Day 5 – Lion Tamer

Today we were going to change the odd. Darryl and I got up early in the morning and went back to Tildens to get our scuba tanks filled and decided to rent the gear for one more day. I was also on a mission to find a ZooKeeper. A ZooKeeper is a brand of a holding tube used when catching lionfish. 

Once you spear it, you simply stick it in the tube and pull the fish off on

the flap located at the top of the tube. Tilden's did not have it but did have what looked like a Home Depot 5 gallon bucket. The manager told me it would work great! Not sure what medication she was on, but there wasn’t a chance in hell I would use such a thing. After checking at Halls, we finally found two at West Marine. Yeah – West Marine!!! Now we were ready!

We lollygagged around the house until about 10am before getting on the boat. Darryl, Tobi, Lane, LT, and I headed on the boat for gas first, then out to Sombrero Beach for bait, and then finally out to the reef. We dropped anchored about a quarter-mile off of the lighthouse near a ledge. I went down and managed to spear 3 lionfish.

While I was looking for my fourth lionfish, a nurse shark started to swim around me. Beautiful creature! It started to circle me and thought this is odd behavior. I petted it and then tried to push it away. It kept circling and then a prodded it gentle with the spear tip. It did not make a difference. Finally, it occurs to me that it was likely smelling the lionfish I had shot that were now in my holding tube. Swimming forward my eyes now were concentrating on to things, Lionfish and the nurse shark. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a lionfish and proceed to spear it. Within a millisecond of the spearing of the lionfish, the nurse shark flew passed my side and ripped the lionfish off the tip of the spear. I was so giddy! That was one of the coolest things I had ever encountered scubaing.

LT hammered out about 5 hogfish. Lane speared two hogfish but was on a half-empty tank. While Lane was done, he got his second regulator caught on the reef and it started to blow out air. Unable to get the regulator unstuck for a while it dropped his oxygen level to near empty. Luckily he was able to free it and managed to get back up with an empty tank. With all the parties back in the boat, we headed back to the house to refill the tanks.

While we were out on the water, Darcy and Jake arrived at the house. They drove down from Tennessee. We said our hellos and then Darryl, Tobi and I headed to Hall’s dive center to get scuba gear for Lane, Tobi, and Olivia, along with six scuba tanks. They wanted to make sure we had plenty of air and enough to go out for several dives each. Gear rented and we were off.

We had a boatful today, but the water was calm and had plenty of daylight to make the best of the afternoon. Again, we headed out towards Sombrero Lighthouse and anchored off about a half-mile out near one of the ledges. It was hard to see the bottom from up top, but once you got about 20 feet from the bottom you could see all the structure. It was pretty rocky with coral beds and clusters all over. I attempted to go for Lionfish and managed to get six, along with one Hogfish. I saw plenty of Hogfish while I was down, but opted not to spear them. Not sure why, but wanted to really get at least 8 of the Lionfish. Didn’t make eight, but was sure close.

After the deep dive, we headed over to Sombrero National Sanctuary by the lighthouse and the girls get in and snorkel. Olivia was a bit snockered and didn’t take to the whole snorkeling thing well. We could not get her to put the mask or snorkel on and she had a really hard time putting on her fins. Tobi finally jumped in and helped her. The current was super strong so it drifted them quite a way out and it took them quite some time to get back.

We ended up heading back in around 7:30pm and pretty much called it a day. At least some of us did. Darryl took Anna out on the boat for a bit and then the boys ended up going back out on it after 9pm or so hoping to get one last bite of the day.

Day 4 - Project Wonderful Arrives

The house was pretty quiet when I awoke at 6:30am. I rolled around a bit before finally getting out of bed and jumping on the computer. Darryl was going to come today and thought he was going to show up around 8-8:30am. I needed to get a bunch of work done that I had neglected for the last few days.

The troops finally got up around 9:45am and I had Lane help me put a kayak in the water. I took it out for about 1.5 hours and made it to the mouth of Sister Canal by Sombrero Beach. I tried to snorkel there for a bit, but the water was too murky. I ended up kayaking over to the opposite side by the mangroves and fished for about 20 minutes. Caught a slew of small snappers and then headed back to the house.

When I got back the kids were putting the boat together and Darryl and I headed up to Tildens and rented some scuba gear. After we got back we (Tobi, Darryl, Lane, LT and I) loaded up the scuba gear and headed out on the boat. We stopped off to fill the gas tank and off we went to try our luck near Sombrero reef. I managed to spearfish several Lionfish, but was only able to get two chunky ones back to the boat. I lost the other two when I tried to spear a lobster.

With the tanks empty, we headed further out to see if we could have some luck with some Mahi. Lane and LT captained us well and managed to finally find a bouy where both LT and Tobi each caught a Mahi. All of us tried for several minutes before eventually heading back to the hacienda.

The boys cleaned all the fish and Aunt Carla did her magic with the cooking. All that needs to be said is “Yummy!” and “Amazing!” The ladies did a great job with the fish tacos. Bellies full, I laid down never to rise again for the day!

Day 3 - Night Dive with Tildens

I had scheduled for Tobi, Olivia, and I to do a night dive today. We needed to be at Isla Bella Resort at 5:45, so we left about 10 minutes prior. It was raining and we weren't too sure if they were going to cancel the dive as the dark sky seemed to stretch far into the distance. However, as we got the dive boat you could see a glimpse of hope up above where the sun rays were streaking through.

What made the dive really nice was that it was just the three of us and the instructor or divemaster. Not sure what Jacob was. We also had Larry on board who was the Captian. He captained the ship on Sunday for our dives as well. Didn't take but about 15 minutes and they got our gear, packed the boat, gave the standard instruction spiel, and we were off.

Water was flat and glassy in comparison to what it was earlier in the day. It made for a really quick ride out. While the guys were getting us anchored on to the bouy, the three us got busy getting our gear on and readying ourselves to jump in the water. Wasn't long and we were all in. It was still light out and our first dive was to be like any other. It was to show the difference when we did our dark dive.

As always, the sea is just such a magical place. The photos never do it justice. I did my best to take some shots, but the battery finally ran out. Plus, I took them with my GoPro. I did not have a case on it and every now and. then around 20-25 foot depth when I took a picture, the button would get stuck from the pressure. So much for being prepared.

After the dive, we came back up to the boat and waited for sunset. We were on the boat for about 30-40 minutes watching the sun go down. It was a beautiful sight with even prettier company. With the sun now fallen we geared back up and headed down. Jacob and Larry got us ammunitioned with some lights and we were off to the races. Luckily, Olivia checked the lights and realized that the divemaster had put in all the batteries backwards in the primary lights. Thanks Ollie!!

No pictures on this dives, but plenty of mental candy. I will not forget some of the scenery. The coral is definitely alive at night. We managed to see all kinds of creatures, including eels, octopus, nurse shark, shrimp, lobsters, massive snook, giant grouper, plenty of hogfish I would have loved to catch, and countless of fish and coral.

Definitely looking for our next night dive.

Day 2 – Adventures in the Afternoon

After the scuba dive, we headed back to the house and settled our equilibrium and bellies a bit. When we arrived, the boys had just gotten back to the house after dropping the boat at the boat ramp. They were getting all the fishing and spearing gear together on the boat. Both LT and Lane headed out for around two hours before coming back. They had caught all kinds of fish.

Later in the day, I headed out with both of the boys we fished until around 7pm. The water had finally laid down and was still. Lane took us around to Crane Point and also to one of the piers where there was a big drop off. Unfortunately, the water was somewhat murky. Lane cast-netted and caught a net full of green backs, glass minnows, and pin fish. Near the end of coming back towards the house, we fished at the entrance of the channel right by Sombrero beach for about an hour or so. All of us caught a handful of fish. I managed to hook into a tarpon only to lose him a little later. Still it was a rush to hook on.

Back at the house the ladies were busy cooking away. They were putting together a boil for about 16 lobster tails the boys had caught earlier. Dinner was amazing and the lobsters were on point. I could eat like this every day. The rest of the evening was relaxing and some fishing. LT almost hooked into a 3-4 foot nurse shark which was circling around our dock hoping to sink its teeth into one of the baby barracudas swimming around.

Day 2 - Scuba Diving - Sombrero Reef

Woke up early this morning to prepare for a scuba dive. Tobi, Olivia, and I signed up with Tilden Scuba center to go out to Sombrero reef for a two tank dive. All of us were up and moving by 7am, including Anna and Aunt Carla. They wished us off around 7:30am and we drove down to Dive Isla Bella resort. The resort was only 1.5 miles from the house, so it was a pretty short drive.

When we got there we were greeted by Lisa, who was our mate on board and our dive instructor. She got us BCD, regulator, and finished getting us put together on board. Our dive only had six of us, so it was a nice small group. We did both our dives on Sombrero Reef. The most magical place in Marathon in my opinion. I however am a bit biased! 

  

Traveling down to Marathon

Headed out the door early Saturday afternoon around 2:30pm. I had planned to leave around 7pm, drive throughout the night, and then arrive down in the keys right as the sun was starting to rise. I did a self-check and realized that I and getting too old to manage to drive throughout the night. So, we decided to kick it out early and stop along the way. We actually managed to get down the road quite a bit. I started driving, with Anna taking the next shift and then finally having Olivia complete the last leg. We all decided to stop in Vero Beach, about 4.5 hours from Marathon.

The hotel, Country Inn and Suites, had one room left. We had tried several other hotels, but they were all booked out. This one would have to do. One king bed and one pull out sofa couch. The sofa couch was horrendous. The kids both slept, or laid on the sofa bed, but got about zero sleep on it. You could literally feel every spring.

We hit the road in the morning around 8:30am with the kids crashing out and finally get some rest, while we managed to may our way down the Florida turnpike. It’s always a beautiful drive down once you pass Homestead and know you have made it to Key Largo. Driving without a care, we stopped in at Lora Lies for some early lunch/breakfast. I was famished, as we the rest of the team.

Check-in was not until 4pm, but we still tried to get in around 2pm. No matter, we all headed around to the back of the house and stretched our leg. Lt and I started to unload the car and get the essentials – fishing rods and bait. Right before we got to the house, we stopped at Captain Hooks and got some frozen shrimp, just to have something. Unloaded and started to throw in some shrimp and wouldn’t you know it, the fish were a biting!!!

Anna and Olivia headed to the store and grabbed all kinds of drinks. While they were out, I tried the door again at 3pm and it seems that the lock had been lifted. I put the rest of the stuff in the house and headed back to the dock to continue fishing. LT got out the snorkel, fins, mask, and a pole spear and went to try his luck. Luck gotten! He is the master of the water and as I like to call him these days – “Little Psosidien”!

Lane, Toby, and Aunt Carla got here around 6:30pm. We were all glad to see everyone and were happy they finally made it down. After some unloading, Lane was right at it with LT and the fishing was on. They relaxed for a bit before we all finally headed out to Key Fisheries for some dinner. Dinner was okay, but not overwhelming. After the meal, we all headed back to the hacienda and pretty much took it easy the remainder of the night.