More info and the link to the Aquarius website
What a great day this has been! Last night after having dinner with a few friends Owen, Anja and Tom, we went to our local hangout Sharkey's and hung out with some other friends, Jen and Tad. Both work at dive shops and Jen had asked if Eddie, myself, and our friend Anja wanted to dive the Aquarius this morning. Of course we said YES, since it is not a place that most are allowed to dive! (More info about that on the above website) We didn't get all the particulars... or maybe she DID tell us what we were in for,( we just had finished a few margaritas, which for me, makes my memory a bit foggy! ) but all I remember is that we were to be at the dive shop before 8am, and we made it just in time! Still half asleep but no hangover....( we left Sharkey's earlier than usual! lol)
Well when got there, there were about 8 of us..and we were informed that the dive trip was to be filmed at the Aquarius and the Christ Statue and a few other dive spots. This was a film being made by a local photographer Frazier Nivens (he has done films for Discovery and the like) as an advertisement for a few choice dive shops around Tavernier. It will be played at DEMA (Dive Equipment and Marketing Convention) in November. They needed a few divers and we were asked! I thought it was pretty cool...and we had a blast!
For anyone who is not aware of what the AQUARIUS is, she is an underwater ocean laboratory in the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary. She is a few miles off the coast and is at a depth of approx 60 feet. Scientist go and live inside Aquarius on 10 day missions to study and explore our coastal oceans. (I took most of that off the website, you too should check it out, very interesting:) )
Anyway.. the photographer had permission granted for us to go and video this awesome underwater laboratory. ( There are buoys and markers stating to not get within 1000 feet of the Aquarius to warn off boaters and divers in the area) We were told, of course, not to touch anything, to not turn the valves, and not to go on top of the platform, etc. BUT for me, it was just amazing enough to swim around and look at all of the beautiful coral, sponge, fish and sea life that is living on and around her! There are two enormous grouper that live underneath the Aquarius..and when you get to close, as we sort of did...they bark at you..and its very loud! (Yes, I call it barking, lol, and they are very territorial and a lil intimidating as well!) There is also one very large barracuda and many small ones patroling the area! He came very close to me on several occasions and we had a staring contest for what seemed like a minute before he darted a few feet away and ate a lil blue fish!! Atleast he didn't take a bite out of me for being on his turf!!.. :) I also saw an eel..and a southern stingray very close by! It was just amazing! I did peek inside a couple of the windows and saw someones' shampoo bottle and the shower they use! No one is living in it at this time, but I do believe there is another mission coming up very soon!
All in all it was a great day... we starred in an underwater mini film, and were allowed to venture to a place that not many local divers can say they have been before! I am so honored that we were allowed to go and I want to thank Jen and Dawn and Frazier for giving us this opportunity! It was wonderful!!!
oh..and we were asked again to help finish the mini film tomorrow.... in Marathon... we are going to dive the THUNDERBOLT...a wreck dive...which I have never dove on either!!!
So.... to be continued...tomorrow.!!!
"Photo courtesy NOAA and UNC Wilmington.�
"Aquarius images are copyright � 2006, University of North Carolina Wilmington. All rightsreserved.