Captain's Corner

By Rod Brandenburg

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 6, 2000

You can't help but notice there is waterfront everywhere you go in Florida.

When I was in grade school I sat in Mrs. Mackay's sixth-grade class at North Ward Elementary school, first floor, streetside.

At recess my classmates in the room across the hall, bayside, would talk about the wonders they saw in the marina on the other side of the street. Snook, redfish, manatees, dolphin and an occasional mermaid were some of the images that flowed through my mind as I gazed onto Clearwater Bay.

I have passed Clearwater Bay Marine Ways more times than I can remember and I've always looked at the old gear that operated the swing bridge, and didn't stop until one day. Putting on mask and fins and slipping into the water I swam over to the gear, took a deep breath and descended. The marine life was incredible. The hard and soft coral, sea fans, not to mention the different fish. This spurred me on to explore every underwater obstruction in the bay. A couple of old haunts have gone away but for the most part you still can get an education in what swims right into your own backyard.

-- Rod Brandenburg captains The Plunger out of Clearwater. Call (727) 443-6731.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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