Jim Whitright was a dedicated family man who enjoyed outdoor activities, traveling, sports, and having a good laugh. His wife, siblings, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren love and miss him. He was born in 1929, in Cape Girardeau, MO. During the Korean War, Jim served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was married to Jane Garner in 1954 and they shared a marriage of nearly 62 years. Jim retired as a plant manager with Southern Illinois Power Cooperative in Illinois. He loved to fish and taught his kids to fish at a young age. After his retirement, Jim enjoyed visiting Mexico Beach to enjoy the great fishing and scalloping. This reef has 5 Florida Limestone Artificial Reefs measuring 8 feet tall. Deployed on 11 Nov 2016. Verified by MBARA diver Bob Cox 11 Nov 2016. This reef was constructed under FWC Grant 15158 with funds from the Natural Resources Damage Assessment Phase III. It was named under the FWC Lionfish Challenge Panhandle Pilot Program. On 20 Apr 2018, a Florida Limestone Artificial Reef measuring 8 feet tall with a plaque was added.
Location:
Bell Shoal
REEF ID: 211
Latitude: 29° 56.304 N
Longitude: 85° 29.196 W
Range: 3 nm
Bearing: 258
Depth: 20 feet
Range and Bearing is taken from mouth of Mexico Beach Canal.