The winds were not very cooperative and both days were plagued with big rollers that made getting back on the boat challenging. The first dive on Saturday was on the Winch Hole at Molasses Reef where the surge in the shallow water propelled divers back and forth across the coral patches. A second dive at French Reef provided a little more depth for anyone wishing to make a second dive. The water temperature was about 77 degrees.  Batfish by Cherri Wood

Morning seemed to arrive too quickly and with the wind still blowing several of our group decided to sleep in and enjoy a relaxing morning on dry (and still) land. The rest of the group decided to enjoy the comfort of a half empty boat and rocked and rolled their way out to the wreck of the Benwood. The Benwood was a Norwegian Freighter that collided with another ship during WWII and currently rests at 25-45'. The visibility was about 15-20 feet so photography on this dive was challenging but the wreck is home to many varieties of marine life. If you peer down into crevices and holes, you may spot a big green moray and the barracuda float effortlessly under overhangs created by the wreckage. The last dive on Christmas Tree Caves at French Reef. the visibility had deteriorated even more so this possibly spectacular dive was just a little murky. The divers who made this dive were greeted by a fair sized stingray and a very cooperative sea turtle that appeared unperturbed by our presence. Barracuda by Brian Chouiniere; Turtle by Gary Wood