The Florida Keys represent one of the most popular destinations for scuba divers in the continental United States. While the BP oil spill is certainly a cause for concern among the scuba diving community, recent trends are putting a smile on the face of dive operators who are cautiously optimistic about the potential effects of oil coming ashore.
The recent Memorial Day holiday weekend was busier than in previous years, with some dive centers reporting record business. This was a relief to tourism officials concerned about media reports keeping away potential visitors. Ironically, the oil spill may actually be helping to stimulate business.
“We’re getting a lot of calls from divers who say they want to come and dive in the Keys in case something might happen in the future,” says Rob Mitchell of Keys Diver in Key Largo. “Divers who have dove in the Keys before say they’d like to dive it at least one more time.” Mitchell says that his boats are packed on a regular basis and other dive operators in the area are seeing the same thing.
“There’s a lot of last-minute bookings,” says Gary Mace of Conch Republic Divers. “The conditions are great and there is NO OIL, so there’s plenty for divers to see." Mace did point out that he and other operators were frustrated by inaccurate media reports that seem to persist. "There's a lot of misinformation out there."
FLORIDA KEYS TOURISM OIL SPILL UPDATE
Mitchell speculates that circumstances have come together well for the local scuba community. “We had a bad winter due to cold water, but things have changed. The water is very warm right now, there’s not a lot of wind. That means divers can enjoy great visibility in warm water. Combine that with the uncertainty about the oil spill and it’s easy to see why people are coming down here.”
Another factor to consider is the Vandenberg wreck, sunk last year. The popularity of wreck diving continues to draw divers both to Key West for that wreck and Key Largo for the wreck of the Spiegel Grove.
Both Mace and Mitchell feel fortunate the oil spill has not had a negative effect on their businesses. “There is business right now and we hope that it will continue. That doesn’t mean that we’re not concerned about the spill – we are. But we can only worry about things that we can control,” Mace concludes.
Comments