RicStevenson.com: Scuba Diving Photos

Key Largo, Florida - Sept 27/28, 2008

Tavernier, Florida - August 23/24, 2008

Key Largo, Florida - July 12/13, 2008

I hated waking Mr Loggerhead up from his nap, but he was just too cute. He didn't mind posing for a bit either. Why do I know it was a 'he' without looking under the shell? The girls usually run from me. :)

Next pic trip... Islamorada in 3 weeks.

Molasses Reef, Wreck of the 'City of Washington', Christ of the Abyss

Speigal Grove

Jupiter, FL - April 3/4, 2008

This is 2 different weekends. I've found out why I couldn't upload photos for a while. This photoblog software won't take a photo upload more than 72dpi... which is fine for uploading to here. As always... if anyone wants an original full size - full dpi photo, just ask. ~ric

Great time with great friends (73 of them!)

Lots of Manatees were seen, petted, swam with.

Crystal River dive on Sunday was great as always too!

Nursery, Wreck of the Copenhagen

Sea Emporer/Aqua Zoo, Abbey Too Reef

Day6: 3 dives

{Beach - Jeff Davis Reef, Ole Blue, Karpata}

Day5: 6 dives

{Beach - Andrea I, Witches Hut}

{Boat - Small Wall, Bon Bini Na Cas}

{Beach - Tori's Reef, Buddy Reef}

Day 4: 4 dives

{Boat - Hilma Hooker - Wreck, Hands Off Reef}

{Beach - Oil Slick, 1000 Steps}

Day3: 4 dives

As promised... Frog Fish and Sea Horses!

{Beach - 1000 Steps, Karpata}

{Boat - Petre's Pillar, Kallie's Reef}

Day 2: 4 dives

{Boat - Mi Dushi, Jerry's Sponges}

{Beach - Pink Beach, Tori's Reef}

Day 1: 3 dives {Buddy Reef, Leonora's Reef, Carl's Hill}

First day of the week... and it gets better through the week. Coming soon: Seahorses, frog fish, jelly fish, Eagle Rays and more!

Ancient Mariner
Type: Anchor Dive
Depth range: 50 ft. - 70 ft.
Skill level: Open Water Certification
Length (160 ft.). Former USCG Cutter 'Nemesis' that was decommissioned and turned into a floating restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale. Due to her aging hull and the fact the restaurant was condemned for the largest outbreak of food poisoning in the history of Ft. Lauderdale, she was sunk as an artificial reef in 1991. (We recommend you don't eat anything while on the wreck.) Among it's most recent dinner guests are Great Barracudas and a large Moray Eel. The Mariner's close proximity to a natural reef create an abundance of marine life. Also 150 degrees 150 ft. SE of her bow lies The Berry Patch Tug. When the conditions are right you can actually do both on the same dive

Aqua Zoo/Sea Emperor (twi-light dive)
Type: Anchor Dive
Depth range: 50 ft. - 70 ft.
Skill level: Open Water Certification
The 'Aqua Zoo' is the nickname for an area next to the wreck o... more

Carysfort Reef Light

Carysfort Reef Light is located six miles (10 km or 11 km) east of Key Largo, Florida (25° 13' 18" N, 80° 12' 42" W). The lighthouse has an iron screw-pile foundation with a platform, and a skeletal octagonal pyramidal tower, which is painted red. The light is 100 feet (30 m) above the water. The original lens was a first order Fresnel lens. The light is currently a xenon flashtube beacon. It is the oldest functioning lighthouse of its type in the United States, completed in 1852. Carysfort Reef is named for the Royal Navy ship HMS Carysford, a 20-gun frigate, which ran aground on the reef in 1770.

The original Carysfort Reef light was a lightship, starting in 1825. The first lightship was built in New York City. While being sailed to its station, it went aground near Key Biscayne during a storm, and its crew abandoned the ship. The ship was salvaged by wreckers and taken to Key West, Florida. The owners bought the ship back and it was placed on s... more

USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32) was a Thomaston-class of dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Spiegel Grove, the home and estate in Fremont, Ohio, of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States.

Career

Spiegel Grove was laid down on 7 September 1954 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, Miss., launched on 10 November 1955; sponsored by Mrs. Webb C. Hayes, and commissioned on 8 June 1956, Captain S. Filippone in command.

Spiegel Grove sailed for Hampton Roads and arrived at Norfolk, Va., on 7 July. She headed for the Guantanamo Bay area on her shakedown cruise on 26 July and returned on 15 September. The ship was in the yard during October; and, in November, she participated in amphibious exercises off Onslow Beach, N.C.

On 9 January 1957, Spiegel Grove, with other ships of Transport Amphibious Squadron 4 (TransPhibRon 4), sailed from Morehead City, N.C., with elements of the 6th Marines embarked, for a t... more

Dive Buddies: Rich, George, Pam

United Caribbean - Wreck

Originally named the Golden Venture. She ran aground outside of New York loaded with Chinese immigrants. It later served as a cargo boat in the Caribbean. Now she lies just SE of the Sea Emperor upright. Because of the close proximity to two other wrecks and a reef, it populated very quickly. Many of the same marine residents that occupy the Emperor can be seen on the Caribbean.

Sanctuary Reef

This is not an official sanctuary, however a few of the dive operators agreed not to put hunters in this area to keep it as pristine as possible. The relief on the southern end is not as prominent as the northern end. The north end is covered in soft corals and marine life.

Sea Emperor

The Sea Emperor was formerly a hopper barge that was donated as part of a fine levied on a dredging company that destroyed some reef habitat of Palm Beach County. She was filled with large concrete culvert... more