Captain Grumpy

Nobody at IDC will tell you where the name came from. As far as anyone can figure, it has nothing to do with Captain Scott — and to clear that up, IDC would like to say directly that it does not. The reef predates the theory. Beyond that, the origin of "Captain Grumpy" remains one of the minor mysteries of the Islamorada dive log.

What isn't mysterious is why divers keep coming back. The site sits in a sea grass flat — that surrounding topography is the first thing to understand about why it works. Sea grass is turtle habitat. Green Sea Turtles graze it, rest in it, and move through it with a regularity that makes Captain Grumpy one of the more reliable turtle sightings in IDC's rotation. The reef structure itself rises from the grass and provides the hard substrate that concentrates the rest of the marine life.

The nooks and crannies of this reef hold an unusually varied eel population. Not just the Green Moray Eels common to most Florida Keys reef sites — though those are here too — but also Spotted Morays, Goldentail Morays, and Viper Morays, all tucked into different parts of the same reef structure. Four species in a single dive is a genuine find. Nurse Sharks are also a constant, resting beneath ledges and overhangs throughout the reef with the kind of indifference to divers that only comes from years of peaceful coexistence.

Whoever the captain was — grumpy or otherwise — they picked a good reef.