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FALL 2016
LOCAL DIVING
LOOE KEY
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small schools of grunts, snapper
and sergeant majors.
For our next trip to Looe Key
we decided on a private charter
to explore the deeper areas of the
reef and the wreck of the freighter
Adolphus Busch
, which was sunk
in 1998 between Looe Key Reef
and American Shoal. The ship
was sunk within the Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary, so
explosives were not used because
the concussion might harm marine
life. Instead 12 holes were cut in the
ship above the waterline, and water
was pumped into the hull. The
210-foot-long ship slipped beneath
the waves on Dec. 5, perfectly
upright at 110 feet. Adolphus
Bush IV, an avid diver and great-
grandson of one of the founders of
Anheuser-Busch, donated $200,000
to help purchase, prep and sink
the vessel, which was then known
as the
Ocean Alley
. The ship was
rechristened the
Adolphus Busch
Sr
. and is part of the Florida Keys
Wreck Trek, a series of nine wrecks
from Key Largo to Key West.
Conditions were again excellent,
with water so clear we could see
almost the entire ship from the
mooring ball. We had the
Busch
to
ourselves, and the descent down
the mooring line was easy with
very little current. The marine life
was timid, and the three resident
goliath groupers kept their distance,
watching us cautiously. A school
of barracuda eyed us intently as we
got nearer to the wreck. A school of
permit patrolled the wheelhouse at
around 70 feet. Two lionfish declared
themselves captain and first mate
and were two of only a few of that
invasive species that we saw on all
our dives. In summer the wreck is
thick with silversides as warmer Gulf
Stream waters move closer. Moray
eels, lemon sharks and schools of
grunts and snappers frequent the
site. The vibrant colors of the corals
and sponges were muted somewhat
by a layer of silt covering the wreck.
The deep reef area has flat, gently
sloping terrain in depths from 50-100
feet. Currents can be strong at depth.
Two reef sharks greeted us, while
angelfish, schools of grunts and
Atlantic spadefish swam among the
soft corals and large barrel sponges.
Our final dive of the day was
at the eastern end of Looe Key,
an area where the reef is more
dramatic with steeper coral
formations and more pronounced
ledges. Barracuda were plentiful,
large rainbow parrotfish chomped
on the coral, and schools of gray
snapper and yellowtail were
abundant. This reef was absolutely
stunning in the late-afternoon light.
A trio of eagle rays gracefully patrols the reef just above the coral.