Surf and Turf was on Today's Menu

Have you ever seen a giant land crab? I didn't get to see one today, but I know they're here by their giant burrows all along Long Key State Park.  We saw even more at Anne's Beach along the boardwalk trail.

Land crab entering a burrow

The crabs need to stay in their burrows to escape the heat during the day, but venture out for fun and food around sunset.

After some sea grass identification (shoal, turtle and manatee), a merman's shave brush, and a short trek at the state parks, we ventured to lunch at Puerta Vallarta. I had the Mahi tacos - I highly recommend them!

Half of us then continued on to the 2nd dive day!

The first dive site was Davis Reef, we explored ~ 30ft deep and there were many things to see! There were many species of fish, some eels and a giant turtle.

Back on the boat we changed out our gear, rocked and rolled with the 2-4 ft seas and prepped for the next stop- Pleasure Point. This was my favorite spot of the day, we saw a nurse shark, tons of grunts, parrotfish, trumpetfish, a few queen angelfish, a giant moray eel, and loads of other species. The ledge was a great place to explore with lots of crevices for creatures to hide. The captain had mentioned they do feedings at this spot from time to time.

Holacanthus ciliaris, Queen Angelfish

The current at both places was especially strong at the surface which made navigating back and boarding the boat especially difficult. We made it back it but had to cancel our scheduled Night Dive due to unpredictable weather... it is the Keys!

For dinner, we had a small slice of home - literally. We stopped at Jersey Boardwalk Pizza. We, of course, ordered a sampling of everything. Wings, pizza, and cheesesteaks were had by all. It was authentic, right down to the Amorosos rolls, and made us all rest a bit easier after the long day.

Overall, it was a great end to an overcast day in the Keys!


Want a great dive experience? Check out Captain Slate's Dive Shop

Make sure you have your field guide handy to identify all those fish you'll see on the reef! Get one here: Reef Fish ID books