We took the dinghy out to Loggerhead Key to explore the Windjammer Wreck and a snorkeling spot off Loggerhead known as Little Africa. The coral and fish were great.
The Windjammer wreck is actually the Norwegian sailing ship Avanti. The 260 foot long ship with a 17 foot draft struck a shoal in 1907 and sank to the bottom of the sea. Now for those of you thinking Titanic-like depths, think again. The wreck sits in 18-21 foot of water. This depth is great for surface snorkelers like Dave and I who want to enjoy the sites without needing to put on scuba gear. Sections of the wreck even protrude out of the water. The fish and coral surrounding the wreck are well preserved – one of the advantages of snorkeling in a very remote national park. I even thought I saw a goliath grouper swimming in the bow of the ship but by the time I popped my head out of the water to get Dave’s attention and then popped my head back in, the giant fish was gone. How’d he get away so fast? Anyway, a great snorkel spot.
From there, we dinked over to Loggerhead and the Little Africa coral reef. Just phenomenal coral heads. I wish I had gotten a photo of the brain coral, it had to be 3 foot tall and 4 foot in diameter – just huge! The fish there were smaller, but it was delightful to see the wide array of colors of the species.
Our final stop for the day was Loggerhead itself. The island was deserted while we were there, but we did get to walk its sandy white beaches and view the lighthouse from the ground.
The Admiral
3/31/09
The Windjammer wreck is actually the Norwegian sailing ship Avanti. The 260 foot long ship with a 17 foot draft struck a shoal in 1907 and sank to the bottom of the sea. Now for those of you thinking Titanic-like depths, think again. The wreck sits in 18-21 foot of water. This depth is great for surface snorkelers like Dave and I who want to enjoy the sites without needing to put on scuba gear. Sections of the wreck even protrude out of the water. The fish and coral surrounding the wreck are well preserved – one of the advantages of snorkeling in a very remote national park. I even thought I saw a goliath grouper swimming in the bow of the ship but by the time I popped my head out of the water to get Dave’s attention and then popped my head back in, the giant fish was gone. How’d he get away so fast? Anyway, a great snorkel spot.
From there, we dinked over to Loggerhead and the Little Africa coral reef. Just phenomenal coral heads. I wish I had gotten a photo of the brain coral, it had to be 3 foot tall and 4 foot in diameter – just huge! The fish there were smaller, but it was delightful to see the wide array of colors of the species.
Our final stop for the day was Loggerhead itself. The island was deserted while we were there, but we did get to walk its sandy white beaches and view the lighthouse from the ground.
The Admiral
3/31/09
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