RicStevenson.com: Scuba Diving Photos

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

Turtles, turtles everywhere!

My first weekend to practice with the new strobe. I think the pictures are a little better than usual. It was my birthday weekend and Jolene, Chris and Kristin... Don and Beth and the rest with the cards and all sure made it special. Surfacing after the last dive and having all the SCUBA CAMP kids singing Happy Birthday to me from the boat while I'm out floating on the ocean was a super experience! Thanks everyone.

Dives: Nursery, Wreck of the Copenhagen, Opal Towers and Horseshoe Reef.

COLLIER REEF RESEARCH TEAM (CRRT)

Sea Grass Research

Dive Buddies: Mike, Lindsey and Beth

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Members and Friends of Estuary Conservation Assoc.

ECA's Estuary Guardian Program, has partnered with the Eagle Ray Dive Shop, Bonita Springs, to conduct under water scuba monitoring of the reefs off the shores of Collier County. The results of these surveys, which will be conducted several times a year, are reported to the state of Florida, and are a part of the United Nations program 'DECADE OF THE OCEANS.' These divers will also be providing direct support to ECA's programs to research and survey the inland waters of the Wiggins Pass Estuarial System, monitoring the health of aquatic habitat. For example we have found sea grass and shellfish beds in areas heretofore thought to be barren.

Drift Diving, Turtle Ledge and Sunkist Reef

Ft. Lauderdale Air Show

COLLIER REEF RESEARCH TEAM (CRRT)

MAPPING AND FISH ID

Dive Buddies: Mike Pherson and Deb 'Dive Diva' Voorhees

I think it amazing and pretty smart of the urchins to cover themselves with shells to keep from being eaten. There were hundreds of them like that.

Diving the Gulf of Mexico. Dirty, polluted and getting worse. This is another reason why I dive and take pictures & videos. It's not just the thrill, the beauty, sharing it with those that wouldn't otherwise ever see it... it is also to raise awareness to the destruction of reefs and the oceanic environment. These pictures aren't my best... of course. All that muck, debris and stuff that make the pictures have little moons on them and why alot are out of focus is because the G.O.M. is being ruined by mankind.

Kill those weeds in your yard so that it looks nicer than the neighbors? You might eventually contribute to individually killing part of a natural reef and a few fish t... more

I caught the arrow crab inside a tube sponge coral. At the bottom of the tube, there is also a starfish.

Awesome diving, as usual. Seas.. 4' - 6'. We did the Ancient Mariner again... and then Sanctuary Reef

Aqua Zoo/Sea Emperor

Type: Anchor DiveAqua Zoo
Depth range: 50 ft. - 70 ft.
Skill level: Open Water Certification
The 'Aqua Zoo' is the nickname for an area next to the wreck of the Sea Emperor (*see Sea Emperor description). It was given this name for the diversity and size of marine life that inhabits this wreck. We began bringing food and interacting with one stingray in 1996 and since then it has blossomed into the 'Aqua Zoo'. We offer an interactive marine experience including large southern rays, Goliath Groupers (200-300 lbs.), nurse sharks, eels and hundreds of other fish. No longer due you need to travel to far off destinations.Named 'The stingray dive you can drive to' by Skin Diver Magazine. The Aqua Zoo has also been featured on numerous television shows around the world including 'Wild Things' and 'Adventure Crazy'.

*The Sea Emperor was formerly a hopper barge that was donated as part of a fine levied on a dredging company that destroye... more

A Hawksbill Turtle said hello.

Dives: Grouper Bend (reef), Sunkist (reef), Abby Too (reef - night dive), Aqua Zoo/Sea Emperor (wreck), Lighthouse Ledge (reef).

Videos:

Getting off the Boat!

Hawksbill Turtle

Goal: 101 dives in less than a year. I made it!

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

Turtle Trench
Type: Drift DiveSwimming with Sea Turtles at Turtle Trench
Depth range: 45 ft. - 90 ft
Skill level: Open Water Certif... more

We had very good visibility this weekend in Jupiter. 72-75 degree water, sunny skies and only 2-3 ft seas. Excellent diving and as always, loads of fun!

Swimming with Manatees and diving the Crystal River.

Overall, really good dives this weekend. Met some really great people. Chris and Patti from EagleRay... and a couple of guys that dove with us, Doug and Patrick. Visibility wasn't very good so there aren't alot of keepable pics, but check http://www.ricstevenson.com/scuba_diving.php for some neat videos I did at the Aqua Zoo. Rich finally got to see his first shark, and I finally got to pet 'Baby'. Believe me, petting a 6' green moray eel is a little intimidating. We got to pet the two Southern Rays quite a bit as well!

Saturday Dives: Wreck of the Ancient Mariner, Lighthouse Ledge Reef, Night dive - Ancient Mariner. Sunday Dives: Wreck of the Captain Dan and Sunkist Reef. Swimming through the inside of the Ancient Mariner at night was undoubtedly my favorite. The phosphorescence in the water was high that night, and by turning off my light and waving my hand around I could activate the phosphorescence and be surrounded by sparkles.

Highlights include a ripping current on the wreck (Rodeo25, an old Dutch Frieghter), hanging Carlos' purple shorts from the hotel flagpole, seeing my first water spout, George somehow lost the dive flag... and it was Pam's birthday. I logged my 85th dive in less than 9 months.

Key Largo, Florida. The dives were so-so. The best ones were REALLY shallow. Reefs at like 20-30ft... but it was a good time and a nice trip. My first dives in the Keys.

Snapshots of the week in Cayman Brac

Friday

Thursday