pratt@paul.rutgers.edu (Lorien Y. Pratt) (05/29/90)
Trip report to the Everglades and Florida Keys
==or-- how to see 165 species in 8 days.
This file contains a fairly detailed travel log of a trip that we took this
spring to the Everglades, then to Key Largo, then to Big Pine Key. We did
lots of both bird- and fish-watching and did our first scuba diving since we
were certified (NAUI) last fall. This information should be of interest to
birders and fishers (?) alike who are interested in doing the same kind of
trip that we did.
Part 2: Sunday 4/22/90 -- Tuesday 4/24/90:
Snorkeling in the Keys, staying at Best Western Suites, Pennekamp Park
Swimming with Dolphins at Dolphins+
Sunday, 4/22/90
After our trip through the Everglades, we continue on into Homestead
and then out onto the Keys. We are staying at the Best Western Suites,
at $115/night. We had hoped to splurge on *real* luxury at this price,
expecting perhaps a resort atmosphere, but are somewhat disappointed
(in retrospect, I realize we should have asked for recommendations, not
expecting that you always get what you pay for). The rooms are clean
and large and very nice, and we have a great view of a dive shop (Ocean
Divers) and bar across the canal and of the big sailboats moored at the
hotel, which are right under our window. Unfortunately, the pool is
fairly small and there's not much else to do around the motel. It's
mostly parking lot and canal.
We arrive around 4:00, and we hear that Pennekamp underwater park, from
where we are to snorkel tomorrow, is giving free admission for Earth
day. We take all our dive gear over there, and the ranger points us to
the ``left beach''. We lug our dive bag out onto the sand, and I put
on lycra and the top half of my wet suit (1/4" -- I brought it based on
recommendations that even in Florida, the water can feel cold, and I
sure am glad I did). We are happily pleased to find that the roped-in
swimming area that looks so boring from above grows a third dimension
when we put on our masks!
There are rainbow parrotfish, caesar grunts, blue tangs, yellowtail
snapper, barracuda, as well as many other fish, swimming around the
platform in the middle of the area. To one-time only snorkelers
(outside of a swimming pool) like ourselves, this is fascinating --
(the fish are brighter than even a painted grosbeak, and more tame),
and we swam for two hours. Somebody has sunk two ships' cannons as
well, and there is a deeper part (I would guess around 30'), where we
can practice surface diving. I am *very* happy that we do this, as it
gives us a chance to practice our snorkeling and get used to our
masks. The visibility is probably only 12' or so, but there's plenty
to see in that distance. I have a lot of trouble with my mask (lesson:
don't wear sunscreen near your eyes -- it stings when water gets in!),
and am happy for the opportunity to mess with it. I also lost a fin
strap and re-attached it -- again good practice.
We stayed up late watching the earth day special.
Monday, 4/23/90
We are up early for a snorkeling trip with the Pennekamp Park service
($20/person). We had booked with this organization as opposed to others
because we had hoped to hear something about the reef and its
inhabitants. Instead we were on a crowded boat (about 25 people) and
only received the same minimal snorkeling lecture during the 25-minute
ride out that we later received on a non-park boat. Fortunately, these
lectures, as did all of the similar ones on dive boats, stressed the
fragility of the coral reef, and said never to touch anything -- even
standing on sand disturbs animals living beneath it. We were the only
ones on the boat wearing Lycra, and I the only one in a wet suit, which
was a little embarrassing. I was happy I chose to wear it, though, as
many other people came back to the boat after a short time, but I was
able to stay out comfortably for the full hour and a half that the boat
was moored.
This snorkeling trip was an incredible experience. The water must have
had around 40 foot visibility, and the reefs were shallow enough that
we were able to get right down with the fish by surface diving. It was
quite a contrast to bird watching, as the challenge was not to find
species, but to *remember* them in enough detail to recognize in the
field guide and record later. During this trip, John and I stayed
within underwater sight of each other, and rarely raised our heads
above the water. We started working on a signing system --
developing signals for parrotfish, grouper, snapper, and pointing to our
clothing to identify colors.
When we returned to Pennekamp after lunch, we decided to invest in ``Reef Fish
Identification'' by Paul Humann, ed.: Ned Deloach., published by New World
Publications and Vaughan Press, Orlando, FL. This is an expensive book --
we'd seen it in the Pennekamp dive shop for $30 -- but we purchased it anyway
and it's been worth every penny. We had been working before with the
waterproof version of ``Guide to Corals and Fishes'' by Idaz and Jerry
Greenberg (Seahawk Press, Miami), but it just didn't have enough species. I
am surprised that I prefer the fish photographs in the Humann book to the
illustrations in Greenberg, as I have the opposite preference in bird field
guides. Perhaps this point illustrates the high quality of Humann's
photography -- every fish is well lit and fills the frame. Further
recommending the Humann book is an excellent Peterson-style system of field
mark identification --- for every species, there is a list of DISTINCTIVE
FEATURES for positive identification, as well as ABUNDANCE and DISTRIBUTION,
HABITAT and BEHAVIOR, REACTION TO DIVERS, and SIMILAR SPECIES. The one
failing of this book is that I have the impression that not every fish we
encountered was in it. Perhaps this problem is unavoidable -- I encountered
a similar problem with my flowering plants field guide. I'd be interested in
recommendations for companion field guides to this one, as we've always found
that multiple guides can often clinch a tough identification.
On this trip to Florida, we saw 86 species in all, listed at the end of
this log. Recording them was aided by a blank table in the back of
Humann for PERSONAL RECORD OF FISH SIGHTINGS. On Monday afternoon, we
went back to Pennekamp to snorkel again and to sit on the beach. We
found a shady spot at the end of the ``right'' parking lot, near a
secluded swimming area. We read our books, then went snorkeling for
another hour and a half in what, again, looked to be a boring swimming
area, but which sprang to life with the aid of mask and snorkel.
Tuesday April 25, 1990.
This morning we have an appointment for a dolphin swim at Dolphins+,
near mile marker 101 (which is about 1/2 mile south of our motel, it
turns out). Carolyn (Brooks-Kidder?) gave us 45 minutes of pre-swim
orientation, and then John and I and one other person swam in a lagoon
with dolphins Fonzie and Jeannie, with sea lion Sugar watching over
us. Both dolphins ignored me completely. They played with John a bit,
imitating him spinning in the water, and then swimming around and
around him as he did so. After a while, the dolphin ``Jeannie'',
became bored with him, though and proceeded to swim around the
perimeter of the enclosure, paying very little attention to us. They
seemed generally irritable, really, and didn't seem to want to be
there.
In a way, I am very happy that the dolphins had the choice *not* to
swim with us, as it enhances the degree to which our previous time at
dolphins+ was special (we swam with a group of younger dolphins then,
who were more playful). Later, we talked with some divers who had swam
at Dolphin Research Center, and I was dismayed to hear that they had
been warned of incidents of dolphins hurting people during a swim, and
that the animals were forced to play with the people, giving dorsal fin
tows, etc.
In the evening we cooked dinner at the motel, then went out looking for
some good Key Lime Pie. We found it, at the Harbor House restaurant at
mile marker 90.3, right next to Conch Republic, where we were to dive
in the morning (look for the flags in front). The atmosphere is South
Pacific Pink, with rotating fans and a cool breeze. Key Lime Pie is
$3/piece -- small but good.
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L. Y. Pratt Computer Science Department
pratt@paul.rutgers.edu Rutgers University
Hill Center
(201) 932-4634 New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA