For some 30 years, legendary divemaster Captain Spencer Slate has befriended, nurtured and fed slithery sea creatures at coral reefs off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

There’s Oscar, Psycho, Rusty and Flash from the barracuda family. Then, there are Melba, Sundance and Slime from the moray family. And the captain would never want to forget about Shreader, who has left his mark on Slate.

Captain Spencer Slate has become a legend in the Florida Keys and a celebrity in both diving and non-diving circles. (Photo by Frazier Nevins)

It’s because of his regular “visits” with these and other marine creatures that Captain Slate has become a legend in the Florida Keys and a well-known celebrity in both diving and non-diving circles.

Slate developed his passion for his extraordinary “friends” under the tutelage of Steve Klem, who was a pioneer dive operator in Key Largo in the mid-1950s.

“He was a wonderful guy who loved the creatures and just wanted to introduce them to the people,” said Slate. “I used to go watch him do the feeding and we became best friends.”

Slate took over feeding Klem’s creatures in 1978 — and today offers Creature Feature dive excursions from his Atlantis Dive Center in Key Largo. Every Friday and Sunday at 8 a.m., Slate gives dive visitors an up-close and personal introduction to many of his underwater pals.

Divers can even “hug” a moray eel and tickle its tummy. Snorkelers also can enjoy the show and interact with fish brought closer to the surface by staff from the sandy bottom 25 to 30 feet below.

Sundance, an affectionate moray eel, is one of Captain Spencer Slate’s special underwater buddies — as their obvious affection demonstrates. (Photo by Stephen Frink)

One Creature Feature “regular” is a gentle giant nicknamed Bruiser — a goliath grouper with spotted skin and a rounded body that weighs about 350 pounds. From November to May, Bruiser meanders around the reef hiding under rocks. But for Slate and his excursion participants, Bruiser emerges with a fishy smile to be hand-fed by new friends.

Divers also can watch Slate feed Sundance, the moray eel named for the way she moves.

“She’s real gentle — very sweet,” Slate said.

One of the excursion’s highlights demonstrates the trust between Slate and his undersea friends. Slate holds bait clenched in his teeth, and a silver bullet-like barracuda named Lightning strikes just centimeters from his dive mask to take it.

“The thrill is introducing new divers to these animals,” said Slate. “We want divers to be educated so they don’t get hurt and they don’t hurt these amazing creatures.” 

Want to know more about the captain and his unusual underwater buddies? Visit www.captainslate.com.