Blue Star Marine

True Blue Watersports

Flower Garden Banks

My sense of adventure started at a very young age. I remember as a very little boy being totally entranced by The Undersea World Of Jacques Cousteau. Back then they were “specials” that were broadcast on our black and white television set every once in a while. I couldn’t wait for the next broadcast. All of the exotic places that the Calypso sailed to and the beautiful, clear blue water was a world away. I longed to Scuba Dive someday and made a commitment to myself that some day I would. Meanwhile, every summer I was in the lake or river with a set of mask, snorkel and fins that I bought from Miller House of Sports. As many of you know, the water in Prien Lake and the Calcasieu river is not quite as clear as the the photos I had seen of the for off places visited by Jacques’s crew. One of my best memories was exploring an old wooden vessel that had been sunk at the edge of the lake. Just the top of the pilot house was sticking out of the water. My best buddy and I would dive down to the bulge of the boat where we found loads of treasure! Well ok, maybe it was just a few of old glass bottles and a few brass fittings and a brass plague that said “relief”, which was screwed to the door on the head, but to us we were aboard the Calypso and a member of Jacques’s crew exploring a sunken ship. Wow, those were the days.

Later, while in High School, I remember my first dive trip offshore and my first Scuba dive under an oil platform. The clear water, the thousands of fish and all the beautiful things covering the structure. I was spellbound and absolutely hooked on scuba diving for life. A few years later, sometime around 1978. I had my first chance to make my first visit to the Flower Gardens and Sonnier’s Bank (Candy Mountain). In a word, I was speechless. This was the kind of stuff that had first drawn me to diving. This was the kind of stuff that Jacques saw when he went diving. I felt like I had found my home and knew that somehow I wanted to be a part of this world of diving and come back to this place as often as I could.

I am pleased to be a part of the National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. I believe that we should do all that we can to protect the precious resource of the Flower Garden’s and the surrounding banks. However, a balance should be maintained between protection and responsible utilization of this precious resource so that divers and researchers can be inspired as I was so many years ago.

How does this effect you? In a word, it gives you a voice and a forum for divers or concerned citizens to pose questions or make comments regarding this valuable resource. Please feel free to contact me at True Blue Watersports to give input and be a part of the process. Also, I hope that all of you will make a commitment to join us on our next dive trip aboard the M/V Fling. The crew of the Fling provide a wonderful experience and a solid dive vessel to explore the Garden Banks.

Darrell