Did you catch the program on Nightline the other night about Dave Shaw, a diver who attempted to recover the body of another diver from the bottom of Bushman's Hole? 

This is a both amazing and horrible story of an ambitious dive to one of the world's deepest, most dangerous underwater caves.  Bushman's Hole is the third deepest freshwater cave known to man, with a depth of over 900 feet!  To reach that depth takes about 10 minutes but requires over 10 hours to return to the surface.

Read the complete story here!

Florida's annual lobster mini-season is almost here! The two-day mini-season, which falls each year on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July, gives sport divers a chance to catch spiny lobsters before the eight-month commercial season begins Aug. 6th. 

This year, mini season will be July 27 and July 28.  The Regular Season runs August 6th through March 31st.  As always, a fishing license AND crawfish permit are required! Divers take note: The regulations have changed for 2005!  Here are a few rules to keep in mind:

• The bag limits are 6 per person per day for Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, and 12 per person per day for the rest of Florida.
• Spiny lobster has a minimum size limit that must be larger than 3" carapace, measured in the water.
• Possession and use of a measuring device is required at all times.
• Night diving is prohibited in Monroe County during the sport season.
• A recreational saltwater license and a crawfish permit are needed for harvest.

Remember that lobsters may only be taken using hands, hand-held nets, bully nets, or other means which permit the lobsters to be released unharmed if not of legal size.  The taking of lobsters is prohibited at any time of the year in the Biscayne Bay-Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary.

For complete and current regulations, visit the Fish & Wildlife Commission website.

Now the important question: Anyone willing to post GPS coordinates for their favorite lobster spot?  Good luck and don't forget your diver down flag!

We've added online maps with satellite images to DiveSpots.com!  Now you can pinpoint dive spots on either a graphic chart or on a satellite image.  Additionally, you can chart an entire destination to see where all the dive spots are in one view.  Charts can be generated for individual dive spots, for an entire destination, and for dive trips that you plan online using DiveSpots.com.

Using the maps function is easy.  When you view a map, you'll have controls on the top left for zooming in and out, and for panning left and right, and up and down.  Additionally, you can simply click on the map and drag it in any direction you want to move.  To switch between Graphic and Satellite mode, simply click the buttons on the top right labeled "Map" and "Satellite".  Dive spots will be marked with a red marker as shown in the picture here.  You can click on any marker to view the details for that spot.

To view a map, simply click the "Get Map" button on the graphic of the GPS device that appears on the main page for each dive spot.  To see a map for an entire destination, go to that destination (e.g., Miami), select the "View All" tab, then select the "Show Map" link that appears on the top right.

Let us know what you think.  Ideas for improvements are always welcome!

The mooring buoys from the Spiegel Grove artificial reef were removed Tuesday and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary officials called for a voluntary closure of the wreck.  The closure of the site is a safety precaution while officials complete an assessment of the ship's stability and its general condition.   Mooring buoys will be re-installed once the assessment is completed and the wreck is determined to be safe.

In related news, divers have reported that another intentionally sunk ship -- the Adolphus Busch -- was also moved by Hurricane Dennis.  The ship has listed to starboard by 5 to 10 degrees, exposing the entire keel and the propeller.  Divers report that the ship's starboard bow anchor broke and the starboard stern anchor is very taut, indicating strong seas from the southeast.

There are reports today of what can only be called a SCUBA miracle! Several credible sources are reporting that the Spiegel Grove, after years of resting on its right side, is now keel-up!  I need confirmation, folks!  Someone get out there and get me some pictures.

Wow, what kind of forces must have been at play for that to happen? Dennis was hundreds of miles away off the opposite coast of Florida.  And yet the seas were reported to be over 20 feet over the Spiegel.

You're 20 miles south of Key West on a sailboat. There's a Category 4 Hurricane closing in fast. You're having engine trouble. A Coast Guard C-130 happens to spot you and offers assistance.  What would you do?  "Hell yeah, I need help!", I'd reply in my VHF.  But maybe that's just me. 

Here's a report about a guy who turned down the offer and decided to ride out the storm.  The report does not give a LOA for the sailboat, but to me, any boat is too small to ride out a storm like that!  Seas were reported at 20+ feet!  Not surprisingly, the boat sank and the guy ended up in the drink.  Fortunately for him, he made it ashore alive.  So here's my thought: the guy was either hoping to avoid a tow bill, or he was hiding something.  The whole story seems fishy to me, especially the part about swiming for 10 hours to reach shore.

Check out the Coast Guard Press Release.

Because of the threat from Hurricane Dennis, organizers of the Lower Keys annual Underwater Music Festival postponed the underwater concert one week to Saturday, July 16th. Staged by Keys radio station WCNK 98.7 Conch FM, the eccentric concert is scheduled for 10 am to 4 pm. Marine melodies are to range from the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" to Jimmy Buffett's "Fins" and other water-themed selections. Music will be broadcast underwater via Lubell Laboratory speakers suspended beneath boats positioned over the reef.

Past events have included appearances by a troupe of snorkeling Elvis look-alikes playing underwater guitar, a long-haired mermaid with a harp, a submerged symphony and a trio of divas of the deep. The 21st edition of the event is to feature the concept of "Aquaculture: Music and Art in the Key of Sea", where divers and snorkelers listen to music as they explore an undersea art gallery.

In addition, an underwater exhibition is to showcase approximately 20 pieces of "new wave" art created by Lower Keys artist Barbara Hettinger and her cohorts at Artists in Paradise Gallery on Big Pine Key.

It appears that Dennis is going to make a close pass just off the west coast of Florida, then slam into the Panhandle or Louisiana this coming weekend. Damn, you'd think we'd get a break after last year's pummeling by Charley, Frances, Ivan, & Jeanne. After Andrew, most people in Miami take Hurricane warnings pretty seriously. Last year, we took the DiveSpots.com boat out of the water 2 of the 3 times Miami was "in the cone of death". But after two iterations of hauling the boat out (and boarding up the houses), the third threat we just kinda ignored. Dumb I know, but we got lucky. For us, it's a huge hassle hauling out the boat because 1) it's a catamaran (which means you need a special trailer), 2) it has very high gunwales, and 3) it exceeds the trailer weight limitations of most SUVs. And then once you pull it out, where do you put it? Is having it ashore really any safer than securing it at the slip?

According to a post on boats.com, if you're going to leave your boat in the water, anchoring is about your worst option. Anchors will not hold on soft bottoms. One report estimates that the survival rate of boats at anchor is 5 to 10 percent. Your next best option might be to secure it at the marina, but keep in mind that even a secure marina may not be the most hospitable location during a hurricane. Despite your best planning efforts, your neighbor may not have been so diligent in his. Loose boats in a marina wreak havoc.

If you have the option, taking it out of the water might be the way to go. A study conducted by MIT after Hurricane Gloria (1985) found that boats stored ashore were far more likely to survive than boats on the water. The simplest and most obvious solution if your boat is on a trailer is to drive it far enough out of the path of the hurricane. Your second best bet is to park your boat inside a garage that is strong enough to weather the storm.

Here are a few good articles on the subject:

• BoatUS
• Marine Survey
• Boat Safe

On Saturday morning, we hooked up with Bill & Nowdla Keefe's Bimini Undersea dive shop for a two-tank dive.  Since 1987, the Keefe's have owned and operated Bimini Undersea, which is located within the Bimini Big Game Resort & Marina on the south end of North Bimini Island.  Their hard work and dedication have established BU as one of the most popular small, family-run dive operations in the resort diving industry.  We visited with BU and their awesome staff for a day of diving and boating.

Our adventure began at 9:00 am.  We met at the dock where the dive boat "ADVENTURER", a 42-foot dive vessel powered by twin diesel engines, was prepped and ready for departure.  On this morning, our captain was Audley Dean.  Audley was born and raised in Bimini and was a fountain of knowledge on the Islands of Bimini and the awesome dive sites offshore.  As we stowed our gear and got comfortable on the ADVERNTURER, Audley briefed us on the plans for the morning, the sea conditions, and sites we'd be visiting. 

Our first stop was a spot known as The Kinks.  One of the great things about scuba diving in Bimini is that the dive spots are not far offshore.  It took us maybe 20 minutes tops to reach this location.  Audley expertly rigged all our gear and then told us all about the site we were about to visit.  He told us exactly what to look for, including a fascinating story about a large crab and a small nurse shark which have been fighting for one particular ledge under the mooring line.  On this day, apparently the shark had won because, sure enough, I found the nurse shark under the exact ledge Audley described!   The reef itself was interesting and was home to plenty of marine life.  It has a sandy bottom with small coral heads rising about 4 feet from the sea floor.  The depth averages about 40 feet on the east edge and about 45-50 feet on the west.  The water temperature on this day was a warm 84°F at depth!

After a short surface interval, we made our way to our next dive spot known as The Strip.  The Strip is a small densely populated (loaded with fish!) reef about 240 feet long and perhaps 40 feet wide.  The Strip runs north and south, almost exactly perpendicular to North Bimini.  Max depth here is a comfortable 40 feet ? a great spot for a second dive.  Audley rigged our second tank, gave us a thorough and expert briefing of the site, and then helped us into the water.  He told us to look for "Big Boy", a large Moray that has made his home on the north end of the Strip.  I didn't find Big Boy on this dive, but I did see a few spotted eels and large schools of Yellowtail.  Visiting The Strip is like swimming in an aquarium!  Some of the coral heads rise 8 feet from the sea floor creating lots of nice ledges and crevices, which draw an abundance of sea critters.  Watch where you stick your hands ? scorpion fish are plentiful here. 

We were back at the dock by 1:30 that afternoon, fired up and sharing tales of what we saw.  After a spectacular lunch of fresh grouper and conch at the Big Game, I walked back over to BU to thank the staff for a wonderful day on the water.  Nowdla asked us if we had plans for the afternoon and invited us to join them for a Dolphin Encounter.  She said "you can't leave Bimini without experiencing our wild dolphin encounter."  Intrigued, we accepted and were on the BU vessel DESTINY by 4:30 pm for a 4-hour trip to find and swim with wild dolphin!

I'm not sure how much of it is true, but Melanie and Cathy, our fine captains on this trip, recited a captivating tale of how BU got started with the dolphin excursions.  Melanie began her story by telling us of the legends and lore of Bimini and the lost city of Atlantis.  She told us of the fabled connection between dolphins and the Atlantians, and  how many have long believed that Bimini is a remnant of the ancient city.  She said that several years back, BU was asked by a group of people interested in Atlantis to help them find dolphin.  Not ones to turn down a challenge, BU agreed and was surprised to actually find pods of dolphin exactly where the group had told them they'd find them. 

Since 1996, Bimini Undersea has been researching and tracking the activities and behaviors of wild Spotted and Bottle Nosed dolphin.  They currently run a research program in conjunction with The Dolphin Communication Project  (D.C.P.), a private, non-profit research foundation that is working to promote awareness of marine mammal conservation, and to better understand how dolphins communicate.  On our trip, Darcy and Kelly from DCP were onboard to document sightings and GPS datum.

About an hour into the excursion we came across two Spotted Dolphins!  The pair stayed with our boat for a good 10 minutes, riding the wake from our bow and darting to and fro underneath the boat.  Very cool!  The passengers ? myself included ? were mesmerized by the antics of the dolphins and we were ready to get in the water for a close encounter.  The crew, however, suggested that we move on in search of a larger pod since these two were most likely feeding and only moderately interested in our presence.  So we motored on.  After another two hours of searching we did not find any more dolphins.  We were all a little bummed as we started to head in, but still thrilled with our earlier encounter.  A swim with the dolphins would have been great. 

BU reports a success rate of over 80% for a dolphin encounter.  No trip is ever guaranteed since these are all wild dolphins -- they are not fed or penned. 

As the sun began to set, we set our course back to Bimini.  About 30 minutes from home, Cathy slowed the boat and excitedly pointed across the bow.  Pod!  Pod!  Pod!  Wow, 15 or more Bottle Nosed dolphins!  It was getting dark, but the call was made to get in the water and see if they'd interact.  The passengers excitedly donned their masks and snorkels and climbed in off the stern.  The dolphins stayed!  They darted underneath and through the group of swimmers.  They seemed to really enjoy our presence.  This surprised even the BU and DCP crew since Bottle Nosed are usually less playful than the Spotted, and because this pod had young calves.

What a great experience! 

The waters all around Bimini are hypnotic beyond belief. The brilliant turquoise waters surrounding the islands gradually give way to deep rich blues as you approach the continental shelf only a few of miles off the west side of Bimini.  The clarity of the waters, washed by the Gulfstream, makes for incredible visibility and fantastic dives.  On our first day in Bimini, we visited Honeymoon Harbor, Tuna Alley and the Sapona. 

Honeymoon Harbor is a small anchorage on the north end of Gun Cay, a tiny island (one of the many islands of Bimini) afloat in some of the bluest water on earth.  Local population: zero.  Honeymoon Harbor is a favorite stop for boaters looking for an afternoon of sunbathing, swimming, and snorkeling.  We anchored there to grill lunch and recover from our trek from Miami earlier that day.  The weather was perfect and the waters in the harbor were crystal clear.  I jumped in with my mask and snorkel to cool of and immediately came within 20 feet of two 5-foot nurse sharks. The waters in the harbor are teeming with life. Damn, no camera! I climbed back into the boat and grabbed my camera, but by the time I was back in the water, the sharks were gone.  After a bit more snorkeling in the harbor, we made our way over to the sandy beach, then walked across a small berm on the east side to find another beautiful shallow-water (3-4 feet) cove.  With my camera in-hand, we encountered several rays, conch, and starfish.  The rays were extremely curious and apparently accustomed to being fed.  They were "playing" with us, darting over our feet and outstretched hands.  Very Cool!

After lunch, we made our way a little further south to dive Tuna Alley, a pristine, healthy reef system off of North Cat Cay.  We moored up on the north buoy and donned our dive gear.  I was immediately struck by the fact that, even though we were in 50 feet of water, you could clearly see the reef and fish below from the deck of the boat.  As we descended down the mooring line I could see schools of yellowtail and alluring chasms in the reef.  We made our way along the top of the reef, and then slowly descended along the wall, which slopes gently down to about 90 feet.  Grouper, lobster, yellowtail, eels, and more greeted us along the way.  This is absolutely a fantastic dive!

The day was growing late as we left Tuna Alley to find the Sapona.  The Sapona is a 270-foot concrete ship partially submerged in about 15 feet of water.  This is a popular snorkeling location between South Bimini and Cat Cay.  Again, the waters here were crystal clear so visibility was excellent.  We spent about 30 minutes snorkeling through the hull and along the port side of the ship.  We encountered large schools of needlefish inside - a beautiful site made even more beautiful by reflections created by the rays of the sun which stream in through the splintered deck of the ship.  This is a nice place to unwind after a dive of diving.

The trip across was? acceptable.  The weather band Thursday night predicted 5-10 knot winds from the South and 1-2 foot seas.  However, the winds must have shifted over night because we found ourselves facing a Northeast wind and 4-6 foot seas on Friday morning.  When the winds blow in the opposite direction of the Gulfstream, it ain?t good!  But we made it across in about 2.5 hours. 

The seas calmed down about 15 miles from Bimini.  Wow, the turquoise waters are amazing!  We immediately checked in with Customs and Immigration, and then checked into our cottage.  Clearing customs is an experience.  All boats arriving must hoist a yellow quarantined flag as you approach the island.  You?re required to immediately proceed to the customs dock (you can also clear customs at the major resorts on the island, such as the Bimini Big Game) to check in.  The captain ? and only the captain ? must take all the passenger?s passports and check in with the customs agent.  The other passengers must remain on the boat "under quarantine" until the captain returns.  This is why you must bring beer.  To save a little time, you can download the customs and immigration forms and have them filled out befor eyou arrive.  But don?t expect to save too much time ? nobody is in a hurry in Bimini!  The customs agent then fills out a series of paper forms (when?s the last time you saw carbon paper?) and takes your cash.  For boats under 30 feet, the landing fee (which includes a fishing permit) is $150 (cash only, por favor).  All passengers must have a valid passport or a birth certificate and a driver's license.  Oh, and be sure to bring your original boat registration.  I made the mistake of bringing a copy and got the lecture of a lifetime!  After you clear customs, you?re required to walk next door to visit the immigration officer.  More forms, more waiting.  When we got there, there was a hand-written note that said back in 15 minutes, which were obviously ?Bimini Minutes? because it actually took 45 minutes.  An hour later we were officially cleared to stay, and we lowered our yellow flag and raised our Bahamian courtesy flag!

We checked into our cottage on North Bimini and unloaded the boats.  The cottage was, um, rustic.  But hey, that?s Bimini!  We unpacked, grabbed a few drinks and some food, and then jumped back on the boat to explore the islands.

Batten down the hatches, we're going to Bimini!  DiveSpots.com will be traveling 50 miles due east to check out the diving, meet with the local dive shops, and perhaps enjoy a Kalik or two.  We'll be there to round-off our research of top Bimini dive spots, to photograph some of the wrecks and reefs, and to meet with local dive operations.  Yes, this is a research trip -- all work and no play.  It's a tough job...

We're heading out June 24th, leaving the Marina at 7am.  If the weather is favorable, we should make it across in about 2 hours.  The official DiveSpots.com vessel is a 27 foot twin-engine Grady-White catamaran that has made the trip twice before.  She's a great ship, comfortable and dependable.  Having said that, trekking out 50 miles across the Gulfstream is nothing to take lightly.  The weather can be unpredictable this time of year and the seas can get a bit bumpy, so being prepared for the worst is always a good idea.  In future posts, I'll share some "crossing" advice and detail our journey there and back.  And of course, I'll have a full report on the scuba diving and snorkeling, complete with GPS coordinates and photographs.