Diving pics in Key Largo

Diving in Key Largo

More diving pics of my trip in Key largo, I dived with Quiescence and Island Ventures, both where good diving operators and I recommand these operators.
We mainly dived on the reef around French reef, Molasses, the Winch, Benwood, The City of Washington, the Duane, the Spiegel grove...
The sea was agitated and visiblity wasn't always optimal but I really enjoyed this dives. The number of fish and their sizes is quite impressive thanks to the effort of preservation in the area. I wish we had more reservations like this. Most of the dives where shallow, around 10 m except on the wrecks. I dived off season, the week after after the Fantasy feest in Key West, it is very quiet and good if you want to avoid the crowds however the weather can be a problem sometimes, cold and strong winds. Prices are ok, not cheap but you can find good places at an affordable rate. I stayed at Ed and Helen's lodge and enjoyed my stay.
Unfortunately I don't have pics of the Duane and the Spiegel because it was too deep for my small camera, I can go down to 10 meters without an underwatercase and it is shockproof, I can't wait till they make one going down to 40 meters at least. These two wrecks are really good with plenty of life around, huge rays, big groupers, sharks and more...
If you're not american it is hard to figure out the tipping system, I still don't get it after all these trips to the States, I had a hard time figuring wether I should tip the captains or not and how much. Basically, I never knew whom to tip. During my journey I overtipped some people wich I learned later I didn't need to tip, and undertipped other persons at the end of my journey. For the boat captains I definitly undertipped but realized that later. However, it would be good for the diving operator to give an indication of the tip on the bill for the foreigners wich are not used to tip, like in some of the restaurant. I also don't know if the tip is shared among captains or personal.

Grouper in Key Largo

Nice encounter at Elbow reef.

Nurse Shark

Around the wreck City of Washington, built in 1877. A steamer-sailer, with 3 masts, she was right next to the US battleship Maine when the Maine exploded in Havana harbor in 1898, the beginning of the Spanish-American War. She sank in 1917 transporting coal and sunk on Elbow Reef.

Small imbricated turtle

Imbricated turtle (Eretmochelus imbricata).

Psycho the Barracuda and friends

The Everglades

One week in the Everglades on the road to Flamingo we encountered our first Alligators.
Irene on the airboat, one of the attraction around the national park. The airboat is not really ecofriendly but part of the florida culture down south. This tour was on the land of the Miccosukee. Check the web site http://www.miccosukee.com/
On the 2 pictures below you can see a Saltwater crocodile, Not an alligators. I didn't know that there were Saltwater Crocs in North America, it was quite interesting, check the differences.


A baby gator on the head of it's mammy.


Florida Cottonmouth (water mocassin) can be aggressive and extremely lethal. Well known in the movies were prisoners try to escape through the swamps.

Miami Obama and Fantasy fest in Key West

Miami Downtown, Obama had a meeting, I went couldn't get in so I waited for him outside with a fairly enthiousastic crowd. Big fun we ended up the night at Shooters with plenty of Obama's supporter, Change is on it's way.


Obama is in the bus, I couldn't take a better picture, Michele left earlier in a car, people were as excited as if it was a pop star.

Few days after visiting Miami we went to the Fantasy fest in Key West, just about a week before Halloween people are working half or fully naked with body paint down the streets of Key West, once home of Hemingway. I had my head painted as well to be in the party mood. Irene didn't.





Here is one of Hemingways protected cats with 6 toes (polydactyl). This is Pablo Picasso. Also to be seen on http://www.hemingwayhome.com/HTML/our_cats.htm