population census. REEF volunteers also study invasive
lionfish and spawning aggregations. Quinn soaks it all in.
No trip to Key West would be complete without
sampling a bit of nightlife, although some of it is a
bit over the top for our grandson. When he grows
up we’ll suggest he come on Halloween and whoop it
up at Fantasy Fest, a party like none other. For now,
following an early dinner we roam Mallory Square
and Duval Street where Key West and Margaritaville
coalesce into one of the world’s favorite perennial
party towns. But after a long day on the water and
with two dives scheduled for the morning, we leave
early and head back to the hotel for a rest.
A MARATHON ADVENTURE
Following the morning dives we pack and drive 50 miles
back up the highway to Marathon. On leaving Key West,
Quinn’s species list stands at 75, thanks in great part to
the fish surveyors. By the time he hits the water at the
Pillar Patch
off Marathon, he has nothing but fish on
his mind. With the help of a fish-savvy guide, he adds 20
more species during the next four dives, which puts him
enticingly close to his trip target of 100.
In the afternoon we are back underwater, but this
time inside a huge aquarium at
Florida Keys Aquarium
Encounters
, Marathon’s new marine life adventure
park. This is quite an operation, offering feeding
encounters with rays and snorkeling trails, but the high
point for us is Quinn and Anna in the main display
tank feeding fish from plastic dispensers. With the first
squirt, the pair disappears behind a cloud of eagle rays,
lookdowns, snapper, hogfish and parrotfish. It’s a hoot!
Back on the reef the next morning, Quinn needs five
fish to reach his goal, so Anna and I take him out on the
flats and show him how to sneak up on sand dwellers.
It isn’t long before Anna points out what becomes
number 100 — a ghost-white sliver of a fish hovering
above its burrow. She scribbles “Seminole goby” on her
slate with a big 100 to the side. But milestones don’t
end here. While showing Quinn the eyes of a conch, I
notice a small fish flitting inside the shell’s
pink spiral. It is my turn to celebrate: It’s
a conchfish, a species I’ve personally been
hunting for 40 years.
Following a nap, we slip on flip-flops and
shorts and head for
The Turtle Hospital,
a
vintage mom-and-pop motel turned into a
hospital and rescue operation. The facility’s
main attractions are housed in big, blue
basins beside the bay where visitors meet
recuperating patients and hear their stories.
The turtles paddling around the clear pools
have all sorts of ailments — some were
hit by boats, others were recovering from
tumor surgery or were found entangled in
nets. One tiny leatherback, with its yolk sac
still attached, was recently rescued from
a bayside marina where it washed ashore.
It will be nourished until stable and then
taken 30 miles offshore and released in
a float of Sargassum. The visit leaves us
feeling good about turtles and people.
Our next stop is Tavernier, a small
community just south of Key Largo. The
reefs are closer to shore here, and the
ledges overflow with grunts and snappers.
Quinn is on his game, relaxed, excited and
enjoying life in general. To top off a great day on the
water, a manatee the size of a cow munches algae off the
dive platform as we unload gear at the dock.
A TOUCH OF HISTORY
The
History of Diving Museum
in Islamorada should
be a place of pilgrimage for everyone who loves diving.
It certainly hits the mark with Quinn, who tries out
20-pound dive boots, mans an old-fashioned air pump
until he pops a balloon, pokes his head inside a half
dozen helmets, attempts to lift a silver bar taken off a
Spanish galleon and, during the process, learns a lot
about the sport he is just beginning.
80
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FALL 2014
From left: A juggler provides evening entertainment on Mallory Square
in Key West. Key West’s famous night life cranks up on Duval Street.
