Mariana Fernandez's photo, leading in votes for contest.

By Shayne Benowitz

Well, the countdown is certainly on and the competition is fierce! Throughout 2011 and the beginning of 2012, we’ve had hundreds of colorful photos from your Key West vacations posted to our wall. It’s been such a fun competition and so great to share the good times on Fury in Key West with people from all over the country and around the world. Voting for the contest will officially close on Wednesday February 1st, and we’ll announce the winner the following day, so now’s the time to rock the vote! Head to our Facebook page, and click on the Photo Contest Vote tab to the left.

The prize pack for the photo with the most votes wins a Key West vacation for two that includes airfare, luxury hotel accommodations for three days and two nights, their choice of Fury trips, spa treatments, dinner, and more! It’s a little something from us to you for being such amazing and loyal fans! Each month, we’ve given out  free sunset sails, snorkel trips, or Fury t-shirts to our monthly winner and shared their winning photo in our profile pic.

We’ve seen some great stuff and I’ve loved interacting with everyone on Facebook. Contest or no contest, keep the pictures coming! Right now, it looks like May’s winner Mariana Fernandez has a controlling lead with more than 1,600 votes. Not too far behind is Stephanie Werner with nearly 900. And in third place, it’s Brian Larson. Good luck to all of our semi-finalists! You’ve got a couple more days to rock the vote. We’ll announce the winner of February 2nd!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crew member and freelance writer. Follow her on Twitter @ShayneBenowitz.

August's winning photo!

by Shayne Benowitz

I’m not going to play favorites. I couldn’t! We have so many amazing pictures posted every single day on our Facebook page and all of our monthly winners have been extraordinary. But, I have to say, I was absolutely blown away by this photo that Tammy & Dwayne Taylor captured on our brand new Dolphin Watch & Snorkel Adventure.

Tammy and Dwayne in Key West.

It’s always a thrill to see dolphins frolicking in the wild and we are delighted every time we reach the dolphin playground. From personal experience, I know how tough it is to capture these swift-moving creatures on camera. I’ve posted pictures before of a splash in the water swearing that a dolphin was there! Tammy & Dwayne not only captured a dolphin in the frame, but snapped an amazing shot of one flying through the air. Beautiful!

Tammy and Dwayne are from Michigan and had wanted to visit Key West for some time. They finally made the journey after seeing their daughter off in Miami for a five-week trip to Peru where she’s working at a mission school. Afterwards, they made the trek south 154 miles to our island paradise and joined us on the Dolphin Watch tour.

In the comments on her picture on Facebook Tammy wrote: “We had an amazing time on our Fury trip!! Lots of dolphins. Best dolphin tour we had ever been on!!”

That means a lot! Tammy & Dwayne, thank you so much for sharing your amazing picture and part of your Key West vacation with us. We hope to see you back soon, perhaps with your daughter when she returns from Peru!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crew member and freelance writer. For more follow her on Twitter @ShayneBenowitz.

Fury Girl on the slide at Adventure Island.

By Shayne Benowitz

Sweet, sweet summertime. The days of summer are waning as Labor Day Weekend, the last hurrah, is approaching. It’s been an incredible season at Fury in Key West. The weather’s been gorgeous, our guests have enjoyed a host of brand new trips and boats, and we’ve been busy! It’s also been an incredible time on our Facebook and Twitter pages. We’ve hit the 6,000 mark for “likes” on Facebook and every day there’s a ton of interaction with our fans as they post vacation pictures and talk about their trip. It’s almost as good as the real thing day in and day out on the docks at the Westin, the Ocean Key House, and the Historic Seaport.

Parasailing is part of the Ultimate Adventure package.

As usual, we anticipate a busy Labor Day Weekend, so we’re doubling up on the Ultimate Adventure during our two busiest days, Saturday and Sunday September 3-4. In addition to our daily 10am departure, you can rock the Ultimate as an afternoon adventure that includes a sunset sail. Book your 2pm departure and enjoy snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, as well as sea kayaking and all the toys at the inflatable water park. Enjoy snacks, an early picnic dinner, as well as all you can drink beer, wine, and champagne. The trip will conclude with viewing the famous Key West sunset before we return to port.

A school of blue tang can often be found snorkeling at the reef!

If you’ve been out with us before, you already know why this action-packed trip is amongst our most popular! It’s also a great value considering two meals are included, as well as a sampling of all the water activities that we offer. Whether you join us on Labor Day Weekend in the morning or afternoon for the Ultimate Adventure or anytime of the year, we’re thrilled to share our love of Key West and it’s beautiful waters with you. Here’s to summer!

Shayne Benowitz is a freelance writer and Fury crew member. For more follow her on Twitter @ShayneBenowitz

A tropical hibiscus.

By Shayne Benowitz

This is the beginning of the most beautiful time of year at Fury Key West. We are getting sunny, warm weather day after day. The wind is calm and the water is flat. And the best part about it is that we have months to look forward to more of the same. That’s kind of what life on an island paradise is like.

A blue tang swimming amongst sergeant majors.

Yesterday, I worked the Key West snorkeling trips aboard the Pacific Fury and it was absolutely stunning. We sailed out to Sand Key. I just love being on the boats and feeling the sunshine on your shoulders coupled with the sea breeze. We got to the reef and moored up, and before you even jumped in the water you could just tell that the visibility was remarkable!

Lisa assisting a snorkeler into the water.

I headed down the steps and felt the first splashes of the salty Atlantic. So refreshing! I dove right in with my mask on. The first thing I saw was a small school of enormous midnight blue parrotfish. These are my favorite and so I swam with them as long as I could. As always, schools of yellowtail snapper and sergeant majors fluttered around me.

Fury Girl's fave, the midnight blue parrotfish!

We had a lot of passengers, so I assisted some of our snorkelers with getting the hang of the salt water and using their snorkels. The first thing I always tell them, “Relax! You’re floating!” And then, we take it from there. Over the years, I’ve realized that ANYONE can learn to snorkel.

After an hour, we hopped back on the boat and dried off in the afternoon sunshine. And of course, it was time to get the pitchers of margaritas and cold beer circulating. Those drinks just go so well with being out on a boat after snorkeling!

Shayne Benowitz is a freelance writer and Fury crewmember. Follow her on Twitter @ShayneBenowitz.

Parasailing, courtesy of Fury fan Sheridan Kushner.

By Shayne Benowitz

Dear Fury Fans,

We’ve been doing a lot of reflecting in the New Year. We are so fortunate to do what we do every day on the water in the Key West sunshine. And we know that none of this would be possible without YOU! It’s been so fun over the years meeting people from all over the country and around the world aboard our snorkel trips, our parasail boats, and our sunset cruises, not to mention the Ultimate Adventure!

"It doesn't get better than this!" courtesy of Fury Fan Cathy Pauly.

It’s also been great to keep in touch! We’ve received letters and cards from our dearest fans expressing what a memorable time they’ve had with us. And trust me, those cards hang in the Surf Shack for everyone to see! It’s also a thrill when someone hops on board and says, “Hey, you were the parasail mate last year when we were here!”

When we jumped on facebook and twitter a few years ago, everything changed. Now we can have daily conversations, share pictures and memories, and really keep in touch. It’s like you never left the island (well, sort of!)! From a weeklong conversation about Captain Chuck to amazing fan photos of the powerboat races and more, I’ve been thoroughly entertained!

Celebrating 50th birthday aboard the Commotion with Capt. Chuck, courtesy of Fury Fan Kim Lunsford Schadle

We thought it was about time we gave back to our loyal Fury fans because, well, that’s how we roll! If you haven’t visited our facebook fanpage in a while, you’re going to find some great new features. If, for some silly reason, you’re not already apart of our facebook community, simply “like” our page, and you will immediately be entered into our new fans reward program along with the rest of our fans.

Every month starting in February we’ll select a fan at random for an awesome giveaway. You could win a trip with Fury or sweet Fury swag like crew shirts, hats, and other accessories. Click on the “Win A Trip” tab and fill out the quick form to sign up for our eNewsletter (written by yours truly! Come on, you know you want to!) and you’ll immediately be entered in an all-expense paid 3 day, 2 night trip to Key West with luxe accommodations at the Ocean Key House, spa treatments, dinners, and of course, trips galore aboard Fury!

Honeymooning, courtesy of Fury Fan Julie Carty.

For the more creatively inclined, and I know a lot of you are, we’re also starting a Fan Photo Contest. We already receive awesome pictures from you guys, and now we want to reward one fan every month with an Ultimate Adventure for two just for sending your vacation pictures our way. Check out how the contest works on the “Photo Contest” tab of our facebook page, and keep the pictures coming in!

This is just the beginning of how we want to give back to you, so stay tuned for more offers, deals, and contests in 2011. Oh yeah, and don’t be shy about sharing your Fury love with your friends on facebook (and in real life!). The more the merrier!

"Having a blast on the Ultimate Adventure," courtesy of Fury Fan Daron Blake.

Here’s hoping your 2011 is off to a rockin’ start. We’re certainly enjoying ourselves in Key West. And, of course, we hope to see you down here soon! Next time, maybe it’ll even be on us!

XOXO,

Fury Girl

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer. For more travel stories visit her at web.me.com/shaynebeth and follow her at twitter.com/ShayneBenowitz.

Sailing to the crystal clear reef.

By Shayne Benowitz

It’s hard to believe, but this time next week it will be the beginning of a long Labor Day Weekend and the official end of summer. I know, I know, don’t get too depressed! No one likes it when summer ends, right? Well, we’ve all got one more weekend to really live it up.

Of course, in Key West we exist in a state of perpetual summer. Maybe you can enjoy Labor Day with us at Fury or maybe we’ll just see you in the fall. Either way, it’s time to toast to the end of a long, hot summer. What have you got planned? Family picnics or BBQs? A quick escape to the beach?

At Fury, it will be business as usual—or perhaps, more than usual. We’re gearing up for a busy weekend of water sports, and of course, we’d love to see you aboard our fleet.

The Ultimate Adventure is by far the most popular trip and the greatest value. It’s the perfect Labor Day package: Key West snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, kayaking, inflatable water park, breakfast, lunch, snacks, and all you can drink. That pretty much says it all!

If you’re looking for a quick escape, join us on one of our snorkel trips departing three times daily: 9:30am, 1pm, and 5pm. This is an absolute “Must-Do” in Key West. It would be embarrassing to be this close to the third largest coral reef system in the world and not set out to explore it.

If you’d prefer an aerial view of our island paradise, then the calming thrill of Key West parasailing is for you. Trips depart every hour on the hour from 9am to 5pm. Yep, for some of us that’s the daily grind!

And of course, don’t miss a single sunset while you’re here, and make sure you catch it on the water at least one night. We’ve got a classic champagne sunset sail or a little bit of rock n roll with the Commotion on the Ocean featuring a great live band, appetizers, and margaritas.

Either way, we hope you and your family have a wonderful Labor Day and we hope to see you on the water in Key West soon!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer. For more travel stories and a daily dose of what’s cool around the globe visit her Wanderlust Website at http://web.me.com/shaynebeth.

by Shayne Benowitz

If you happen to live in the Cape Coral or Fort Meyers area, then surely you’re familiar with Fox 4’s morning show, the Morning Blend. Well, while you’re home for the holidays, be sure to tune in because it’s Key West week. And what’s a week in Key West without an excursion on the water with Fury?

That’s exactly what host Bill Wood had in mind a few weeks ago when he arrived with his executive producer and camera crew. Captain Scotty and I took them for a spin on the parasail boat for a taste of the excitement 300 feet above the waters of Key West. Then, we shuttled them to Adventure Island with Captain Chuck and crew for the Ultimate Adventure.

I told Bill what the Ultimate Adventure was all about (snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, breakfast, lunch, drinks… best time you can have in Key West!). Chuck filled him in on how unique our coral reef ecosystem is. After all, we are home to the only living barrier reef in North America. It’s pretty special and certainly warrants a visit to our little island paradise.

Bill interviewing Fury Girl.

Then, Bill and I went for a spin on the jet ski. All the while his camera crew filmed the action for a segment that will air this week. Remember, if you’re in the Cape Coral or Fort Meyers area, tune in to see all the fun we had. Rumor has it, there’s a big Key West vacation giveaway, so don’t miss out! If you live a little farther away, no big deal, just check out the behind the scenes video on our youtube channel! Happy Holidays!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer. For more travel stories and a daily dose of what’s cool around the globe visit her Wanderlust Website at http://web.me.com/shaynebeth.

by Shayne Benowitz

Fury Girl (center) with friends Alecia and Bob

It’s easy to entertain guests when they come for a visit in Key West. Quite simply, I take them to work with me. When my family came down over the winter holidays, they spent all day on the Ultimate Adventure and watched the sunset on the Commotion. The plan was the same when my best friends came to visit over New Years. Recently, I had a long lost childhood friend make a visit to the Keys with his fiancé. What did we do? Hopped aboard the afternoon snorkel trip, of course!

Passengers awaiting Cottrell Key snorkeling

We sailed west to Cottrell Key with Captain Steve. Cottrell is a destination we do not head to very often. The wind conditions have to be just right. Instead of the barrier reef south, Cottrell is a patch reef full of soft sponge coral. It fosters a rather different set of marine life species, and I told my friends that the times I’ve snorkeled at Cottrell I’ve seen some of the biggest fish of my life. I’ll never forget the massive goliath grouper I spotted resting in the shade underneath our catamaran or the stingray whose wingspan fluttered at eight feet underneath me!

Hemingway's fishing platform

We sat aboard the bench at the top deck (the best seat in the house, if you ask me), and enjoyed a tranquil sail through the Northwest Channel. The ocean’s beauty never ceases to amaze me, and it was a gorgeous sea green aqua. I always get a little thrill when we pass the old Hemingway fishing platform where he used to spend his days on the hunt for game fish back in the 1930s.

Anthony with spiny urchin

Once we tied up to the mooring ball, I couldn’t wait to jump in. The visibility was great! One of our crewmembers, Anthony, was quick to point out to me the abundance of spiny urchins on the seafloor, something you rarely see at the barrier reef south of us. The soft sponge coral is also unique to the Cottrell Key area. Snorkeling is such a relaxing and enjoyable experience, and any time I get to swim in the ocean I’m thrilled. My friend, Bob, was impressed with the anemone that he spotted, and his fiancé, Alecia, was excited to see a manta ray gliding by. I spotted a couple varieties of conch on the seafloor, which I had never actually seen before.

All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon snorkeling. For the sail back to Key West, we claimed our spot on the upper deck and enjoyed the service that Fury is known for: pitchers of beer circulated by friendly crewmembers and cups that never go empty!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer working on her debut novel. For more travel stories and a daily dose of what’s cool around the globe visit her Wanderlust Website at http://web.me.com/shaynebeth.

By Shayne Benowitz

Shayne lifeguarding at the reef.

This afternoon on a snorkel trip to Sand Key, Brian and I were talking about all of the amazing things we had seen at the reef lately. Every day is gorgeous on the water, and some days are truly exceptional. Brian told me that he was seeing nurse sharks at the reef frequently. Almost every day when I lifeguard, I hear customers exclaim that they saw a shark. Usually, they are thrilled and compare their story with other members in their party. On occasion, customers swim back to the boat in a panic.

A rainbow parrot fish.

I always make a point to explain to them that they have nothing to worry about with nurse sharks at the reef. Sometimes, people are skeptical, and you can’t blame them. I try to tell them that if I’m out there swimming in the water every day and I feel safe, so should they. Nurse sharks are nocturnal, so oftentimes you’ll find them snoozing at the ocean floor. They are not predatory, so as long as you don’t mess with them, they won’t mess with you.

Frankly, they are one of the greatest things you could see at the reef. As Brian was telling me how he had seen so many lately, I was jealous. I hadn’t seen a nurse shark at the reef in ages. Not because they’re not there, but because I don’t always have the opportunity to swim around and hunt for them when I’m taking care of customers. I see great things at the reef every day, but I hadn’t seen a nurse shark in a long time.

As the catamaran pulled up to the reef, Brian and I both decided that we would act as the lifeguards. After about fifteen minutes of being in the water, I heard people talking about how a nurse shark was only a few yards away from me. I hurried to put on my mask and I swam in the direction that people pointed. Sure enough, right before my eyes a large shark, probably 6 feet long, was swimming down towards the ocean’s bottom. Its body was dark and shadowy and it swam in a fluid, waving motion. Within no time it had covered enough ground that it was out of sight. I couldn’t wait to tell Brian and I was thrilled that my dry spell was broken!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer working on her debut novel. For more travel stories and a daily dose of what’s cool around the globe visit her Wanderlust Website at http://web.me.com/shaynebeth.

by Shayne Benowitz

Today, during the afternoon snorkel trip, crewmember Kyle made an exceptional discovery. Creeping slowly along the ocean floor with its claw and strong foot, armed with a heavy spiraling pink and cream shell for protection, Kyle spotted a beautiful queen conch.

The conch (pronounced CONK) was once quite abundant in Key West’s waters and became the namesake of our little island nation, the Conch Republic. The image of a conch shell is emblazoned on flags all over town. Today, conch is an endangered and protected species in Florida due to over-fishing for the tender, sweet meat and the beautiful shell. It is not very common to see conch at the reef and this was the first time I had seen one in its natural habitat.

The conch that you see on menus in Key West is a farm-raised variety that allows the species to sustain. Most commonly, you will find conch fritters, stew, ceviche, and sushi at many restaurants in town.

Kyle handed the queen conch up to Captain Westy at the bow and he showed the passengers that inside the shell resided a small mollusk. Of course, Westy handled the creature delicately and returned it to the seafloor after a quick presentation to our guests. It’s very important that all snorkelers remember that we snorkel in a marine sanctuary and we must leave the reef and its many inhabitants just as we found them.

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer who is working on her debut novel. Shayne can be reached at sbbenowitz@gmail.com.