The Veronica M

On July 10, 2005, I visited the Veronica M for the first time since her sinking in November of 2004. The change in the tug is dramatic. Tubularian hydroids and blue mussels have colonized every surface of the tug. The mussels are small but are massive in quantity. The best way to describe the mass is that when you grab a bunch of mussels, it feels like squeezing a sponge.

There were plenty of fish. Our divers saw blackfish (tautog), cunner (bergal) and black seabass. There were juvenile fish and large adults. This was especially true of the black seabass. I shot wide angle on my first dive so I didn't spend much time looking for little things. At the end of my dive, I was looking at the back bulkhead on the lower deck and saw nudibranch eggs. On closer inspection, I found bushy-backed nudibranchs, lots of them. This is south of their normal range which is the Arctic to Rhode Island. On the second dive, I went in with my D100 with a Sigma 28-80mm lens to shoot the nudibranchs. As I looked around, I saw a small shell on the deck. It was about the size of a dime. I took one shot of it and to my surprise, the small shell belonged to an ocean scallop. Another great find!

This is a veiw of the ladder that accesses the top of the Veronica M. It is overgrown with tubularian hydroids and blue mussels. This is typical of the growth on the entire tug.

A view of the pilot house on the Veronica M, overgrown with tubularian hydroids

Side Scan. Courtesy Black Laser Learning

A side scan sonar of the Veronica M - Courtesy of Black Laser Learning

I was absolutely amazed at the amount of change to the Veronica M but if you know my wife, Veronica, it is fitting. She loves all of God's animals and does her best to see that they are all fed. This tug is doing the same thing - providing food and shelter for the underwater animals. Ronnie said that this is God thanking her for taking care of his animals. I agree!

Veronica M - Page 2

2005 Update - First Dive on the Veronica M