Dive 1: Jack Falafian

9:28 AM

S: Jody (lead & grapnel recovery), Charlie (deco), and Matt (liftbag & fish count)

A: 21/35, 50% deco

D: 152ft

D: 25 minutes BT, 56 minutes RT

D: recover grapnel and line, explore wreck

D: 110 deep, 70/5 60/3 50/1 40/1 30/2 20/8 10/5

PSI: backgas 3200/1800, deco 3100/1600

The Jack Falafian is an 80ft steel tug sunk 5/1/1998 in the Key Biscayne “Special Management Zone (SMZ).” Last week it demanded a sacrifice of a grapnel and line to King Neptune. This week decided to get it back. Jody set up drop site so we could find the line off the wreck. As we headed down, I didn’t see the wreck but I found three lines and noticed one of them was white with a frayed end. I circled it with my light and headed for it. It was our line.

We pulled hand over hand to the wreck. The line went up the starboard side and down into the wreck. Jody stopped and waived us up to have a look. We hit a “hole in one,” actually the grapnel dropped through a 2ft square hole in the deck and was resting next to the huge diesel engine with a ladder next to it. We felt better knowing there was no way we were going to pull it free last week from the boat. In fact we could not work it out from the hole by ourselves.

Jody could reach the connector and unhooked the line, we lift bagged it to the surface for recovery and dropped the grapnel. The wreck was basic tug. There were Creole fish, Spotfin Butterfly and Blue Angelfish around the bow. At the stern, a large opening gave us access to the engine. We swam up the starboard side, past the engine to the fuel tank with just 2ft of clearance. It reminded me of the lips at Ginnie. Jody went back down the port side to the grapnel. He lifted it up and huge white cloud of silt followed. The port side of the engine was blown out and Jody gently put the grapnel back down. Neptune was angry and would not let us have it back. Charlie felt his way down the port side and I zipped back down the starboard side of the engine where there was still 10ft of visibility. We exited back out the stern section. On the way out I noticed a hand bilge pump that was left on the ship.

With 15 minutes remaining, I got out my wetnotes and started surveying fish while Charlie and Jody zig zagged back and forth through the main deck. We drifted back to the stern, took a look at the prop and drifted off back over the lost lobster pots until we reached 25 minutes.

Our ascent was clean and problem free. At 30ft I saw something around my liftbag. At 20ft I could see a large Gray Triggerfish seeking shelter under the bag. He remained until we surfaced and then swam off. Ralph was right there with the boat to pick us up.

We motored slowly over to our second dive. We passed a 26ft Manta boat with two free divers on board going around in circles. The got in a wake and started following us. The must have seen our dive flags flying. Once again we were in the SMZ where spearfishing is prohibited. I wanted to call FWC, but I knew nothing would happen. Jody decided to take them over to the Princess Britney. It’s a new wreck without any big fish on it. If these guys can hit the wreck, free diving 90ft with a .5 knot current, they deserve when they get. We painted the wreck several times, then moved off, stopped, and watched. They circled a couple more times before a diver jumped into the water with a gun. We motored off to the fish filled wreck of the Orion.

Dive 2: Orion

11:50 AM

SI: 1:26

S: Matt, Charlie, and Kell

A: 32%

D: 94ft

D: 44 minutes

D: Drift to Orion and off over reef

D: 20/3 10/3

PSI: 3100/900

With Ralph driving, we could all dive at the same time. Jody was teaming up with an old friend and I would be diving with Charlie and Kell. The Orion has some nice reef right next to it and we had a nice 2-minute swim to the wreck from the drop point.

There were old lobster pots and lines around the base of the wreck. A school of 15 Atlantic Spadefish came over to greet us at the bow. Several nice Black Grouper were swimming around the base of the wreck. Off in the distance I could see Jody and Ashley drifting off over the reef.

We swam towards the stern and looked at the debris on the starboard side. There were fish everywhere. After checking out the prop, we ascended to the deck where a Princess Parrotfish grazed on some algae. I had flash backs to my last dive where we chased hundreds of Grunts out one of the exits. This time I swam for the exit and pushed all the Grunts out of my way to get into the hold.

The same squirrelfish was living in the large fan. But I didn’t see the Green Moray that lives there. Near the opening, there were some rods with gears on them and a stairwell taking us back up to the deck.

There is another large opening at the bow packed with Glassy Sweepers and a few Grunts. I peered up over the bow and saw the side of the ship was completely covered with Deep Water Sea fans. We headed back towards amidships and I noticed approximately 20 Spotted Goatfish resting on the side of the boat.

I signaled to Kell “drift off” and got the dazed look. Ops, forgot to review our homemade wreck navigation signals. A flat hand, palm down, making a “take off” motion, moving forward and up means “drifts off”. Charlie game me the “ok” we headed over the reef. I pulled out my bag to shoot, as we were 20 minutes into the dive and leaving the Orion.

The current pulled the liftbag eventually off the reef. We ascended at 30 minutes. At 70ft Kell sucked down what was left in a 50% bottle for a little clean up since he was going to be flying to Atlanta in 6 hours. We surfaced and Ralph was right there to pick up us again.

–Matt