You don’t really think of Texas when you think of places to scuba dive but there’s a spectacular place called the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) about 100 miles south of Freeport in the Gulf of Mexico.
Due to the location, Fling Charters is the only operation offering trips to the FGBNMS so we boarded the MV Fling for a Mother’s Day weekend trip.
MV Fling, May 2016
There are not enough words to describe this experience. Flat, calm seas, zero current and 150’+ visibility in turquoise blue open water awaited us. From the sun deck we could see fish swimming over the sand patches 90′ below the surface, without even trying.
Once in the water we were met with the largest, healthiest coral we’ve ever seen and wildlife was abundant. Ocean triggers, black durgons, longsnout butterflyfish, creolefish, creole wrasses, tiger grouper, trunkfish, graysby; more than we can list were seen.
In addition to multiple locations in the sanctuary we were also able to dive our first oil rig, HI-376-A (High Island Rig 376-A), an operational manned rig teeming with underwater life. Silky sharks everywhere, bearded fireworms galore, sponges, corals and as to the fish – just open an identification book and check off 90% of it.
A highlight of the trip was to Stetson Banks, an area where the layers of limestone make this dive unlike any other. The landscape of Stetson gives the feeling of being on another planet and although there’s very little hard coral, there are loads of sponges and structure. A lone hammerhead shark paid us a visit but kept his distance affording us only a quick glimpse before going on his way.
The MV Fling and her crew were fantastic and the trip was amazing in all aspects.
