key Largo last March in about 6" of water about 4' from the shore at a tiny little "bike path beach" on the gulf side. I collected it at night with a bucket, sucked it right in. It is about 2.5" long, silver with faint gray/brown markings, and active at all hours. I've never been able to find an ID, though I believe it to be some sort of goby. __________________ }<`SAM`;{°< Current Tank: 30 Cube build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2661418 26g Foam Rockwall build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2457621 Foam Wall

03/25/2016, 06:57 AM	#177
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	Hi Sam, I'm a lot more into inverts than fish, and even then I don't claim any real expertise. My wife (head reference librarian) and I looked in our reference materials at home and on the internet and didn't find any good answers. First, we both agree it's very unlikely any kind of goby as they all seem to have a long fin that runs down their spine and your fish has just a short fin. Second, we both thought it's very likely a juvenile of some species and therefore could look quite different in 6 month or a year. Although you have had it at home for a year now and that shoots a big hole in that idea! The good news is that when I offer up a reference item like this to my wife, she can be like a dog with a bone and just can't let it go. I'll also ask a few friends in our local club who are more into fish, both for collecting and for fishing. Hopefully, somebody else on here will have some ideas. I've never collected any fish in the Keys, but I have brought home a few that I collected in the Gulf of Mexico near home here in SW Florida. They all grew into much bigger fish that we were able to identify. The best we could do, and it's just a WAG (Wild A$$ Guess) was a Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) which only grows to about 3" long. A field guide we have said," This fish is often found in isolated tidal pools, where it tolerates extremes of temperature and salinity." __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

03/25/2016, 10:20 AM	#179
sam.basye Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Lynchburg, VA Posts: 1,227	Thanks guys! I think you might be right with the Sheepshead Minnow. The main reason I ask is that I wanted to know if it could self-fertilize. It's the only one in my tank, had it for a year, and about a month ago it looked pregnant. It went away for about a week (last week), and now looks prego again. Stomach very bloated, like the breeding freshwater mollies I used to have in a different tank. None of my fish (2 clowns, 3 stripe damsel, bicolor blenny) like it, so it basically lives in the back of my tank in the 'fuge section (3" gap the width of the tank behind the foam wall) until feeding time and then stays out front all night while the other fish sleep. I have a little window I can look through to see whats going on back there, but I can't see a whole lot. So, not sure if it layed eggs or not. From my researching, it appears that there are separate sexes and that's the only way of fertilization.. I also think that mine is a female as it has never changed colors like the male's do during the breeding months (from silver to blue/orange) and it lacks the darker male markings. __________________ }<`SAM`;{°< Current Tank: 30 Cube build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2661418 26g Foam Rockwall build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2457621 Foam Wall

03/25/2016, 12:35 PM	#180
sam.basye Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Lynchburg, VA Posts: 1,227	Here is a pic I just took when the lights came on. You can kind of see the increased belly in it. The previous bta pic was when the fish didn't look pregnant. Last night I found a pic of exactly where I caught her at. Caught it at night with a flashlight and a 2gal bucket. __________________ }<`SAM`;{°< Current Tank: 30 Cube build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2661418 26g Foam Rockwall build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2457621 Foam Wall

03/29/2016, 08:54 PM	#182
sam.basye Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Lynchburg, VA Posts: 1,227	You're right, they are a species of killifish, but I think more specifically they are a Sheepshead Minnow. I actually found this pic when I first got it a year ago. Thin and shiny. Now it's intermittently fat and kinda striped. About 2 years ago, I caught my first saltwater fish. They were 2 killifish from SC that went through hell and back in a tiny tank and my lack of knowledge. Cool fish though. Bomb proof. Lol __________________ }<`SAM`;{°< Current Tank: 30 Cube build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2661418 26g Foam Rockwall build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2457621 Foam Wall

03/29/2016, 09:01 PM	#183
sam.basye Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Lynchburg, VA Posts: 1,227	Figured I'd post some pics from my spring break trip last year with some of the critters you might see in the keys. The best things will usually be found by flipping rocks. Lots of brittle and serpent stars, emerald crabs (tan, green, and red), blue leg hermits, whelks, rock boring urchins, etc. __________________ }<`SAM`;{°< Current Tank: 30 Cube build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2661418 26g Foam Rockwall build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2457621 Foam Wall

03/31/2016, 06:52 AM	#185
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	You have to be careful with wild caught animals. First is to be sure that what you are collecting is legal and that you have the proper license. Like here in Lee County (Ft Myers/Cape Coral) it's illegal to collect ANYTHING that is alive in a shell. No clams, no scallops, no mussels and even no hermit crabs! Second is to know how to keep them alive for transport back home. I use a cooler about half full of water with a battery operated bubbler and airstone for the 4-5 hour drive home. Third is quarantine, depending on what you have collected. I used to worry about this A LOT, but in 12 years I haven't had a single animal show any disease or parasite. And none have caused any issues like that in my tanks. And finally, are they safe for what you are doing with your tank. For example, in Sam's photos there is a Crown Conch which is a carnivore and will eat your snails. Or the small crab with the black tipped claws. It's a Stone Crab and it's also a carnivore and also can grow quite big. I had one in my refugium that went from tiny to over 4" across it carapace in about 18 months! But all that said, I have a lot of wild caught animals in my tanks and they have all done quite well. I've had emerald crabs, serpent stars, porcelain crabs, yellow sea cucumbers, green zoas, cinnamon palys, brittle stars, various clams, flame scallops, rock flower anemones, pistol shrimp, american warty anemones, banded coral shrimp, curly-cue anemones, condy anemones (now illegal to collect in Florida), gorgonian corals, file fish, and more. In fact I have a 2 clams that have 8" to 12" long purple gorgonians attached to them. And they were beach rescues after a storm! __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

04/08/2016, 06:47 AM	#187
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	We are starting to plan our Keys snorkel trips for the summer. So far we are going to do a mid week trip the 2nd week in May. And we will be with the SWFMAS (SouthWest Florida Marine Aquarium Society) for their club field trip the weekend of June 17th through the 20th. We are so looking forward to getting back in the water! __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

04/09/2016, 03:33 AM	#189
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	Wow, all the way from AZ to dive in the Keys. I've never really paid any attention, but I would have guessed there would be 'stuff' worth diving on in the Gulf of California (although it is a foreign country) or off the coast of Southern CA? But we're glad to have you come to Florida and enjoy the Keys! The weather here is getting quite nice, upper 60's at night and low 80's most days. __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

04/13/2016, 06:58 AM	#191
G_Sanab922 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Keys Posts: 1,392	In Islamorada you can go to Founder's Park Beach or Anne's Beach. For the kids I think that would be your best bet for that area. You can also stop in between the bridges on those little islands but it tends to be a lot more rocky there.

04/14/2016, 06:19 AM	#195
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	It's a bit of a drive from Islamorada, but Bahia Honda State Park has a nice beach (no seaweed washed up and shallow) on the Florida Bay side of the island. And although there can be a LOT of 'stuff' washed up on the oceans side beach, it's also shallow and after 15' to 25' sandy bottom it turns to all kinds of interesting stuff. And lots of it is still very shallow (especially at low tide). With the 2 beaches on either side of the island, one side is always calm water and they are only separated by a parking lot and bath house with an outside shower. And there are lots of places to visit in Marathon on the way to or home from Bahia Honda. If you haven't been to it before, I recommend you visit the History of Diving Museum on Upper Matecumbe Key near Islamorada. http://www.divingmuseum.org/ __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

04/20/2016, 07:12 PM	#196
InOrderToBeAble Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 42	I have lived and been in the waters of the Florida Keys for 20 years. You can drive from any location and jump in the water and see amazing sites. It is wonderful to see vast marine wildlife just driving down from mainland and parking and jumping in. There is no need to get in a boat and go out to a reef. As a result, I now collect as a business and am happy about it.

04/22/2016, 09:02 AM	#198
AZRippster Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut Join Date: May 2012 Location: Sierra Vista, AZ Posts: 1,127	This week SUCKED! Small craft advisories, rain, and terrible visibility. A real bummer. Thankfully the real purpose of our trip was to spend time with my kids and grandkids, but any shot at diving was shot down. We made a trip from Islamorada to Key West yesterday so the kids could see some sites but it poured the entire day. Overcast and rainy today but hoping to let the kids try out Robbies. Bottom line, the weather prediction the week before we left was 180 degrees off from reality. It appears Florida has the same weather person Arizona does.

04/22/2016, 11:53 AM	#200
AZRippster Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut Join Date: May 2012 Location: Sierra Vista, AZ Posts: 1,127	They are enjoying Robbie's. Thankfully the clouds have cleared so our last day here looks like it will be nice. Sadly, diving is still not a realistic option. Looks like San Carlos, Mexico in July.