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DIVE CLUB Judy Minier, 941-979-7316, judyminier@earthlink.net, www.pgidiveclub.com

What exciting and exotic places would you desire to travel to in order to view
fantastic creatures under the sea? The island of Bonaire in the Caribbean? The
Red Sea in Egypt? Or somewhere nearby in Florida like Key West, Crystal River,
Ginnie Springs, or our favorite Blue Heron Bridge near West Palm Beach? Our
members are very happy to see April arriving, which signals the start of an active
diving season. The hurricanes and cooler weather are behind us, so our Dive
planning committee is busy looking at these locations and more for remarkable dive sites to encounter.

This month’s article features photos of small and unusual creatures taken in Bonaire
a few years ago – a pygmy seahorse, a crab, a spotted and frilly nudibranch, and a
pair of sweetlips. We can only hope that dive conditions and the health of the reefs
are still good as our club explores plans to visit the Caribbean again soon. The
Caribbean Club on the north side of Bonaire has well organized facilities for divers
among the many possible dive
operations on the island. Luckily, we
have discovered there are direct
flights from Miami to Bonaire, so the
motivation is high to organize an
excursion there.

Did someone mention Egypt? One of our members is actually heading to
dive in the Red Sea this summer, and for those who’ve not been there,
envy abounds. Among the dive sites at Sharm el Sheikh and Hergata are
probably some of the best dive sites in all the world. In late summer we
will enjoy some fabulous stories and delightful pictures of this grand trip.
Wish we could all join in!

We continue to learn more about our state as diver’s share stories of trips
to Williston (Devil’s Den) and Ginnie Springs where one can dive in fresh water caverns and springs. There was a lot of
interest in making a day trip to one these freshwater areas to have the chance to explore some “cave” diving in pristine
conditions. Apparently, the visibility is incredibly clear in freshwater sites when compared to salt water experiences in the
oceans. Who knew adventure could be so close to us. And the always favored Key West is also in the offing as several
members are plotting to dive there in a month or so.

Besides the diving opportunities, our social committee has been active, too.
We had a fun and well-organized annual St. Patrick’s event held this year at
the PGI Civic Association pavilion. The combination potluck and barbecue
was well attended and a great time had by all. We plan to share the
pictures of the fun social next month.

What is the purpose of our Club? We exist to promote the scuba diving
interests of our members (40 and counting), regardless of the diving skill or
experience one may have. If you have an interest in diving, please join us
at our monthly meetings. We convene on the fourth Thursday of each
month at 7 p.m. at the PGI Civic Association. Our next meeting will be
March 22. At last month’s meeting we raffled off some dive gear which
meant some lucky folks went home with really nice equipment and dive
gear and our club raised a little cash for upcoming events. Come to our
meetings and see what we are all about. Sometimes there are surprises and
new videos or slide shows to enjoy.

In addition to our regular monthly meetings, you can join us at the Tiki Hut on
Charlotte Harbor behind the Sheraton Four Points Hotel for an informal get
together. We congregate at 5:30 on the second Thursday of each month.
You’ll know us by our divers’ name tags as we relax on the sandy area in the
Adirondack chairs or at the picnic tables. We are always happy to meet
fellow divers who enjoy conversations about diving and who also might know
about special dive equipment, far-flung or worldly dive experiences, or
underwater photography.

Please also check out our website, www.pgidiveclub.com for information
about the Club, see photos, and locate the membership application form
www.pgica.org 14