About 20 miles out from Tarpon Springs lies the wreck of the RJ Thompson in 68 feet of water. The wreck has been variously described as an old buoy tender, a barge, and a hulked merchant ship. Whatever it was, it is a great place to see barracuda. Great schools of grunts are always about. These attract the cuda as well as other large fish such as cobia and amberjack. The deck has fallen in in many places allowing a clear view down into the hull. Wrasses and blennies abound as do soft coral and sponges. Grouper, cubbyu, damselfish, scad, spadefish, bonnetmouth and bar jack were observed. The viz was 40 feet and the water temperature 87 degrees when we went in mid August. The week before we were told the wreck could seen from the surface.
We took Narcosis Scuba to the site.
Barb goes to school.
Two Spadefish.
Scads
He won't eat - much.
Talk about bait fish.
Cobia.
Cruzin for takeout.
Holes in the deck.
On patrol.
Growth on the plates.
Holes in deck.
Sponge.
