Mark's Blog - Oriskany, four years on

 Well, after numerous delays, etc, I made it to Pensacola and the weather was kind, allowing me four trips the long 24-mile haul out to the Oriskany, the world's largest artificial reef.

I dived the Mighty O when it had been down just three months, and with it celebrating its fourth anniversary yesterday, it was amazing to see the difference. The whole wreck is teeming with fish life, from huge barracuda and amberjacks to snapper, queen angelfish, grouper and tiny blennies. Sponge growth is impressive, and the entire superstructure is covered in encrusting growth, shells and urchins.

It has coped with hurricanes and tropical storms quite well, the only signs of wear and tear being a rent through the tower caused by the structure of the smokestack collapsing. This has actually added a neat swim-through and only makes it a better dive.

Sadly, the vis let me down - while it got better as the week went on, I never got the blue water I had the first time around.

I am planning to head back out to Pensacola to dive the Mighty O again next year around the fifth anniversary - and I am going to take some readers with me. Watch this space for more details...