The FINZ Difference in the Florida Keys
Last week, my fiancé and I once again hooked up with Key West’s FINZ Dive Center for a return trip out to The Dry Tortugas National Park. There are dive trips, and then there are the ever-elusive dive adventures, simply a cut above. If you are looking for the latter, we strongly recommend checking out FINZ Dive Center.
Small Groups, Big Impact
I have been diving and snorkeling in the Keys for over 25 years and fully understand the business realities of maximizing the number of divers on each dive boat. Many dive operators on boats with 16-24 divers operate safely and also donate a portion of their proceeds to environmental causes, such as coral restoration and lionfish removal. So, no disrespect intended. That said, it’s not hard to find “cattle boat” dives in the Keys. None of that with FINZ. Their boat captains carry no more than six divers, plus one FINZ divemaster/guide, on the seventy-mile trip out to the Dry Tortugas.
Exploring Historic Fort Jefferson
Our Finz crew had two real pros aboard; each was qualified as both a boat captain and a dive master. Captain Nick (who was the excellent captain on our last trip out in Sept. 2023) moored us at the Fort Jefferson dock two hours after leaving the marina in Key West. Captain Amy then took us on a one-hour tour of the Fort—a historical and architectural wonder set amidst turquoise seas with an unbroken horizon in every direction. The vistas have to be seen to be appreciated.
Frigate Birds and Oceanic Predators
Standing on the upper walls of the Fort amongst massive cannons, great frigate birds soared above our heads in significant numbers. There is a rookery on a nearby island within the park, and extraordinarily agile male frigates from there were conducting acrobatic overhead battles. For those who don’t know, these majestic birds are used by bluewater sport fishermen as beacons for locating highly prized game fish. Frigates love to feed on flying fish, as do oceanic predators such as mahi mahi (dolphin fish), billfish, tuna, and wahoo. When surface-feeding predators chase the flying fish, they jump clear of the water and glide away using their specially adapted wing-like pectoral fins to escape. The frigates are waiting to swoop down from above at speeds of up to 100 MPH. Frigates have no oil on their wings, making them light, fast, and, thanks to their angular wing design, lethal. Captain Amy’s tour was fun and very informative. As she wrapped it up, the daily ferry to Fort Jefferson moored at the dock. We left as the crowds arrived. Perfect timing. A significant amount of plastic debris was evident in the sargassum seaweed around the Fort’s dock. A sad testament to what is a global problem. The good news being many are working to find a fix.
Diving the Windjammer-Avanti Wreck
Our first dive was the Windjammer-Avanti wreck. The Avanti went down in 1907 when her steel hull struck Loggerhead Reef while being lashed by a vicious winter storm. This shallow dive site was sun-dappled and beautiful. Lots of color from the many tropical fish. There was a good amount of healthy coral with little evident bleaching. Water temperatures were in the lower 80s°F. Bleaching typically occurs at water temperatures of 87°F and above. A resident goliath grouper, whom we had encountered on our last trip, was there, along with a second goliath, huddled against the wreckage. As always, we gave them both plenty of space. Over the years, I have found goliaths to be quite inquisitive. Especially during the annual August aggregation off Jupiter Beach, FL., when picnic table-sized specimens from as far away as the Bahamas and Caribbean are abundant and somewhat oblivious to divers as they are looking for love.
Into The Maze: A Coral Canyon Dive
Captain Nick changed hats, becoming divemaster Nick, and expertly guided us on our second dive, the site known as “The Maze.” We followed the buoy anchor line down to the bottom, hand over hand. A very cool coral canyon-type structure with swim-throughs wide enough for one diver to pass at a time. Depths of 55-60 feet plus with visibility in the 30-foot range. It’s the kind of site worth a second tank. Plenty of life. Algae covering some corals. Our dive lights were used to enhance the color at this depth. Tropical fish in abundance, along with some curious lobsters, made their presence known. The surface interval for off-gassing, food, and water was excellent, made even better by the fact that there were no other dive boats in sight in any direction. Epic!
Drift Diving in the Open Ocean
Our third and last dive was a drift dive. Divemaster Nick again led the way while Captain Amy trailed, following the dive flag being towed by Nick and our bubbles. Currents were a bit tricky, as Mother Nature made up her mind about how she wanted to play that day, way out in the open ocean. All part of it and an experience not to be missed.
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