Dive Resources
The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is a unique place. Located far from urban development and the pressures of humans, these banks are protected more than other coral reefs in the United States and elsewhere. Their remoteness means just a few people will get to visit them each year. The M-V Fling has been carrying divers and scientists to the Flower Gardens for more than three decades. We offer 2- and 3-day excursions departing from Freeport, TX in the evenings.
Overnight, we motor 110 miles to the West Bank. Through the day we send divers on 5 dives, exploring the East and west banks and an oil platform (1 dive). We move on to Stetson Bank (also in the sanctuary boundaries) for more dives. And all the while, divers are treated to our full galley service and cozy bunks.
Here, we offer you a list of suggested reading. If you have suggestions for others or if you find a broken link, drop us a line and we will take a look for you.
The Flower Garden Banks NMS is a government agency tasked with protecting the reefs and facilitating visitors to the sanctuary. Their web page provides information about on-going science research, species found in the sanctuary, history of the banks, and more. You can spend many hours browsing around all their work.
Browsing Around All Our Work
Birding Resources
exas coastal wetlands are host to incredible bird populations, both residents and migratory wanderers. Indeed, the Whooping Cranes near Rockport are world famous for their endangered status and their struggle to recover. But there’s even more. The wilderness that stretches nearly the entire Texas coast is home to wildlife that few people even know are there at all.
We carry outdoor and wildlife enthusiast to Rockport to spot the Whoopers, and then spend two days wandering our way through the coastal estuaries and marshes, through wildlife refuses and across open spaces best explored from the water. Our expansive upper viewing deck provides the perfect platform for spotting soaring overhead birds or tiny animals hiding in the marsh.
Along the way, you’ll have hot meals, no traffic, and plenty of space to take it all in.
Our full galley serves continental breakfast, then a hot breakfast, Lunch, a mid-day snack, and dinner. Before bed, brownies and ice cream will make sure you sleep through the night “fat and happy!” If you’ve never visited the empty stretches between towns on the Texas coast, these are trips you’ll never forget.A word about these links. You’ll find extensive information about each of these protected areas on these sites, but we will show you a completely different side of each of these. Cedar Lakes (part of the Justin Hurst WMA), for example, is accessible only form the water, and we deliver you there in comfort, with a high observation deck from which to find all those animals hiding in the grass or soaring overhead!