Chad with Southern Stingray (Dasyatis americana) – Duane Wreck, South of Molasses Reef, Tavernier, FL
Chad – ‘This moment was toward the back end of our dive on the Duane. This bottom lies at 120ft, a daunting task for a young diver, so we spent most of our dive on the structure of the wreck around 90ft. We took a minute to descend over the edge to the bottom (just to say we did) and startled this stingray as it laid under the protection of the ship. I distinctly remember, at the time, thinking this was the biggest stingray in the ocean, a mammoth animal. Shortly after this photo was shot, we began our descent and said goodbye to the Duane, but this moment has stayed with me since.’