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(12-06-2009, 07:31 PM)SyberBitch Wrote: (12-06-2009, 12:54 PM)jackboots Wrote: Sally, do you ever go to the Ocala Nat. forest to swim in Alexander Springs? the fresh water is as clear as any in the Caribbean, there are lots of fish, a big bull gator that you hear, but he stays in the rushes, i've seen otters, and manatees come in in the winter. it's a beautiful place to simply snorkel if you don't dive.
That's lovely - I would never snorkel or dive, since it would scare the stuffing out of me, but it's very pretty.
Snorkeling isn't as scary as scuba diving. We went snorkeling in the Keys and I couldn't believe all the fish out there, I saw a sting ray in the sand that was as big as my freaking SUV.
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Syber, if someone was patient and didn't force you to do anything you weren't comfortable with, you might enjoy snorkeling in someplace not too deep, and with high visibility. it's a wonderful experience for little kids too, in a shallow place with colorful fish.
this pic is off Key Largo, Christ of the Abyss statue that Italy gave to U.S. it's in 40' of water, but very fast current. thought you might like to see it.
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The original "Il Christo Degli Abissi" statue was placed in the Mediterranean Sea off Genoa, Italy, in 1954. In 1961, a second statue "Christ of the Deep" was cast from the same mold. The Cressi family of Italy donated the statue to the Underwater Society of America, which in turn donated it to the Florida State Park Service, in recognition of the conservation efforts involved in the creation of America's first underwater park.
In 1965, the nine foot tall 4000 pound bronze statue "Christ of the Deep" was attached to a concrete base, and placed in 40 feet of water on the seaward side of Key Largo Dry Rocks. Since then, "The Statue" has become an icon of Key Largo scuba diving. In 1975, Key Largo Dry Rocks, along with pretty much everything else over three miles offshore, out to 300 feet of depth, became a part of the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, which in turn became a part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
The Christ Statue is one of the most famous and visited underwater sites on earth, accessible to divers and snorkelers alike! Shallow high profile spur and groove coral formations are surrounded by relatively flat, coral and sponge encrusted hard bottom, and sand. Large Spotted Eagle Rays and Southern Stingrays are often sighted near the sandy perimeter.
That's wild. A statue deliberately placed where it can only be viewed 'beneath the waves'. A small replica would be great in a salt water tank.
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