Key West Weekend

This year we decided to do Key West a bit differently to put some more space in our weekend, with time for rest, relaxation and of course diving! After our Friday afternoon dive in Tavernier we had dinner with Mo at Captain Craig's, then headed down to Key West and checked into the Perry Hotel, a sanctuary on Stock Island away from the madness, but only a free shuttle ride from Old Town. 

^{Key West divers enjoying the famous sunset at Mallory Square. From left - Annelise Brown, Ralph Doerner, Rachel Davis, John Davis, Kyle Weisenberg, KW resident Jean Gruss, Amber Laureano.} 

On the morning of Saturday, August 22, we enjoyed a double dip on the USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg wreck (affectionately known to divers as "the Vandy"), a 522-foot decommissioned military transport and missile-tracking ship, the world's second-largest artificial reef. 

While the viz was a murky "dirty thirty," the water was a warm 88 degrees. We were moored on Ball 4, which afforded a longer dive with the connection to the wreck at a shallow 55 feet. The nearby smokestack made for a thrilling bottom-to-top exploration while the railings became hiding places for eels and blennies. 

There were larger critters to enjoy as well, including queen angelfish, black durgon, purple sergeant majors guarding eggs, and a huge school of Barracuda hanging around the line. 

Orange cup corals encrusted the railings, while several eels were spotted poking their heads out of nearby cracks. A curious Goliath grouper approached our group of divers and had a lengthy conversation with Kyle. 

^{Vandy Divers (from left) Ralph Doerner, Rachel Davis, Kyle Weisenberg, Angelica Cookson, John Davis, Amber Laureano, Sheila Schlafly, Jean Gross, Annelise Brown, Mo Smith.} 

After enjoying a beautiful sunset at Mallory Square, our group stuffed ourselves with authentic Cuban food. The next day brought a visit to The Turtle Hospital in Marathon on our way back home to see how they Rescue, Rehab and Release injured sea turtles. 

^{Turtle Hospital visitors (from left): Amber Laureano, Kyle Weisenberg, Angelica Cookson, John Davis, Rachel Davis, Federico Quintana.} 

The weekend ended with pizza and ice cream for dinner. Key West is always so much fun and we will definitely be back next year. 

^{Underwater photos by Jean Gruss and Sheila Schlafly.}