HEINZ 09 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 142 KEY LARGO MASTER CLASS 143 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 144 KEY LARGO IS LOCATED ON THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY OFF FLORIDA. IT IS THE ONLY LAND LINK BETWEEN THE KEYS AND THE MAINLAND OF THE USA 145 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 146 GREAT BARRACUDA (Sphyraena barracuda) INSIDE THE WRECK OF THE »SPIEGEL GROVE« ON THE MOLASSES REEF 147 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 148 BLUE STRIPED GRUNT (Haemulon sciurus) ON SNAPPER LEDGE REEFF 149 © DIGIDREAMFIX KEY LARGO / FLORIDA »THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM« SUNRISE IN FRONT OF KEY LARGO – THE DIGITAL MASTER CLASS IS ALREADY ON THE PROWL FOR THE BEST SHOT. KEY LARGO, AN ISLAND IN THE FLORIDA n the springtime of 1978, I travelled to Key to take pictures underwater, hire out came- lism. Since 1982, I have published in Ameri- KEYS, BETWEEN MIAMI IN THE NORTH Largo to visit an old friend of mine. He ras and teach them how to develop their slide can diving magazines, as well as taking on AND KEY WEST IN THE SOUTHWEST, is as crazy about diving as I am and was films. That was the plan! To get the ball rol- photo assignments from the scuba diving in- HAS BECOME A DIGITAL P HOTOGRAPHY working in Key Largo as a treasure diver – ling, I rented premises in a dive centre. dustry and advertising agencies. And beco- SCHOOL’S CLASSROOM. INEVITABLY. always in the hope of discovering artefacts For a few years, business fared well. But, ming a representative for SEACAM underwa- HOWEVER, FATE OFTEN PLAYS A ROLE. Ifrom the Spanish silver fleet that sank during in the wake of digital photography, analogue ter housings also contributed to my further 1733. I enjoyed diving with him in the waters photography, with its film cartridges, met success. Text & Photos: Stephen Frink around Key Largo. It occurred to me that with its demise and part of my income went with The one thing in Key Largo that hasn‘t a little luck, and with my experience as a pho- it. I decided to look for an alternative sour- changed in all these years, is my underwa- tographer and in a photo lab, I might be ab- ce of business income. However, my interest ter photography school. However, since I only le to make money working there. My ambi- in underwater photography remained; there- teach the DIGITAL MASTER CLASS in Key 150 tion was to show the scuba dive tourists how fore, I focused my attention on photojourna- Largo once a year, the course is a unique c 151 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 152 FRENCH GRUNTS (Haemulon flavolineatum) ON SNAPPER LEDGE REEF 153 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 154 THE MIDNIGHT PARROTFISH (scarus coelestinus) IS A HEAVYWEIGHT ON THE RIFF. HE CAN GROW UP TO 77 CENTIMETERS AND WEIGH UP TO SEVEN KILOGRAMS 155 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 156 MERCILESS HUNTER: THE WEST ATLANTIC TRUMPET FISH (Aulostomus maculatus) HAS SUCKED IN A LITTLE GROUPER 157 © KALENKOVICH © STEPHEN FRINK © TIMPILIS / FRAZAO / BANYAN KEY LARGO WITH ITS NUMEROUS CHANNELS AND JETTIES experience and has become internationally venirs. It is thanks to John Pennekamp, the renowned beyond Florida. For many photo- editor of the Miami Herald and his years of graphers, the photography school is an exci- commitment, that the first American under- ting opportunity to update and expand their water park opened in 1963. knowledge. In 1965, the symbol of the JOHN PENNE- KAMP CORAL REEF STATE PARK, a statue PENNEKAMP PARK of Christ of the Abyss, was sunk to stand on The coral reefs around Key Largo had a concrete base at a depth of seven and a half the good fortunate to be designated as one of meters. The statue, which was initially dona- America‘s first marine reserves. Especially at ted to the Underwater Society of America by a time when fish were being harpooned in- the Italian Egidio Cressi, stands five miles off 158 discriminately and corals broken off as sou- the coast at Dry Rocks Reef. The site is even c A DETOUR TO THE STATUE OF CHRIST OF ABYSS IN DRY ROCKS REEF IS A MUST 159 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 160 SPOTTED EAGLE RAY (Aetobatus narinari) ON THE SOUTHERN MOLASSES REEF 161 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA © STEPHEN FRINK ATLANTIC SPADEFISH (Chaetodipterus faber) ON MOLASSES REEF more popular with snorkellers than divers. MOLASSES REEF PENNEKAMP PARK extends three mi- One of my favourite places is Molasses les from the coast into the Atlantic. In 1975, Reef, which has a 13-metre-high, illuminated the U.S. government extended the region’s pro- steel tower and over 30 anchor buoys. It is a tection and in 1990, it established the FLORI- very extensive reef, with an abundance of un- DA KEYS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTU- derwater landscapes and dive sites – but the- ARY. re are occasional strong currents. The sea life The waters around Key Largo have been is dense and the currents also bring barracu- protected from spearfishing ever since, which das, mackerels, giant grouper and eagle rays has made the fish more approachable, so- to the reef. The south, is however a lot calmer. mething that we underwater photographers Individual sites, such as Aquarium, Spanish 162 CORAL BREEDING PROJECT AT THE AQUARIUS HABITAT OF FLORIDA UNIVERSITY really appreciate. Anchor and the Winch Hole, are generally c 163 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 164 SNAPPERS, GRUNTS, SWEET LIPS. GROUP PORTRAIT ON SNAPPER LEDGE REEF 165 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 166 SCHOOLMASTER SNAPPER (Lutjanus apodus) IN AQUARIUS HABITAT 167 © STEPHEN FRINK © STEPHEN FRINK QUEEN ANGELFISH (Holacanthus ciliaris) IN FRONT OF A WALL OF RED ZOANTHIDS AQUARIUS HABITAT OF THE FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY effortless dives; nurse sharks, queen angelfish, tronauts for their training. This artificial reef le and bustle of fish; you can watch blue-stri- sank completely upside down. Marine salva- trumpetfish and with luck, bottlenose dolphins, with its abundance of fish, is the only one of ped grunts cavort in the wheelhouse, Atlan- gers eventually managed to position her on the can be found. I try to visit the Molasses Reef its kind in the world. tic spadefish lead a merry dance around the bottom, where she rested on her starboard side with my DIGITAL MASTER CLASS students During my 40 years on Key Largo, I have bow, barracudas endlessly circumnavigating for the next three years. Thanks to the storm at least four times during the six day course. been involved in two artificial reef projects. The the radar tower, as well as grey snapper amid- surge from Hurricane Dennis, she was moved first one was straightforward. Two US Coast ships. The »Bibb«, in contrast, lies on her star- perfectly upright on July 9, 2005. One and a AQUARIUS HABITAT Guard cutters were freed of dangerous con- board side between 20 and 35 metres deep. It half million dollars in project costs were ulti- Occasionally, my photo students and I are taminants, towed from Boston to Key Largo is a dive site for the more experienced divers. mately well invested. A gift for divers and un- invited to dive in the Aquarius Reef Habitat. and scuttled there. Both ships were roughly The second artificial reef project was much derwater photographers. This is a diving saturation chamber managed 110 meters long. Because the »Duane« sits up- more difficult. The 155-metre-long »Spiegel by the FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNI- right and is resting at a shallower depth, she Grove«, was a logistical nightmare right from CITY OF WASHINGTON & BENWOOD 168 VERSITY and used by scientists and NASA as- is dived more often. There is a constant hust- the start. She was scuttled on May 17, 2002 but There are two more historical shipwrecks, c 169 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA © STEPHEN FRINK PORKFISH (Anisotremus virginicus) ON THE WRECK OF THE »BENWOOD« © STEPHEN FRINK 170 PHOTOGENIC CRUSTED ANEMONES SETTLING ON THE MASTS AND ROPES OF THE »DUANE« BLUESTRIPED GRUNT (Haemulon sciurus) INSIDE THE WRECK OF THE DUANE 171 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA 172 ANCHOR CHAIN ON THE 2002 SUNK USS »SPIEGEL GROVE« WRECK 173 KEY LARGO / FLORIDA © STEPHEN FRINK © STEPHEN FRINK GRUNTS AND PARROTFISH ON THE WRECK OF THE »BENWOOD« © STEPHEN FRINK 174 CARIBBEAN SPINY LOBSTER (Panulirus argus) INSIDE THE WRECK OF THE »WASHINGTON« LARGE GROUPER (Epinephelus itajara) IN THE AQUARIUS HABITAT 175 © STEPHEN FRINK KEY LARGO / FLORIDA CORAL REEFS AND DIVESITES OFF KEY LARGO which are suitable for standard dives. The »Ci- The »Benwood« was a victim of the Second gnet for schools of mullets and lobsters and it also rises into the clear waters of the Gulf ty of Washington« and the »Benwood«. World War, when German submarines patrol- vast clouds of glassfish. Stream and Snapper Ledge, south of Molas- The »Washington« is a 100-metre-long is- led off Florida in 1942. In order not to attract -fi We rarely dive on the big, deeper wrecks ses Reef, with its large, photogenic schools of land freighter which ran aground in 1917, ne- re, the freighters were darkened at night, which during the DIGITAL MASTER CLASS. The sweet lips. As I have now been teaching in Key ar the Elbow Tower to the north of Key Largo. led to collisions – as with the »Benwood«. She remaining bottom time is just too short to get Largo for almost 40 years, I know where the Like most ships that lie stuck in the shallow managed to drag herself into shallower wa- a good selection of pictures for discussion in best wide-angle areas are or where the most water, she was blown apart so that she would ters, where she sank and now rests at a depth our class.