Diving the Gardens
Posted By Layne Hedrick on 12 January 2005
What a great view. As we continued hovering, one shark looked our way; then immediately swam off. The remaining two followed suit. Within seconds, they disappeared. I was thrilled with the sighting.
It took me a second to realize the dive had just started; we had only been underwater for 10 minutes. As I looked towards the surface, watching my air bubbles rise in the current, I was again stunned to see more sharks. A school of hammerheads was moving right above us.
A few moments later, my buddy pointed out two small eagle rays nearby and a reef shark lurked off in the distance.
Absolutely amazing! We followed the hammerheads for about five minutes until we got too far from the boat. Stopping, we watched them finally disappear from view.
What a dive! I saw 3 tiger sharks, 22 hammerheads, three reef sharks and a small squid. I have never experienced a dive like that.
When we ascended to the boat, everyone was buzzing with excitement, so amazed at our good fortune. It was equally apparent no one wanted to leave.
Usually, the boat would move out to a deep-water platform for the next dive , but everyone wanted another chance to swim with the sharks. Our dive-master, took a vote and we decided to stay. As we entered the water, we had high expectations. It would really take a lot to top what we had witnessed, on our earlier dive, but as luck would have it we saw two reef sharks. One 5-foot reef shark kept us company throughout our safety stop. He would slide in and out of the down lines coming within a few feet of us. Usually, this sighting alone would have been a great experience. Added to our earlier dive, we were chalking up a remarkable trip.
Our last dive of the day was a night dive, one of my favorites. Night dives draw me to the Flower Gardens not necessarily because of the difference in marine life at night, but because of the surreal experience. The water is so clear you can see other diver's lights and the strobes identifying the safety lines. I've seen sharks at night, manta rays and large jellyfish. There are various iridescences and thousands of small shrimp whose eyes light up all over the reef. At night I always feel as though I am exploring an alien landscape.
For an adventure in the 'perfect dive' or a deep-sea alien exploration treat yourself to a trip to the Flower Gardens. You too can capture lasting impressions and experience a diver's dream. Located in Freeport, Texas Gulf Diving LLC operates two 100' foot dive boats, the Fling and the Spree. Tom's Dive and Ski in Austin, Texas is one dive shop where you can book a trip. Contact them at (512) 451-3425 or visit their website at www.tomsscuba.com.
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