Dive Time with Tim Grollimund
Winter diving is a matter of perspective
E-Mail this story
Print this story
tool name
close
tool goes here
Posted - Friday, January 06, 2012 12:34 PM EST
A gray angelfish comes by to check out the camera lens. (Photo by Tim Grollimund)
Over the last few weeks I have not been diving as much as I normally do. Most of that is due to the prevailing windy conditions. Some operators had to cancel trips to the reef. But there is another reason — the same reason I just ordered a thicker wetsuit to go on top of my hooded vest — it’s cold in the water.
Never thought I’d say that about the Keys. Water temperatures below 75 are cold to me. For all the years I dove in the Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Banks, water in the 70-degree range was no big deal.
When I came here in late 2009, I experienced the coldest winter in a generation in the Keys. Early 2010 was the fish kill event. I was thankful I had my little liquid-filled radiators I’d stashed in my POD just in case. My cubbyhole had no heat, so the plug-in heat worked out great. I told myself it didn’t bother me, as my adrenalin was still in a tizzy just because I lived here in the Keys and could “dive whenever I want.” Now I live in a comfortable tin hut with a real central air system, so I can endure the windy winter season much better.
As I have acclimated to the Keys, I have become less cold tolerant than I thought I ever would or could. This morning it was in the low 50s on my porch, and I almost had to turn the heat on. [Insert a shiver here] I never liked winter, even as a kid, and I like it less now. My compadres in the north say we don’t have winter — well, they are very wrong. Any day in the Keys with a temperature that begin with a 5 is winter to me. And nights that begin with a 4 are deep winter, arctic conditions for the Keys.
Besides, it cuts into my diving time!
On New Year’s Day I went diving. Another new tradition I’m trying to establish. It was a gorgeous day, and we popped onto a less-traveled spot to look for sharks. We regularly see reef sharks on this site, but the visibility is typically 30 feet or less. I don’t get many photo opportunities there, but I don’t go there for that. It’s a unique place I’d put on the same list as Snapper Ledge for sheer wonderment.
The highlight of this day was a massive school of spadefish, at least several hundred, estimating conservatively. There’s also an old, old loggerhead with dozens of barnacles adorning his shell and head. The loggerhead is a regular companion there, a gentle giant that is indifferent to our presence.
The guests on Phil Darche’s boat were Elena Rodriguez (Key Largo Dive Center) and Pete Murray (NetDoc on ScubaBoard). While the three of us battled the cold water (about 73), Pete jumped in the water in swim trunks and a T-shirt. I got cold just watching that. Pete was undaunted.
“When you are built like a manatee, you can dive like one,” was his perspective. My perspective was a bit different. [Insert another shiver here]
On one of the recent less cold days in December on Deep Molasses, Phil and I saw three species of turtle on one dive. Although the loggerhead was too far from me to photograph, he swam right past Phil, and there was no doubt about him being a loggerhead. I’m sure we have seen him before. He is massive, and possibly was the same loggerhead I photographed being cleaned by three Spanish hogfish (See DIVE TIME June 10). Head the size of a football. He’s got to be an ancient mariner if I ever saw one.
We also saw a green sea turtle and of course, a hawksbill. I have not seen many green sea turtles here, so this was a real rush, which is exactly what I need to stay warm in 73 degree water. He was at about sixty feet, tucked in behind a big barrel sponge, and I got within ten feet of him before I saw him. He was hiding from the cold, no doubt.
Which got me to thinking. We have migratory birds, and snowbirds all through the Keys in the winter. How active are the turtles in comparison? To answer that, I spent some time on seaturtle.org, and found a wealth of information about their travel patterns. It’s common knowledge turtles return year after year to the same beaches to lay their eggs, but what range do they have? How far can they go in a day? Do some stay in a relatively small area, or are they gadabouts? I think I see the same individuals from time to time, but is that really the case? Maybe it’s like a condo and many turtles share time at different reef spots.
On seaturtle.org/tracking/ there is a satellite tracking map that will show you, day by day, where all the tagged turtles are roaming. Very interesting stuff to fill some of these cold evenings we’ve had lately. I’d like to overlay that map with a moon jelly map. Maybe its like the lunch truck at a construction site in reverse. Just follow the truck for the main course and pop down for a nip of sponge as a garnish for the jelly[fish].
I can’t wait for the spring thaw when the eagle rays come back. In the mean time dress for the cold — or not if you can dive like a manatee. There’s plenty of good diving on the cool, windy pages of the calendar.
Tim Grollimund is a freelance photographer and PADI divemaster based in Key Largo. He can be reached at tim@timgimages.com or through his web site at www.timgimages.com. Keep tabs on his activity for the Coral Restoration Foundation at www.timgimages.com/crlogbook.
