Dive Review of Captain Morgan's Dive Tours in
The Continental USA/Marathon, FL

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Captain Morgan's Dive Tours, Sep, 2005, by Kirk Adams, NJ, USA . Report 2025.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This is the third time my wife and I have been diving with Captain Morgan and it is always a pleasure. Captain Doug Morgan knows the area around Marathon extremely well and focuses on the diving experience. There is no shop associated with his operation; however he has all the rental equipment you need if any item was forgotten at home. While on the boat, plenty of support is given for donning gear, exiting/entering the boat (backroll/dive ladder), and tanks are switched over for you between dives. Ample cold bottled water is supplied to keep you hydrated even on hot days. The boat leaves out of the Banana Bay Resort Marina. The operation usually runs two 2-tank trips per day in a 28' Mako. Night dives are also available. Trips are limited to 6 divers so there is plenty of room for people and gear. Trip itineraries are based on a first come, first serve basis- so if you have a particular dive site in mind, just ask. On our latest trip the visibility was still reduced from Hurricane Rita- inner reefs (e.g., Sombrero Reef had visibility less than 5 ft), however Captain Morgan dropped us on some deeper reefs (60'+ depth- e.g., Edge of Darkness and Smokey Mtn./Anchor Reef) which proved to be reasonable (20-30’ visibility). The most notable part of the reef dives was an enormous Porcupine fish that I would have had difficulties getting my arms around (and it was not inflated). We also enjoyed the normal array of corals, barrel sponges, angelfish, snapper, grouper, and other reef life. The highlight of the trip, as usual, was the Thunderbolt- a 188' military vessel sunk in 120' of water. This wreck is great-we saw several large barracuda, schools of bar jack, yellow tail snapper, and permit. However, I was disappointed not to see the resident Goliath Grouper on this trip- it was probably hanging just beyond the visibility off the wreck. The wreck has taken on quite a bit of growth over the years. While the colors are a bit dulled at depth, photos show an array of reds, oranges, and yellows decorating the hull. Other than the sealife, there are plenty of areas to explore on the wreck itself- from the straight-forward tower swim throughs to more challenging lower hull penetrations. All-in-all I would highly recommend this operation and the diving around Marathon. It makes for a great long weekend get away- or a few days on a longer Keys vacation.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	51-100 dives
Where else diving	[Unspecified]
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	82-84°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	1
Water Visibility	20-30 Ft/ 6-9 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Captain Morgan's Dive Tours in The Continental USA/Marathon, FL

Captain Morgan's Dive Tours, Sep, 2005,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Captain Morgan's Dive Tours in
The Continental USA/Marathon, FL