Eight divers took part in an afternoon dive with South Florida Dive Headquarters to explore the local reefs while being treated to some overhead flybys courtesy of the Ft. Lauderdale Air and Sea Show.
Left: Rudy Lopez, Jacqueline Davis, Steven Moore, Sheila Schlafly, Laura Geselbracht, Cheri Craft, Nancy Frank, Dan Beery (In Black) Top Right: Dan Beery (In White) Bottom Right: Dan Beery (as Oompa Loompa)
Dive 1 – The Drop Off (Max 25ft, 81o): What began as a planned dive on the Copenhagen quickly turned into an adventure of its own. With heavy boat traffic from the Air and Sea Show filling the area, the captain made the call to shift plans for a safer afternoon on the water. Instead, we were dropped—pun absolutely intended—along the Drop Off a couple of mooring balls away, trading the wreck for a vibrant stretch of reef line.
With barely any current to contend with, divers drifted effortlessly north along the reef, taking in the sights at a relaxed pace. Familiar reef residents like curious baloonfish and colorful sand diver made their appearances, but the true showstopper came when a massive school of tarpon blasted through the blue water overhead. Moving in formation like fighter jets from the air show above, the silver giants streaked past the group in a breathtaking display that turned an unexpected change of plans into the highlight of the day.
Photos by Rudy Lopez
Dive 2 – The Bathtub (Max 60ft, 81o): For the second dive, the captain pushed farther north to a site known as “The Bathtub,” named for its unique underwater landscape—a circular reef wall wrapping around a sandy basin at its center. Descending into the formation felt like entering a hidden underwater arena, with towering reef edges surrounding the group on all sides.
The site quickly delivered unforgettable close encounters as a curious school of greater amberjack began circling the divers one by one, sweeping in close before disappearing back into the blue. As the group navigated around the bowl, the reef revealed an impressive lineup of marine life at every turn. Soapfish hovered beneath ledges, moray eels peeked cautiously from their rocky hideouts, and flashes of yellow-striped porkfish shimmered across the reef. Adding a touch of danger to the beauty, several lionfish stood motionless among the coral, their flowing spines swaying with the gentle surge as divers explored every corner of this underwater amphitheater.
Photos by Rudy Lopez