Triple T’s – Tenneco Towers, Tracey & Turtle Ledge

Six divers set out on an eight-hour adventure with ParrotFish Scuba, departing early in the morning from Pompano Beach and making their way south to the Tenneco Towers off Hollywood. After exploring the Towers, the group worked their way back north, making stops at the Tracey and Turtle Ledge along the way. It was a long day on the water, with challenging conditions, new wrecks to explore, and plenty of marine life making the journey well worth it.

Dive 1 - Tenneco Towers

Tenneco Towers proved to be a challenging dive, with a strong northerly current pushing across the site, and 40' of visibility, making for a demanding ride throughout the dive. A distinct thermocline added another challenge, with the water temperature dropping into the low to mid-70s as we descended. Despite the conditions, the reef was still alive with plenty of activity, including schools of fish holding nearly motionless in the current and the usual assortment of reef residents. Among the sightings were a trunkfish, lionfish, and plenty of other tropical reef fish taking shelter around the structure. Not the easiest conditions, but the site still delivered plenty to see and a memorable dive.

_{Pictured: Sam and Jessica Bochenek.  Not pictured: Fabian Lago, Angelica Cookson, Federico Quintana, Rudy Lopez (forgot the group photo)}

Dive 2 - The Tracy

The second dive took us to the Tracey, resting between 55 and 72 feet. The current was still pushing from the north, visibility was slightly better, but it was significantly more manageable than what we encountered at Tenneco Towers. New to everyone in the group, the wreck quickly proved to be a worthy addition to the dive roster, with easy penetration points that ran through almost the entire length of the ship. Beyond making for an interesting exploration, the interior of the wreck provided a welcome refuge from the current.
The thermocline was still present, but fortunately the top of the wreck remained comfortably warm. The surrounding sand produced a stingray in the distance, while the wreck and reef were home to numerous queen angelfish, parrotfish, porkfish, and several large gray angelfish. The Tracey is one of three wrecks located within roughly 200 feet of one another, making it an intriguing candidate for a future wreck trek. After a successful first look at the Tracey, a return trip next year to explore all three wrecks may very well be in the cards.

Dive 3 - Turtle Ledge

The final dive of the day took us to Turtle Ledge, and, ironically, after battling a strong current earlier in the day, we were all hoping the current would finally work in our favor and whisk us along the reef. Instead, there was almost no current at all. Apparently, the ocean had other plans.
From the moment we hit the water, however, the reef was spectacularly alive. A spotted moray was almost completely out of its hole, putting on quite a display, while a large lionfish scurried into the shelter of a barrel sponge. Not long after, we came across a nurse shark and a green moray seemingly sharing neighboring "cubicles" in the reef. Nearly every crevice along the ledge held another surprise, from lobsters tucked into the shadows to crabs hiding among the rocks.
After a long day of challenging conditions and plenty of miles above and underwater, Turtle Ledge delivered exactly what we needed—a relaxed, wildlife-filled dive and a great way to finish out the day.

_{Underwater photos and video stills by Rudy Lopez}