• Age of Aquarius - Part 2
• Turtle Hospital
• Dive Etiquette
• Archaeological Diving Experience
• Turtle Walk
• The Seven Mile Bridge
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Lionfish Meuniere
• Freediving Blackout
• Sea Hunt: Fact and Fiction
• Lionfish Are Being Sold at Florida Whole Foods Markets
• Dive Cruise Update
• Changing Seas on PBS
• Newsletter Delivery Options
• Email or Address Change?
• T-Shirts For Sale
• ADA Guidelines and Policies

Aquarius was operated by NOAA for the first two decades of its deployment. During that time NASA began sending astronauts to Aquarius for research its NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (ANEEMO@) research: On our recent ADA trip we saw evidence of that relationship with NASA: astronaut Buzz Aldrin (who walked on the moon in 1969 with Neil Armstrong) has signed his name on the interior cabin wall, with some words of support for the habitat. (I joked that I thought it was graffiti one of our ADA members had scrawled on the wall and almost erased it.) Since 2013 Florida International University has taken over Aquarius stewardship.

Several months ago I wrote an article about Aquarius for the Mouthpiece, that caught enough of our members’ attention that I sensed possible support for an ADA mission. I contacted Tom Potts, the laboratory’s Program Director, to find out how ADA members could experience Aquarius. Tom has been working with Aquarius since it was relocated from St. Croix, VI to North Carolina in 1990. One year later he moved to Key Largo to begin preparations for relocating the habitat to Florida, which was done in 1993.

At first Tom was somewhat reserved about our plan to conduct an ADA mission to Aquarius. After all, the facility is not a recreational dive site; and counting research scientists, astronauts, and students engaged in environmental studies, fewer than an average of seventy divers per year have visited Aquarius in the twenty-three years it has been in the Keys. That means that our ADA group that visited Aquarius is now part of the five ten-thousandths of one percent (less than 0.0005%) of the U.S. population who have done so. After learning more about the skills sets of our ADA members and our commitment to oceanic preservation, as demonstrated through our ongoing CRF programs, a proposal was made for us to offer an Aquarius mission to no more than twelve ADA divers.

Our ADA mission started early on Saturday morning, with Tom Potts, Operations Director Roger Garcia, and other Aquarius staff members meeting us at the program’s shore base in Islamorada at 7:30 a.m. to complete paperwork, distribute gear, and begin our classroom orientation. The Aquarius program’s commitment to safety and professionalism is demonstrated by its requirement that divers use program-issued regulators and buoyancy compensators, unless guest divers have certificates documenting current inspections of their own gear. For the next couple of hours our members received classroom instruction on the history and purpose of Aquarius, its facilities, and procedures we would use in visiting and occupying the habitat. We learned about the role of the shore base, safety measures in place, and the history of Aquarius in promoting research of the marine environment.

After the onshore session, our ADA divers boarded two dive vessels for the forty-five minute cruise to the habitat itself. Our dive plan called for two one-hour dives, with one group visiting the exterior of the structure on the first dive and the other group penetrating the habitat, with a lunch break back topsides before a second dive in which our groups switched destinations. The weather was clear and the seas surprising calm with mostly two or three foot swells, and only an occasional rogue wave rocking our boats. We had been told to expect four to five foot seas. The visibility was more than sixty feet until we got to the bottom and started stirring things up.

Upon arriving at the site, one boat moored near the permanent Aquarius service buoy station, which houses two large diesel generators, air compressors, and communications controls for the habitat. (Aquarius was for years managed from a staffed, floating operations center, which has been replaced by the unmanned buoy and shore base.) The other boat moored some distance away. FIU staff divers went aboard the buoy to start the generators and compressors, and other staffers descended to the habitat to unlock the hatches and prepare for company. Once ready, our two groups entered the water, with the group on the boat closest to the buoy following a line straight down to the habitat, while the rest of us swam down against a strong current at a forty-five degree angle to study the exterior of Aquarius.

The outside of the structure looks like you would expect for a sunken vessel that has been on the ocean floor for more than twenty years. The surface is crusted with barnacles, corals and sponges, and the area around Aquarius is teeming with fish of all sizes and species. Our groups saw giant barracuda, groupers, dolphin, permit, and even a tarpon circling the habitat looking for food and shelter. A nearby separate structure called the Gazebo is a white-colored roof holding air inside that is essentially a diving bell. The Gazebo provides a place for scuba diving researchers to stand up with their heads above water, to take off their masks and regulators to breathe the captured air for awhile during breaks from projects on the sea bottom. The Gazebo also is the emergency escape location should Aquarius catch on fire or another urgent emergency arise during a mission.

The laboratory itself forty-three feet long, twenty feet abeam, and sixteen feet six inches tall. It is attached to a baseplate that positions the underwater habitat about thirteen feet off the bottom. This means that the working depth of those inside the laboratory is about fifty feet deep, which is the atmospheric pressure maintained within the habitat.

We approached Aquarius from the bottom, entering an area called the Amoon pool, within which there is a broad shelf around the sides called the Awet porch. Divers can kneel on the porch floor with their heads above water, take off their gear and leave it outside while visiting the habitat. Once inside each diver is asked to take a fresh water shower and put on a dry shirt from the dry pot that has ferried down our cell phones and other articles that should be keep dry.

Located inside we found all the comforts of home: six bunks, a shower and toilet, instant hot water, a microwave, trash compactor, a refrigerator, air conditioning and computers linked back to shore by wireless telemetry. Walls full of switches, dials and gauges control the various mechanical and electrical functions of the laboratory. Tables and chairs provide areas for dining, paperwork, and other activities. Large portholes allowed each group of ADA divers to watch the other group swimming around outside. A live web camera broadcasts all the missions, which can be viewed in real time, but those telecasts are not recorded.

While aboard we were provided post cards to write to friends and family which bear the image of the lab=s exterior and reflect that they were Assigned 50 feet beneath the sea aboard the Aquarius undersea laboratory. There being no regular postal pickup from the ocean bottom, we brought them back ashore for actual mailing.

I invited our members who participated in the mission (now known as “ADA Honorary Aquanauts” to write a brief summary of their impressions after visiting Aquarius. Here are the responses I received:

Michelle Dunaj provided the following quote: “I had the opportunity to meet astronaut [Nicole] Stott at base operations during NEEMO 19 a couple years ago. Since then I’ve been fascinated with Aquarius and really wanted to dive the research habitat. Thanks [to] ADA for making this dream a reality. It was truly amazing to be able to dive in the underwater footsteps of astronauts!”

Ellen Siegal’s response to the experience was: “How blessed we are in South Florida to have the planet's only fully functioning underwater research habitat. I was very inspired by the dedication of the Aquarius staff and crew and very grateful to have been able to visit their world, if only for a little bit.”

I am sure that our first Aquarius mission will not be our last. Keep watching for news of our next such program and dive with us next time if you were not aboard last Saturday. For more information about Aquarius, visit its website at aquarius.fiu.edu.

• Secure your Tank – Most charters have someway to secure your dive tank after you’ve set up your gear. Make sure you secure the gear preventing it from falling over during travel. This will prevent damage or injuries.


• Listen to the Dive Briefing - Each Charter has a unique way of handling their divers and provide specific information regarding emergencies, entering/exiting the dive boat, length of dive time, and other important information. Even if you have heard the briefing before it is not appropriate to continue to speak while the other divers are trying to listen.


• Use the Correct Rinse Bin – Dive boats usually have two water filled bins. One bin is used for cameras and the other for mask rinse. It is inappropriate to place your mask in the camera bin. The chemicals in the defog used on your mask can harm camera parts.


• Be a Helpful Neighbor – If a neighbor needs assistance be helpful if appropriate, or contact the boat Dive Master.


• Be Aware of Your Surroundings – Don’t separate from your dive buddy, be cognizant of the reef, and prevent damage. On occasion look back, if you see a cloud of sand you are the one creating that plume with your fins, adjust your buoyancy or fin kick. This damages the environment and prevents divers behind you from enjoying the dive area. Don’t touch, don’t stand, and don’t take are good rules to follow.


• Return on Time – Dive charters are on a schedule and the longer you take in returning to the boat from the dive, the shorter the second dive will be. All the divers not just you have paid to dive. Your late return diminishes their dive time.


• Be Polite – When using the boat shower be aware of the other divers locations. Shower down wind and prevent spraying them with water, possibly causing damaging to uncovered cameras or wetting dry cloths or dive logs.

Following these simple rules will make you a better dive neighbor and fulfill what should be an enjoyable day in the water.

Schedule of Events:

• Friday, September 9th 7:00 p.m. - Check in and classroom session at Lee Wood's home, 182 Plantation Ave., Tavernier FL, MM 90.5
• Saturday, September 10th 9:00 a.m. - Classroom session at Lee's home
• Noon - Lunch at your choice of local restaurants
• 1:00 p.m. - Pool work at Jacobs Aquatic Center, 320 Laguna Ave., Key Largo, FL
• Sunday, September 11th Morning off - Leisurely rest or sightseeing as you wish.
• 12:00 noon - Check in at Capt. Slate's Scuba Adventures, mile marker 90.6 in Tavernier. Two tank boat dive performing archaeological work with applied applications, recording and mapping on Spanish Galleon wreck.
• 5:00 p.m. - Return to dock.

What to Bring:

• Mask, fins, snorkel
• Two tanks
• Regulator
• Weights/belt
• BCD
• Gloves
• Sun screen
• Drinks for boat
• Certification Card,

About the Wreck Dive:

The Spanish Galleon El Infante, along with several others, was sailing from Cuba to Spain in 1733, when a monster storm sank El Infante and most of the fleet of 17 ships. She broke apart south of Little Conch Reef, near Tavernier, Florida. Gold bullion, 186 boxes of silver coins, 60 cannons, and many other valuables were strewn across the reef. More than 6 million pesos were salvaged, but it is believed most were never found. Much of the wreck is still visible, including cannons, keel, timbers, ballast. NOTE: While we are searching and documenting the wreck, any gold, silver, or artifacts found are property of the State of Florida, and dive site may not be disturbed in any way.

Space is limited to just 10 divers, so don't miss out on this amazing experience. Reserve your spot today! Click here to register.

During the class that began at 8:45PM the presenter reminded us many times a turtle will come out of the sea and do what it called a "false crawl" which is when a turtle comes out of the ocean and decides not to lay any eggs, but rather just go back to the sea. Another risk posed to sea turtles is all of the artificial light put out by humans near the shore. This light can cause much confusion But, finally at 9:45PM the presenter told us a "Turtle Scout" had sighted a Loggerhead turtle coming out of the ocean, and beginning to lay its eggs in the nest! So, everyone got in their cars and drove about 1/2 mile north to the part of the beach where the turtle was. We had some instructions from the Gumbo Limbo volunteers. No flash photography. No touching of the turtle. They explained that the turtle with actually go into a trance when they are laying their eggs, but if flash pictures are taken it could possibly cause the turtle to leave the nest before they are done.

So, here we here walking down the beach towards this amazing creature! We came upon the mother laying her eggs. I tried to imagine as I was watching this beautiful creature lay her eggs what it was like 65 million years ago when these magnificent animals were coming up on this beach or a similar beach in the total darkness.

We all made a semi-circle around the mother laying her eggs, and watched as one by one they dropped into the nest. What was so amazing to see was the eggs dropping about a foot down, landing on the other eggs, and not breaking! Nature has it so figured out, so that eggs don't break! The organizers mentioned that sometimes they actually have to move the nest from the location where the turtles makes it, because of being too close to the ocean line. Thankfully, this was not the case tonight. This nest will be left alone.

After the mother was done last her last egg it was time for her to cover her nest. This process was amazing too! The turtle used her hind flippers to move the sand into the nest and cover the eggs. Also, using her front flippers she moved the sand in order to make it look to potential predators that there was not a nest there. And, as a casual observer if I didn't know there was a nest there I absolutely never would have been able to detect it.

Then as if she received a notice from somebody the massive mother turtle started making her move out of the nest and go back to the sea. She used her powerful flippers to push herself out of the nest area. And, with all of the earnestness at her command she crawled back into the sea. The volunteers at Gumbo Limbo told us that this turtle may come back on the same beach this season to lay more eggs. How amazing! And, in the meantime the hatchlings will grow in the nest and eventually crawl out of the hole towards the sea. They will swim out the gulf stream, and begin their 20 year trek in the Atlantic Ocean only to find their way back to this very same beach in Boca Raton, FL to lay their own eggs. And so the life cycle continues as it has for over 65 million years. And, to think that I was witness to that amazing event was just incredible. I feel humbled and honored to be a part of it!

The old bridge is used mainly now for fishing. You may have noted it in several movies, including some James Bond movies. The bridge is shut down once a year for a seven mile run. I should have done that when I was younger. You can also take helicopter rides just to see the bridge. I presume most of those people are the Japanese. I have no facts on that.

I’ve always enjoyed riding over the bridge. Over the many times I have seen many animals, the most interest was a whale. Or is that a whale of a story? The bridge’s picture adorns many Florida scenery pictures. Enjoy the ride and history the next time you travel over it.

If you plan to bike or walk the Old Seven Mile Bridge: There is parking just north of the bridge gulf side at Mile Marker 47 in Marathon. To visit Pigeon Key by boat, go to the visitor center on the ocean side. Even if you ride your bike to the island, you still need to pay the $12 admission, so you might as well enjoy the bike ride as a separate activity and then take the boat over for a guided tour.