Scuba Diving and the Seaward Inn

Two guests of the Seaward Inn, visiting from Germany, asked Rose to suggest ideas for things to do nearby as they didn't feel like driving.
She suggested taking the path to Old Garden Beach for a dip, or, if too adventuresome, to just take in the ocean air and natural scenery.

Liking this idea, they headed out, winding their way along the seaside path. Upon finding the beach, they were awestruck to see a group of Frogmen, dressed in full scuba diving gear and goggles. The frogmen looked more like Aliens from a UFO than anything human.
"What are they"? they asked a swimmer who was just coming out of the water.
"Oh, they're a group of Frogmen who come here often. This beach is one of the favorite places for them to dive.
"What are they looking for''? asked one of our guests.
"It's quite beautiful underwater. They see all kinds of creatures... waif-like jelly fish, lobsters wedged in rocks, crabs, striper fish''.

Our guests were thrilled this man was was so friendly, knowledgeable and willing to share what he knew about the Frogmen. He went on to say that Old Garden beach has a rocky, kelp laden, bottom that lends itself nicely for shallow dives. "There's more variety of fish seen here than almost any other Cape Ann dive site.The lobstering is good too". He went on to say that,
a few years ago, a woman diver, Maria D. Maggio, apparently saw a Humpback Whale. She wrote that it swam so close to her, that, if she extended an arm she would have touched it. Maria explained that it felt like a never ending locomotive passing by. She was frightened and surprised! It's unusual to have one venture so close to shore".
Our guests also learned that, at one time, local residents resented having Frogmen groups descend upon their peaceful beaches but have become more tolerant, accepting and becoming respectful of each other over the years.
Massachusetts laws assures divers the same access to public beaches as any other visitor.


Our guests were VERY happy they had taken their camera along as this impromptu trek turned out to be a highlight of their vacation. They were excited to show pictures and tell their story of the Frogmen to friends and family when they went back to Germany.
Upon returning to the Inn, they thanked Rose profusely, for a wonderful afternoon while vowing to return to the Seaward Inn for another vacation in the future.

Labels: Beach, bed-and-breakfast, Cape-Ann, Germany, Holiday, oceanfront accommodations; Sea-Garden-Restaurant, Rockport-Chamber-of-Commerce, scuba-diving, whales