2/15/2006 - Another Unsuccessful Attempt

I attempted once again to mark the hidden platform at Marineland this morning. Just like last Wednesday, I had the place to myself.

We found an abandoned lobster trapper's float on Sunday and I thought if I could set it on the platform, people wouldn't remove it like they did the bleach bottles I floated there before. I made the LOOOOOOOONG surface swim out to a depth of 56 feet and dropped to find sand and sea pens. I knew I was in the right area. I screwed my sand anchor into the bottom, tied the float to it and attached my reel. I set off in an Easterly heading. I planned to swim for about five minutes, turn North, then hope to snag the platform. No luck. All I found was a single piece of teak from the deck and some squid eggs. I knew I was close.

I returned to the anchor and decided to take the float with me this time. I wrapped the string around my wrist and headed West this time. After a few minutes I realized that if a boat were to hit the float it would tear my hand off. I untied the line from my wrist just as a wave went over, pulling the float away. I felt like a little kid watching his Mickey Mouse balloon float skyward. I continued West, finding only a few Mantis shrimp. They were camera shy. This is as close as I could get.

Nearing the end of my bottom time, I gave up the search and returned to the anchor. The wind had picked up considerably, so I swam in under water. The visibility in the cove was about ten feet, good enough to see where the rocks were in the surf zone. I walked out without falling.
This makes the twelth time I have searched for the elusive platform since someone cut the line from the rock I tied it to last July. Maybe it got up and walked away.