Alyssa & Steve

Rock Key Sanctuary. Six miles off the coast of Key West the sea floor meets a few patchy reefs, slowly ascending from around thirty-five feet to about five. After a couple hundred yards of crystalline shallow water teeming with tropical fish and undersea plants, the reef falls away to a depth of nearly ninety feet. All three reefs in the area - Sand Key, Eastern Dry Rocks, and Rock Key - are sanctuary preservation zones that are protected by law. No hunting, collecting or fishing. Just looking.

I made the short trip with Alyssa and Steve, a couple of interesting and friendly people I met in town a few weeks ago. The wind was coming from the southeast at around 8-12 knots, and we were able to make it all the way out in a single tack averaging 5.5 knots. It was smooth, uncomplicated and comfortable sailing. With dock time to pick up Alyssa and Steve plus a little bit of motoring to maneuver out of the harbor, the trip was about two hours each way.

The water at Rock Key was turquoise clear so that images of the sand, rocks and plants from twenty-five feet below came bubbling and glittering to the surface like bright, crisp mirages. As soon as we dropped sail and moored to a nearby buoy, Jordan's Ghost began rocking energetically with the swells and waves of open water - even in the mild conditions. Mooring, motoring and anchoring always seem to intensify the movement of the water. Sailing, the boat feels like it's floating along happily with the gentle rhythm of the sea.

An undersea plant

Due to lingering under-the-weatherness as well as some untimely equipment failure, Alyssa opted not to swim and instead spent time reading and lying in the sun. Steve and I both swam a couple hundred yards from our mooring towards shallower water in which to snorkel and explore.

I regret not bringing my camera on the first outing. While I lost touch with Steve between the large rollers within the first few minutes, I came face-to-face with many a new critter over the next half-hour. I saw a wide variety of life including a diverse array of fish, a barracuda, some eighteen inch lobsters, and a gorgeous selection of sea plants. At one point, in just twelve feet of water, I looked up from a rock I was inspecting and found myself facing the crooked smile of an eight or nine foot shark just a body's length in front of my face. I sprang back unconsciously. The shark did as well, turning around so that I could see the impressive length of its body and girth of its gray, leathery torso before it retreated. It was a little unnerving.

Steve saw several smaller reef sharks as well as a pile of other fish and undersea critters. He stayed out at the reef about a half-hour longer than me. While I'd been feeling cold since pretty much the moment I entered the water (I didn't wear my wetsuit), I must say that the smiling, bobsled sized shark influenced my decision to return to the boat.

After returning to the boat I grabbed my camera and was able to get a few slightly boring shots without making the long swim back to the shallow reef. I also found some twenty-five foot depths (which is fun because I'm neutrally buoyant at around eighteen), and completed a couple dives averaging a little over a minute each. When I return, I'll check out the much deeper drop off on the other side of the reef.

All in all it was a great day-trip. Steve manned the tiller while we raised and lowered the mainsail as well as during much of the sail back, and he helped me effect a neat, simple dock when we returned to the harbor. Alyssa browsed an American Sailing Association book, practiced some roping skills, and chatted affably between terms of stretching out in the sun. They both seemed to enjoy themselves.